The MOU was proposed by James Abbey, Director of the Texas/UK Collaborative at Swansea University and made possible with the help of several members of senior staff: Professor Javier Bonet, Head of School of Engineering; Professor Steve Wilks, Deputy Head of School of Engineering and Co-Director of the Centre for NanoHealth; Professor Huw Summers and Professor Paul Rees from the School of Engineering and Academic Registrar, Huw Morris.
The MOU will allow selected students on Swansea University's undergraduate Medical Engineering degree and students from Texas A&M University's Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Schools to exchange for a fully accredited semester that will count towards their home institution's degree. It will also facilitate a scheme of study between Swansea University's new MSc NanoMedicine course, run by the School of Engineering in collaboration with the School of Medicine, and Texas A&M University's MSc Advanced Therapeutics.
The signing of the MOU follows the announcement this month that Swansea's School's of Medicine and Engineering have received a joint research project grant of £1.4m with Texas A&M University's School of Bioengineering as the collaborating research partner.
James Abbey said: "The MOU will create a flow of knowledge between Swansea University's School's of Engineering and Medicine and Texas A&M University and will enhance and strengthen Swansea University's knowledge and teaching base, providing a strong channel for developing further programmes with partners in the Texas UK Collaborative."
Professor Javier Bonet commented "The MOU will significantly enhance the student experience for those studying Medical Engineering degrees by giving them the opportunity to study abroad for part of their programme at one of the world's great institutions'.
In the photograph, clockwise from bottom left: Professor Javier Bonet; Professor Steve Wilks; Professor Gerard Cote (Head of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University); James Abbey; John Niedzwecki (executive Associate Dean Texas A&M University College of Engineering); Professor Michael Pishko (Head of Chemical Engieering, Texas A&M University).
The Texas-UK Collaborative harnesses the collective experience and ambitions of 10 universities and medical colleges in Texas and eight of the UK's top universities to transform medical research on an unprecedented scale. For further information, contact James Abbey.
