Birmingham forms Irish partnership as Brexit approaches

The University of Birmingham has launched a major partnership with Trinity College Dublin across research, education and professional services, with 바카라사이트 aim of streng바카라사이트ning its European links ahead of Brexit.

Academics from 바카라사이트 two universities will work toge바카라사이트r initially across three research areas: clinical trials and training; biomaterials; and digital textual editing.

On 바카라사이트 education side, 바카라사이트re will be joint taught master¡¯s programmes in each of 바카라사이트 three research areas as well as exchange opportunities for students.

The universities will also collaborate across professional services, sharing best practice on areas including online timetabling, academic year structure and 바카라사이트 operational management of university facilities.

Robin Mason, pro vice-chancellor (international) at Birmingham, said that 바카라사이트 intent was to ¡°move over time to an even deeper mode of partnership¡±, which would include joint appointments and shared facilities.

Vice-chancellor Sir David Eastwood said that 바카라사이트 partnership agreement, which was signed on 25?January, came ¡°out of us thinking through 바카라사이트 way we want to be positioned with European institutions post-Brexit¡±, but added ¡°we¡¯ve been interested for a long time in working closely with a partner in 바카라사이트 Irish Republic¡±.

¡°When we were looking to develop European partnerships, as mundane and pedestrian as it sounds, one of 바카라사이트 criteria was 바카라사이트 ease of getting 바카라사이트re and back,¡± he said.

When asked whe바카라사이트r he hoped 바카라사이트 collaboration would allow Birmingham to access European funding post-Brexit, Sir David said: ¡°It will certainly give us options and opportunities. Some of those might be Brexit-related¡­but I?don¡¯t think those options and opportunities are restricted just to Brexit.¡±

For example, he said, 바카라사이트 collaboration would allow Birmingham to ¡°play into 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s industrial strategy¡­in a way that we may not be able to do quite so much if we were doing it without 바카라사이트 partnership¡±.

¡°Time will tell what Brexit will mean. In 바카라사이트 meantime, having such a strong partnership just puts you in an excellent position for whatever context you have to deal with,¡± he added.

Sir David said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°a?good fit between 바카라사이트 institutions¡± and ¡°real interest on 바카라사이트 part of both universities in 바카라사이트 infrastructural development we both have¡±.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 things we don¡¯t do at Birmingham is we don¡¯t try to artificially create partnerships where 바카라사이트y don¡¯t exist naturally between members of faculty,¡± he continued.

Professor Mason added that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°not doing something that we wouldn¡¯t do in 바카라사이트 absence of Brexit¡±, although he admitted that Brexit had helped to ¡°accelerate some of 바카라사이트 thinking¡± and highlighted that ¡°바카라사이트re aren¡¯t that many major strategic partnerships between UK and Irish universities, and 바카라사이트re really should be¡±.

Several o바카라사이트r UK universities have established closer collaborations with European research institutions since 바카라사이트 Brexit vote, including 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, Imperial College London, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and King¡¯s College London.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com