Collaborating for PhD growth

City forges new partnerships with the University of Padua Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

City has forged new partnerships with the University of Padua (Università degli Studi di Padova), Italy and with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama to deliver joint research degree programmes.


The agreement with the University of Padua establishes a programme that will allow research degree students from one institution to spend a minimum of six months studying at the other and to gain a joint doctoral award. They will have the choice of using either the Italian (Dottore di Ricerca) or the English (Doctor of Philosophy) as a title.

 

The agreement builds on existing joint research between City's Centre for Measurement and Information in Medicine (MIM) and the University of Padua. The programme is aimed initially at informatics and engineering research students, but it is hoped that the collaboration will extend to other subject areas that are common to both universities.

 

Founded in 1222, the University of Padua is the second oldest university in Italy and one of the most ancient in Europe. Nicolas Copernicus, the great Polish astronomer, was a student there and Galileo Galilei, the founder of modern scientific experimental method, was professor of mathematics at the university. Today, the university has almost 70,000 students and its 13 schools teach a wide range of subjects from the arts to veterinary medicine.

 

The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Padua on 28 January. "There is natural synergy between City's subjects and those of Padua, particularly in engineering, law, business and health,” said Julius Weinberg, pro- vice-chancellor for research. "Over the coming years, I hope to see more collaboration, which will support our strategic aim to enhance the international scope and reputation of the University."

 

The collaboration between City and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama establishes the only UK joint performance research degree programme between a university department and a conservatoire. The programme, comprising a Master of Musical Arts leading to a Doctorate in Musical Arts, is aimed at performers as well as advanced practitioners such as tutors or college music professors.

 

This new collaboration builds on the existing relationship which includes a link that oversees performance tuition and validates two BA and two MA degrees.

 

Professor David Rhind, vice-chancellor said: "Ten years ago, City was the first UK university to establish research degrees for performers. Now we are building on our strong relationship with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama to pool expertise and provide students with the highest standards of both academic and performance supervision."



Date of Article:  01/02/2002