A visiting delegation from the University of Copenhagen has extended ties between Deakin and its closest European collaborator.
Deakin University’s relationship with one of the world’s most prestigious universities, the University of Copenhagen (KU), has been strengthened through the visit of 15 KU academics and students to Deakin in early August.
Ranked 30th in the world by the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities, KU has one of the largest Health and Life Science academic centres in Northern Europe. It’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences has five schools and 11 departments, with 7,700 students, including 1600 PhD students and 1770 researchers.
Deakin’s International Manager (Europe), Ms Ursula Lorentzen, said the KU visitors were “particularly interested in Deakin’s expertise in digital education platforms, Future Learn initiatives and development of emerging VR and AR-based education, but were also interested in ramping up student mobility and further fostering programs of research across the health spectrum”.
Since the two universities partnered in 2010 to create a student exchange agreement, a growing number of collaborative projects have been established. These include an exchange program for medical students to undertake clinical placements and joint PhD agreements.
Joint research is being undertaken in: the recently funded ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Digital Enhanced Living; as well as in mental health; cancer carer support, diabetes care; e-health literacy; health economics; veterinary health; genomics; pharmacy; medical anthropology and disaster management / humanitarian assistance.
Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Health, Professor Trish Livingston, said that the collaboration offers tremendous opportunities for Deakin students and staff.
[testimonial_text]The collaboration will also benefit the wider community with the pooling of our respective research strengths to help solve contemporary health issues across the spectrum, in areas including childhood obesity, chronic disease and mental health disorders, as well as supporting healthy ageing using digital technologies.[/testimonial_text]
[testimonial_picture name=”Professor Trish Livingston” details=”Associate Dean (Research) Faculty of Health”]
[/testimonial_picture]The recent visit by KU saw an agreement on a number of student mobility programs that will facilitate increased student exchanges between the universities. Arrangements were also made to extend staff exchange programs and honorary professorships, such as that held by health literacy expert Professor Richard Osborne at KU.
Another highlight of the visit was the finalisation of several research projects between KU and Deakin that will lead to the enrolment of PhD students in the joint PhD program already in place between Deakin and KU. As part of the program, students will be jointly supervised by Deakin and KU academic staff. Students graduating from this program will receive a testamur carrying the crests of both universities. Deakin is investing in five Deakin-based PhD scholarship for 2017 and five for 2018 to further support the growth of this collaboration.
Main photograph: Ms Bitta Nielsen, Head of Education (left) and Ms Anne-Grethe Routley, Director of International Relations, both from the University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, with Deakin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander (centre).
Published by Deakin Research on 29 August 2017
