Professor Teresa Alonso-Rasgado
Building on existing relationships and exploratory visits, three initiatives are being led by Teresa Alonso-Rasgado (pictured), Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dean for Global Engagement and Sharon Ellis, Director of Research Services, and sponsored by Vice-Principal for Policy and Strategic Partnerships Philippa Lloyd and Wen Wang, Vice-Principal for Science and Engineering.
The initiatives consist of a pre-sessional English course delivered in Mexico followed by postgraduate studies, intensive workshops where academics and researchers come together to exchange ideas, joint multidisciplinary research projects between Mexican institutions and Queen Mary academics and an initiative to empower women in science technology, maths and engineering. The initiatives will take place between September 2019 and October 2020 with Queen Mary academics and professional services staff driving them.
Pre-sessional English courses in Mexico followed by postgraduate study
Queen Mary University of London, Durham and The University of Leeds will come together on 7 October 2019 to deliver an eight week long pre-sessional English course in two Mexican host universities: National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico City) and the Autonomous University of Chihuahua (Chihuahua), supported by the Technological University of Culiacan, Sinaloa.
More than 30 Mexican institutions will take part in the initiative, which will provide an opportunity to attract 200 potential funded postgraduate students, run in partnership with Citibanamex's Social Commitment division, the Secretariat of Education of Chihuahua, institute for the support of research and innovation and Mexican business associations.
Supporting Queen Mary's Global Challenge Research Fund Strategy
Intensive 'sandpit' workshops bringing academics and researchers together are planned for the creation of joint multidisciplinary research projects between Mexican Higher Education Institutions and Queen Mary academics. The 'matching funds' scheme events will take place from 22 to 27 September in Mexico City with, in the first instance, the National Polytechnic Institute. Later in the year, further workshops will be run in partnership with other higher education and government institutions. These seeded research projects will provide the platform for academics from both institutions to bid for large international research grants.
Empowering Women in STEM
The Empowering Women in STEM event is planned to take place in Mexico City in 2020. In partnership with Mexican and UK institutions, it will enable thought leaders and academics from the UK and Mexico to come together to highlight the importance of raising the status of women in STEM and throughout society as a whole, encouraging women and providing them with the tools and confidence to enable them to take on leading roles in all levels of society. This event is currently being planned and is expected to take place in April 2020.
