Stirling signs Aquaculture agreement with Chinese university
The signing is the culmination of a long-standing research partnership between the two institutions and will see students transferring from China following their four year undergraduate BSc degree to pursue Aquaculture Master’s programmes at Stirling’s internationally-renowned Institute of Aquaculture.
Professor Sandra Adams of the Institute of Aquaculture explained the background: “I have had close links with senior scientists from Guangdong Ocean University (GOU) for about 15 years, co-chairing sessions and giving talks at international conferences in China and elsewhere. Our research areas are very similar, focusing on fish disease diagnosis and vaccine development.”
Professor Adams, who is now an honorary Professor of GOU, has worked on a research project to develop Vibrio vaccines in fish funded by the Chinese Government and last year she advised on their vaccine development programme.
Several Stirling academics have visited China to give lectures and advise on the research programme of their Fish Disease Laboratory. These visits have been reciprocated when Chinese academics visited Stirling to conduct research and recently a formal degree partnership was proposed to the Director of the Institute of Aquaculture, Professor Brian Austin. He said: “The partnership recognises the world-renowned expertise of both institutions in aquaculture, which is now the fastest growing sector of food production, worldwide. The agreement will enable Chinese graduates to benefit from the excellence of Stirling-based Master’s degrees.”
The Memorandum of Agreement was signed at Stirling on Friday 24 June by Professor Steve Burt, Deputy Principal of the University of Stirling, and Professor He Zhen, President of Guangdong Ocean University.
Dr Trevor Telfer, Course Director for the Institute of Aquaculture’s Master’s programme said: “We are delighted with the outcome. The geographical spread of the 2010/11 classes covers 22 countries, not including China. This agreement will result in up to 15 students per year from China joining our Aquaculture Master’s courses.”
