Queen Mary University of London has signed a landmark agreement with the Polytechnic Foundation of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), Mexico. Covering 18 initiatives – from fully funded scholarships to CPD courses and dual postgraduate degrees – the partnership will further strengthen the relationship between the institutions.
As part of the Principal's international strategic partnerships, Queen Mary University of London and the Polytechnic Foundation of Mexico have signed an innovative, leading agreement. This agreement was signed during the annual board meeting and dinner of the Polytechnic Foundation in Mexico City on 30 November 2021.
The signing ceremony was attended by the President of the Polytechnic Foundation, Jesus Padilla Zenteno, benefactors and staff of the Polytechnic Foundation, The Principal of the National Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Arturo Reyes Sandoval, and senior staff from the National Polytechnic Institute. Queen Mary was represented by Professor Teresa Alonso, Dean for International in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
The Queen Mary University of London-Polytechnic Foundation agreement includes 18 initiatives that will benefit students and academic staff from both institutions. These initiatives consist of, amongst others, fully funded postgraduate programme studies, dual postgraduate degrees, joint seeded research projects, intensive ‘sandpit’ workshops, CPD courses, academic visits and sabbaticals.
An IPN office will be set up on Queen Mary’s London campus that will function as a hub for international partnership and innovation and form the centre for current and new, novel initiatives included in the agreement. This hub will serve to develop innovative projects involving UK and Mexican industry, projects that will play an important part in addressing the needs of UK and Mexican society.
To mark the launch of this agreement, the Joint QMUL-IPN Principals’ Scholarships were announced, consisting of a pilot of five fully funded PhD studentships for IPN students across all areas within Queen Mary. Following on from the pilot, it is expected that the number of annual scholarships will increase significantly. The call for the Joint QMUL-IPN Principals’ Scholarships went out on 22 December 2021, and information on how to apply is available on IPN's website:
Apply for the Joint QMUL-IPN Principals’ Scholarships
Speaking following the signing, Professor Colin Bailey, President and Principal of Queen Mary University of London, stated that this agreement represents a key strategic partnership for the university. Professor Bailey thanked the Polytechnic Foundation for their support, which had made the agreement possible, and highlighted how the vision and mission of the National Polytechnic Institute closely aligned with that of Queen Mary.
He said that the initiatives encapsulated in the new agreement will create an environment that will enable staff and students from two great universities to come together with ideas that will push forward the boundaries of social change in Mexico and the UK, addressing the grand challenges that the two countries and the rest of the world are facing, which can only be achieved through partnership. Professor Bailey ended by saying that he looked forward to seeing how the partnership would grow and develop over the coming years and to seeing the difference that will be made by working together.
Dr Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Sharon Ellis, Director of Research and Business Development, and Professor Teresa Alonso, Dean for international in Science and Engineering, said: "We are pleased to see that the hard work from staff from both institutions has culminated in the signing of this unique and wide-ranging agreement between our two leading universities."
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