U of C partners with U.K. schools for research, student exchange

By Katy Atherholt, October 23 2014 —

The University of Calgary signed agreements with the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester on Oct. 9 to send students and professors on exchange to the the United Kingdom.

U of C president Elizabeth Cannon went to the U.K. on a trip with representatives from Canada’s top-15 research universities. The event took place in London from Oct. 9–10.

The agreements allow the U of C to send students on exchange programs to the University of Manchester, share research and attend conferences. A student exchange program has not been established with the University of Edinburgh.

The U of C will send up to eight students abroad to the University of Manchester next year, with an increased number allowed to go in the following years.

Cannon met with representatives from 24 universities in the U.K. that make up the Russell Group. Some of the U of C’s existing U.K. partners, along with world-renowned schools like Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science, were at the conference.

Cannon said partnerships with these universities will help make the U of C “a global intellectual hub.”

Sean Borland, a British student on exchange from Newcastle University at the U of C, said providing more study- abroad options between the U.K. and Canada is beneficial for students.

“I believe that immersing yourself into a different culture is truly rewarding. My experience in Calgary has really enriched my education and I would highly recommend a semester abroad to anyone who has the opportunity to take one,” Borland said.

The U of C sends roughly 1,100 students around the world on study-abroad programs every year. Forty students from the U.K. are currently on exchange at the U of C, with another 40 enroled in degree programs.