Higher education: Agreement reached with Glasgow for ‘sandwich’ PhD

University of Liverpool will train 10 UHS students every year.

LAHORE:

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) and the University of Glasgow, UK, will enter into a partnership to start a ‘sandwich’ PhD programme for Pakistani researchers in molecular biology, clinical neurosciences, medical genetics, nursing and public health.

This was agreed on Friday in a meeting between UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Malik Hussain Mubashar and the international lead of the School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Prof Maryann Lumsden.

In a sandwich doctorate, the students will start their PhD at UHS. In the second phase they will carry out research in Glasgow. The degrees will be awarded by both UHS and the University of Glasgow.

Prof Lumsden said that the University of Glasgow provided the optimum environment for internationally competitive research and facilitated the rapid translation of laboratory-based research to the clinic and the wider population.

“Since 2000, our staff has supervised 1,286 new postgraduate research students. Our students are involved in research on human nutrition, paediatric endocrinology, cancer biomarkers as well research in medical education and e-learning,” she added.

The UHS VC said the university had entered into strategic partnerships with universities around the world to develop innovative and distinctive basic sciences, translational and clinical research programmes based on an interdisciplinary and a multi-professional approach.

“The interface with international organisations is critical to our research strategy and comprises a key element for translating basic science discoveries into clinical practice with clear societal benefits,” Prof Mubashar said.

Prof Junaid Sarfraz Khan from the Medical Education Department of the UHS said the university would soon establish an Institute of Research Excellence in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, UK, which would train 10 UHS PhD students every year.

“The British university has not only waived the bench fee, but has also frozen the tuition fee for five years,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2012.