Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Graduate Research) Professor Simon Handley and Graduate Research Academy Operations Director, Dr Louise Dwyer, with University of Hamburg President Professor Dr Hauke Heekeren and colleagues

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A delegation to key partners in Europe has resulted in promising new agreements that will deepen Macquarie University’s collaborations with some of the world’s top research institutions.

Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton was joined by Pro-Vice Chancellor, Graduate Research, Professor Simon Handley and Graduate Research Academy Operations Director Dr Louise Dwyer to take part in formal discussions with partner universities in Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

“Macquarie’s strategic European partnerships allow us to bring together diverse perspectives, expertise and resources,” notes Professor Handley.

“The exchange of knowledge and ideas across borders enhances the quality and impact of our research, fosters global cooperation and prepares our scholars for an increasingly interconnected world.”

Macquarie has a longstanding and highly successful partnership with University of Hamburg, with 24 candidates having engaged in the Joint PhD program to date. Professor Dowton met with the President, Professor Dr Hauke Heekeren, to sign an extension to the Master of Research Exchange program, available to students across the University in the first and second year of the MRes. The delegation visited the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, where many of the forthcoming collaborations will be taking place.

While in Germany, the delegation also visited Heidelberg University where they were welcomed by the Rector, Professor Dr Bernhard Eitel. The delegates met with representatives of the South East Asian Institute, Law, Physics and Astronomy, Engineering and the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences. Heidelberg has been a Master of Research exchange partner since the inception of the MRes Program in 2013. The two universities restated their commitment to extending the collaboration through the growth of the cotutelle and MRes exchange programs.

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The delegation is welcomed by Heidelberg University Rector, Professor Dr Bernhard Eitel.

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The next stop was the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, where the delegation was welcomed by President Professor Jouke de Vries. The partnership is supported through the cotutelle program, joint graduate development programs, academic and student travel grants, and MRes exchange.

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Read more about the visit and the partnership with the University of Groningen in an earlier issue of This Week. Support and funding are available to graduate researchers and academics who are interested in establishing collaborations or dual PhDs with the University of Groningen.

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Finally, the delegation visited the University of Bristol where members were hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Judith Squires. The cotutelle program with Bristol is growing at pace, with 12 current enrolments and nine students planning to commence their joint enrolment this year. The dual PhD model, whereby researchers from both institutions jointly propose a project and jointly recruit into the PhD, has been enormously successful. A renewed framework agreement was signed to enable recruitment of the next cohort of students under this model. Collaborations are already established in the areas of natural sciences, psychology, cognitive science, biological sciences, molecular sciences, engineering, English, management, education, history and archaeology.

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Macquarie University’s delegation meets with University of Bristol Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Professor Judith Squires and colleagues.

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