Washington deal will give broader horizons to UQ students

University of Queensland students and staff will have opportunities to work alongside their peers at a top American university when UQ enters a new partnership with the University of Washington.

The two leading Universities are due to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Seattle, Washington, on April 6, to set a framework for collaboration on high-level research and student exchanges.

The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Queensland (UQ), Professor Paul Greenfield, will sign the agreement with the President of the University of Washington (UW), Dr Mark A. Emmert.

“The trans-Pacific partnership will open exciting new opportunities for UQ undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff,” Professor Greenfield said.

“UW is a leading American state University with strengths that complement those of UQ.

“Signing a Memorandum of Understanding will enable us to work through the fine details of our partnership, which will focus on student exchanges and research collaboration.

“UQ anticipates that both undergraduates and postgraduates studying here will have opportunities to undertake an immersion semester at UW, whereby they work intensively for a few months in the USA and gain credit towards their UQ degree.

“Areas in which we would expect to forge collaborative research include bioengineering, neuroscience and imaging, technology commercialisation, marine science and kindergarten to year 12 science and maths education.

“Both UQ and UW have international strengths in these areas. The differences between us in terms of facilities and expertise will add diversity and challenge for students and researchers from both sides of the Pacific.

“For example, UQ is an acknowledged global leader in sub-tropical and tropical marine science, including the science of coral reefs. UW also studies the Pacific, and has specialties in fields including the ecology of the North Pacific, marine mammals and fisheries management.

“By pooling some of our resources, UQ and UW will enrich the opportunities for students and staff and also enable better results for the countless people who will benefit from research in our areas of collaboration,” Professor Greenfield said.

Media contact: Fiona Kennedy 61-7-3365 1088 / 0413 380 012