Representatives from Swansea’s Professional Services, including the Department of Research and Innovation, Information Services and Systems, Planning Unit and Academic Registry,  will meet with counterparts in the Université de Grenoble, one of France’s largest universities.

The aim is to exchange knowledge and experiences to address challenges relating to the development of innovative collaborative degrees, and to identify ways of developing structures to support the joint delivery of programmes and the submission of bids for European funding.  

The universities established a Strategic Partnership with Grenoble in 2013 to support the development of joint research projects, joint degree programmes, student and staff exchange and a joint approach to trans-sector collaboration with industry.

The visit, coordinated by Academic Registrar Huw Morris, is being led by Swansea’s Registrar and Chief Operating Officer, Raymond Ciborowski. He will be accompanied by several senior figures, including the Dean of the Academic Board (Research) Dr Frits-Gregor Herrmann and Directors of the University’s Professional Service departments.

Mr Ciborowski said: ““As one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities, we have an internationalisation strategy that emphasises the importance of strategic partnerships with prominent universities elsewhere in the world. Strong international links are integral to Swansea’s future.

This high profile delegation of Professional Services staff demonstrates that our commitment to the Strategic Partnership with Grenoble goes beyond the various joint research activities we have already established. Our partnership with Grenoble is relevant to academics and administrators alike, and we look forward to sharing our experiences with our partners, and learning from them.”

Considerable progress has already been made and several reciprocal visits have taken place. Discussions have begun to build legal and regulatory frameworks to support the development of a series of joint Masters degrees, which will be taught by both universities and which will require residence at both universities for a year.  A pilot programme in Computer Science is expected to recruit students for admission in September 2015.

The success of these projects is dependent upon the academic staff of both universities collaborating effectively on research interests of mutual strategic interest, as well as the support, expertise and vision of staff working in the institutions’ Professional Services departments.

For further information please contact the Academic Registrar, Huw Morris, on 01792 295344, or email h.d.l.morris@swansea.ac.uk.