New CSU agreement lays groundwork for faculty/student collaboration with British university
Contact for Reporters:
Jeff Dodge
970-491-4251
jeff.dodge@colostate.edu
Colorado State University has entered into a new agreement that is expected to open doors for faculty and student collaboration and exchanges with Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
The international memorandum of understanding will initially focus on the defense and security sector, but other areas where the two universities have common expertise include energy and power, the environment, agriculture, and water resources. Officials from CSU’s Office of Defense Engagement and Cranfield Defence and Security began coordinating informally in August 2016.
“This MOU represents the start of an exciting new partnership between Cranfield and CSU,” said Simon Harwood, director of Cranfield Defence and Security. “Along with our shared interests in defense and security, there is potential for wider collaboration across the universities to enhance research and provide opportunities for our staff and students to work together and share their knowledge and expertise.”
“We are very enthusiastic about entering this partnership with Cranfield University, which is among the academic and research university leaders in the U.K.,” added CSU Associate Vice President Hank Gardner, director of the Office of Defense Engagement. “I am grateful to Simon and colleagues who have worked closely with our Office of Defense Engagement and our Office of International Programs to initiate this exciting collaboration.”
Possible collaborations
According to the agreement, potential areas of cooperation between CDS and CSU include the development of research proposals for collaborative studies. The two universities may co-apply for research grants to finance joint studies, and work together to produce scientific publications.
The agreement also allows for the exchange of researchers for short-term visits to work on research proposal development, sharing results of scientific studies, participation in professional society meetings, and the exchange of academic staff to serve as guest instructors and participate in workshops, conferences and colloquia. There may also be opportunities for CSU students to take coursework offered by Cranfield, and vice versa.
Both universities offer academic and research programs exploring the general themes of resilient societies, socioeconomic development, governance, and environmental politics. Additional areas of potential collaboration include environmental and radiological health, human performance in relation to vehicle/system design, and defense/security-related canine medicine, rehabilitation and training.
Cranfield offers a master’s degree in international defense and security through its Centre for International Security and Resilience, addressing the causes of war and peace, pressures and opportunities of globalization, terrorism, and global poverty and injustice.
CSU programs that are expected to benefit Cranfield students include graduate certificates in applied global stability with concentrations in agriculture, natural resources and water resources. In addition, CSU’s MBA in Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise and research/education opportunities offered by the School of Global Environmental Sustainability are appealing to Cranfield officials.
About Cranfield University
Cranfield University is an exclusively postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. It is one of the world’s leading universities for defense and security education, research and consultancy. Its diverse range of specialties include energetics, forensic sciences, international stabilization and cybersecurity. Cranfield provides specialist knowledge to industry, security and emergency services, military, governments and NGOs, underpinning defense and security sector reform around the world. It is the postgraduate academic provider to the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence. More information about Cranfield Defence and Security is available at www.cranfield.ac.uk/defenceandsecurity