Dublin agreement strengthens European links
A new fund to support collaborative research has been agreed between Edinburgh and University College Dublin.
The fund, worth up to 100,000 Euros in the first year, forms part of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the two institutions.
The partnership commits matched funding from each University over the next three years and will support students and staff to share knowledge and expertise.
Geosciences, Migration Studies, and One Health will form the initial areas for collaboration, but these could be expanded to include others.
The MoA will build on the existing close relationship with University College Dublin, which includes a long history of Erasmus+ exchanges and research collaborations.
UCD’s Vice-President for Research, Innovation, and Impact, Professor Orla Feely, and Edinburgh’s Vice-Principal for Planning, Resources, and Research Policy Professor Jonathan Seckl signed the agreement.
European partnerships
Edinburgh remains committed to playing a strong role in European research and innovation collaborations. By creating stronger partnerships the University will be able to maintain better communication and exchange links with partners.
Much of the research undertaken at Edinburgh is collaborative and the University is working to ensure it remains resilient in a changing political climate. Some 30 per cent of the University’s research outputs come from working with European partners.
The signing is the second in a series of MoAs, which will be announced with key partner institutions in Europe and around the world. The first MoA was signed with the University of Amsterdam in October 2018.
International experiences
The agreement strengthens the University’s commitment to international student and staff collaboration and exchanges.
Since 1987, the University has enabled more than 12,000 students to spend time in European countries for work and study, whilst a similar number have come to Edinburgh.
The University intends to ensure that students and staff continue to have these opportunities and benefit from the collaborative nature of Edinburgh’s relationship with European and international partners.
Research and innovation are global endeavours. As a world-leading university, Edinburgh is highly international in its outlook. 43 per cent of our students and more than 30 per cent of our staff are from abroad. To address the great challenges that our planet and its people face, we are now forging deeper partnerships with leading European universities. Stronger links with our colleagues at University College Dublin will provide exciting new opportunities for students and staff alike. This partnership affords an ideal prospect to discover new knowledge and develop innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
The University and Europe
The University is inextricably linked with Europe. Edinburgh has participated in more than 300 large European collaborative projects, contributing to areas such as Health Research, Information and Communications Technology, and High-Performance Computing.
Academic year 2017/18 saw an increase in the number of European students choosing to study at Edinburgh, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
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