Canada trip explores future research collaborations and student programmes

Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster recently led an Essex delegation to a number of top Canadian universities including McMaster University, Western University and the universities of Toronto, York, Guelph, Waterloo and Windsor.

The purpose of the week-long trip was to meet our existing university partners in Canada, as well as build new university relationships around collaborative research opportunities, student exchange and joint degree programmes.

Accompanying the Vice-Chancellor was Professor Dom Micklewright (Dean of Partnerships), Professor Susan Oliver (Deputy Dean Research Faculty of Humanities), Professor John Preston (Deputy Dean Research Faculty of Social Sciences), Professor Alan St Clair Gibson (Deputy Dean Research Faculty of Science and Health), and Ivan Hutchins (Head of International Business Development).

Among the mutual areas of research interest identified between Essex and the Canadian universities visited were health and wellbeing, literature, sport exercise, artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights.

Professor Micklewright said: “The visit to Canada was important in terms of creating opportunities for future research collaboration for Essex. We are looking for universities that share similar values and beliefs as Essex, and those with whom we have mutual or complementary strengths that result in world-leading research.

“In visiting the Canadian universities, our Deputy Deans Research had a pivotal role in being able to pinpoint specific collaborative research and funding opportunities across all of our faculties that we intend to pursue. In addition to research opportunities, we identified a number of opportunities for other forms of collaboration – joint degrees, co-supervision of PhDs, staff and PGR student exchanges and academic study tours.”

University of Windsor President Dr Robert Gordon said Essex was a good fit for its ongoing efforts at internationalisation.

“There are so many similarities between our two institutions,” said Dr Gordon. “I am excited to build on some of the connections we have already enjoyed.”