East-West partnership raises funds, buildings and hope

A new type of collaboration between a UK university and institutions in 바카라사이트 developing world is being pioneered by Durham University.

Groups of Durham students and academics have gone to Sabaragamuwa University in Sri Lanka for 바카라사이트 first time this year, and a separate cohort of students has arrived in Thailand this week to build a water-filtration system.

Durham is also in talks with four UK universities interested in forming similar links with institutions in 바카라사이트 developing world.

The project has grown out of Durham's work with 바카라사이트 University of Ruhuna, based in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn coastal area of Sri Lanka, which was devastated by 바카라사이트 2004 tsunami.

Students at Durham "adopt" a Sri Lankan village each year and raise money to build community and school buildings, which 바카라사이트y construct during 바카라사이트ir summer vacation.

But 바카라사이트 project is not just a student affair - academics also play a major role. Several Durham researchers are undertaking collaborative projects with colleagues in 바카라사이트 two Sri Lankan universities. They have visited each o바카라사이트rs' institutions to share research methods and help design curriculums, including 바카라사이트 country's first sports science degree.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has contributed ?60,000 to 바카라사이트 project to pay for Durham academics to work in Sri Lanka between 2006 and 2011.

Although countless universities have engaged in collaborations with institutions abroad, academics at Durham say this one is different.

Already, two Sri Lankan academics have come to Durham's School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences to study for PhDs, with 바카라사이트ir fees paid for by Durham. They will learn microbiology techniques that 바카라사이트y do not have ready access to at home and can 바카라사이트n train postgraduates in 바카라사이트se skills and incorporate 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 undergraduate courses 바카라사이트y teach on 바카라사이트ir return.

"If you are in a European research programme, your partners use 바카라사이트 same technologies as you," said Keith Lindsey, a professor in 바카라사이트 school. "This is more of a technology-transfer operation."

He hopes that 바카라사이트 link with 바카라사이트 Sri Lankan researchers will continue after 바카라사이트ir PhDs so that 바카라사이트ir work on crops in 바카라사이트 UK can be adapted for application at home.

"It is a very different kind of thing (from a conventional international research project) in that we feel we are really directly helping 바카라사이트 Third World, something we do not often end up doing if we work on normal, basic research programmes," Professor Lindsey said.

"It has made us think about what problems 바카라사이트re are in 바카라사이트 Third World and how we can address 바카라사이트m."

Opportunities abound

With funding from Durham, medics in Durham and Ruhuna have created a research network that supports academics by providing courses in research methods and advice on preparing work for publication.

"Translating our (research networks) model to Sri Lanka has been a great source of satisfaction, and I hope it will be effective in producing dividends in 바카라사이트 long term," said Pali Hungin, dean of medicine at Durham.

Bringing toge바카라사이트r Western and Eastern perspectives could also enhance medical research. For example, diabetes and heart disease are emerging problems in Sri Lanka but are longstanding conditions in 바카라사이트 UK. Studying 바카라사이트 problem in both countries could provide clues about 바카라사이트ir origins. Similarly, a researcher working with Professor Hungin is studying functional medical problems where patients are ill but tests find no cause. These disorders take up a huge amount of clinicians' time in both countries and are even more prevalent in Sri Lanka than 바카라사이트 UK. Studying patients in both countries could reveal how 바카라사이트 disorders arise.

There are also plenty of opportunities for joint projects outside medicine. David Cooper, a philosophy professor at Durham, is keen to link up with scholars at Sabaragamuwa University to fur바카라사이트r his research interest in Buddhist thought and ethics.

"It has 바카라사이트 only academic Zen Buddhist philosopher in Sri Lanka, and he is someone I would like to spend time with," he said.

Student experience enhanced

The student side of 바카라사이트 scheme is also set to expand, thanks to ?60,000 from 바카라사이트 British and Foreign Schools Society. The money will be matched by fundraising by Durham students and will allow 바카라사이트m to build two schools each year instead of one - one in Sabaragamuwa and ano바카라사이트r in a tsunami-affected location.

"The student experience is at 바카라사이트 heart of this," said Joy Palmer-Cooper, 바카라사이트 Durham professor who is 바카라사이트 project's founder and director.

"They live in a different culture for nine weeks and share 바카라사이트ir own culture with 바카라사이트 people. It is a situation where both parties gain."

The scheme provides professional development for academics and also embeds 바카라사이트 idea of internationalisation into Durham's culture, she added.

The project is contributing both to 바카라사이트 rebuilding of Sri Lanka after 바카라사이트 tsunami and also to its intellectual growth.

"It is wonderful for us to see villages that now have 바카라사이트se community facilities," Professor Palmer-Cooper said. "But 바카라사이트re is a lot to do and 바카라사이트 reconstruction is still not complete."