Warwick announces partnership with Monash University

Warwick announced on Thursday 2 February that it had established a partnership with Australian university, Monash. The collaboration is being supported by a grant of over half a million pounds, which was awarded by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s (EPSRC) Building Global Engagements programme.

The Vice-Chancellor of Warwick University, Professor Nigel Thrift, commented that the grant will “form an integral part of the wider range of investments planned under the broader Warwick and Monash strategic alliance.”

The grant aims to foster a collaboration between academics at Warwick and Melbourne-based university Monash, by focusing on specific areas such as: sustainable chemistry, solar energy, innovative manufacturing, polymer science, materials and analytical science, as well as data management and high performance computing.

The Vice-Chancellor of Monash, Professor Ed Byrne, also commented on the alliance, stating that “one of the factors in choosing to partner with Warwick was the complementary nature of our research aspirations and programs.”

He said that the alliance should “progress research in critical areas far beyond what each institution could achieve alone.”

The partnership will see the creation of 10 joint senior academic posts and several jointly delivered degrees being introduced, which will involve study at both institutions.

Thrift stated that, “Monash is a compelling partner for Warwick. Both were born in the 1960s, and are renowned for a fast-paced innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit that has brought rapid success and quickly built strong global reputations.

He added that research links between the two universities will focus on both “breadth and depth.”

At both institutions, the grant will enable young research ‘stars’ to be identified, in order to provide these students with overseas experience within the partnership. The alliance also aims to add an additional international element to doctoral training programmes.

Byrne stated that a significant advantage of the partnership will come in the form of attracting foreign students; “In Asia, the big decision students make is effectively whether to come to the UK or Australia. This offers the potential to have the best of both worlds.”

He stated that university education “is really going to become a global marketplace” and that partnerships such as this one will “alter the traditional university model.”

Monash already has campuses in Johannesburg and Kuala Lumpur as well as a centre in Mumbai, while Warwick currently has a research centre in Venice. Further plans for Monash include a research centre in China.