Student scholarships fund Texas study trip

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Three Swansea University students will be saying goodbye as they have been awarded scholarships by the British American Foundation of Texas (BAFTx) to study for a semester at Texas A&M University (TAMU).

Students to study in Texas

The successful students - Ivy Mumuni from London, Kiran Mistry from Coventry and Nathalie Farhoudi from Sweden - are all first year students in Medical Engineering and will spend the first semester of their second year studying in Texas before returning to Swansea for the remainder of their studies.

This pioneering exchange programme enables students to study overseas without adding an extra year to their studies, allowing them to study at one of the US’s top universities and build their skills and employability.

This group will be the third cohort of Swansea students to take part in the exchange programme, a key part of the University’s strategic partnership with Texas which also includes research and teaching collaborations, knowledge transfer, sharing of infrastructure and the exchange of academic staff.

Kiran said: ‘When the opportunity arose to study in Texas, I jumped at the chance to study in another part of the world with such high academic grace. This scholarship will now allow me to focus more on the studies without the extra financial strain.”

Ivy agreed saying: “The opportunity to study at Texas is a wonderful chance for me to explore how other universities teach this degree and see what developments there are in the USA. The scholarship is a great way for me to relax and enjoy my time over there”.

Nathalie is also thrilled by the prospect of studying in Texas said: "This chance to study in Texas will be a fantastic opportunity for me to explore a new culture and gain experience from a different teaching perspective. Furthermore, receiving this scholarship will allow me to have a great time without any worries!"

BAFTx was established to help provide financial assistance and educational opportunities to academically gifted students in the UK and USA, and Swansea is believed to be one of the first UK universities to receive BAFTx funding for students to travel to Texas. 

Swansea Medical Engineering student David Rochelle was awarded the first BAFTx scholarship in 2013 and returned to his studies in Swansea in January: “I had a fantastic time studying in Texas. I met some wonderful people and the experience made me a more committed student and a better engineer. I am confident that the experience will help me stand out in the job market after I graduate.” 

Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Professor Mike Sullivan said: "We are delighted at BAFTx’s continued support of our student exchange programme with Texas A&M University. These scholarships will help our students to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at one of the US's top universities and help to cement our growing relationship with Texas.”

Susan Howard, President at British American Foundation of Texas said: “We are delighted to be able to support the student exchange link between Texas A&M and Swansea University, which is already going from strength to strength. We hope the connections forged through the programme will last a lifetime, bringing benefits to Texas and Wales."

Pictured: Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Professor Mike Sullivan, with Ivy, Kiran and Nathalie and Dr Raoul Van Loon.