University celebrates forging closer bonds with Texan partners

Swansea University has strengthened its long-standing links with Texas during a high-profile visit to the state by Vice-Chancellor Paul Boyle.

It not only gave Professor Boyle the chance to take a closer look at transatlantic projects involving staff and students but also to further Swansea’s relationship with the University of Houston by signing a new agreement ensuring future collaboration.

The visit saw the Swansea University delegation accompany Welsh Minister for Education Kirsty Williams as she was welcomed at Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Methodist Research Institute as well as the University of Houston.

Among the highlights of the trip was a demonstration by surgeon Professor Ian Pallister, from Swansea University School of Medicine, of pioneering simulation models he has developed to help teach students how to treat trauma.

The party also met Swansea students currently following a collaborative PhD programme in Texas, toured state-of-the-art nano-medicine and precision medicine facilities in the Texas Medical Center and learned about research collaborations with Swansea’s Medical School, the Institute of Life Science and College of Engineering.

Professor Boyle said: “Our partnerships in Texas allow us to work with leading universities to carry out ground-breaking research and create life-changing opportunities for students.

“Together our researchers are helping to tackle some of the world’s most pressing concerns like cancer and climate change, while our study abroad programmes give students the opportunity to expand their world view and gain new skills.

“Being able to see that cooperation in action really demonstrated why these partnerships are so important and why they are flourishing.

The visit also saw the announcement of a major funding boost from the Erasmus+ project – the European Union programme for education which supports students who wish to spend time overseas.

Professor Boyle added: “Our aim is for every Swansea University student who wants to undertake a period of study or work abroad to be able to do so. We are delighted to have been awarded a significant sum for student mobility with the University of Houston for the academic year 2020/21.”

However, he warned that it is uncertain if those funds will be available if there is a no-deal Brexit, which would have detrimental effects on students and researchers in a host of ways.

Head of International Strategic Partnerships Dr Caroline Coleman-Davies, who was part of the Ministerial delegation, explained that since 2013 almost 250 students have participated in study abroad programmes between Swansea and Texas.

She said: “I hear first-hand from students the impact that studying abroad has had on them, both personally and professionally, and am very proud that both the Minister and the Vice-Chancellor have been able to visit Houston and  our successful collaborations for themselves.”

Emphasising the significance of the trip, Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: “The Welsh Government is always looking at ways of promoting educational links with the USA and this visit created opportunities for us to advance in key areas of business in the higher education sector.

“By increasing our universities’ international partnerships we can attract more international students to Wales and also encourage more Welsh students to spend time studying, volunteering or undertaking work experience abroad.”

She urged individuals to apply for the kind of opportunities offered by the Fulbright Commission which supports Welsh postgraduate students and researchers to study in the US and American students to come to Wales, as well as the Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship programme which allows high-achieving American students with limited financial means to study at Welsh universities.

“The recent visit allowed us to build on these successes while also cementing key partnerships for the Welsh Government and those between individual Welsh and US universities,” she said.

Y brifysgol yn dathlu perthnasau agosach â phartneriaid o Decsas

Mae Prifysgol Abertawe wedi cryfhau ei chysylltiadau hirhoedlog â Thecsas gydag ymweliad proffil uchel i’r dalaith gan yr Is-ganghellor, Paul Boyle.

Nid yn unig y cafodd yr Athro Boyle gyfle i edrych yn agosach ar brosiectau trawsatlantig y mae staff a myfyrwyr yn rhan ohonynt ond hefyd i ddatblygu perthynas Abertawe â Phrifysgol Houston drwy ymrwymo i gytundeb newydd a fydd yn sicrhau cydweithio yn y dyfodol.

Fel rhan o’r ymweliad, aeth grŵp o gynrychiolwyr o Brifysgol Abertawe gyda Gweinidog Addysg Cymru, Kirsty Williams, wrth iddi dderbyn croeso yng Ngholeg Meddygaeth Baylor a Sefydliad Ymchwil Methodistaidd Houston yn ogystal â Phrifysgol Houston.

Ymysg uchafbwyntiau’r daith oedd arddangosiad gan yr Athro Ian Pallister o Ysgol Feddygaeth Prifysgol Abertawe o foledau efelychu arloesol y mae ef wedi’u datblygu i helpu i addysgu myfyrwyr i drin trawma.

Yn ogystal, bu’r grŵp yn cwrdd â myfyrwyr o Abertawe sy’n dilyn rhaglen PhD gydweithredol yn Nhecsas ar hyn o bryd, gan dderbyn taith dywys o amgylch y cyfleusterau nanofeddygaeth a meddygaeth fanwl o’r radd flaenaf yng Nghanolfan Feddygol Tecsas a dysgu am waith cydweithredol ymchwil gydag Ysgol Feddygol Prifysgol Abertawe, y Sefydliad Gwyddorau Bywyd a’r Coleg Peirianneg.

Meddai’r Athro Boyle: “Mae ein partneriaethau yn Nhecsas yn ein galluogi ni i weithio gyda phrifysgol flaenllaw i ymgymryd ag ymchwil gwbl arloesol a chreu cyfleoedd sy’n newid bywydau i fyfyrwyr.

 “Gyda’i gilydd, mae ymchwilwyr yn helpu i fynd i’r afael â rhai o bryderon mwyaf pwysig y byd, megis canser a newid yn yr hinsawdd, ac mae’n rhaglenni astudio dramor yn rhoi cyfle i fyfyrwyr ehangi eu golwg ar y byd a datblygu sgiliau newydd.

 “Mae gallu gweld y gwaith cydweithredol hynny  wedi dangos pam mae’r partneriaethau hyn mor bwysig a pham maent yn ffynnu.

 Yn ogystal, cafwyd cyhoeddiad o hwb cyllido pwysig yn ystod yr ymweliad gan y prosiect Erasmus + – rhaglen yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ar gyfer addysg sy’n cefnogi myfyrwyr sy’n dymuno treulio amser dramor.

Ychwanegodd yr Athro Boyle: “Ein nod yw i fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe allu cyflawni cyfnod o astudio neu weithio dramor, os ydynt am wneud hynny. Rydym wrth ein boddau i dderbyn dyfarniad o swm sylweddol at ddibenion symudedd myfyrwyr mewn perthynas â Phrifysgol Houston ar gyfer blwyddyn academaidd 2020/21.”

Fodd bynnag, rhybuddiodd fod ansicrwydd ynghylch argaeledd y cyllid hwnnw os na cheir cytundeb ar gyfer Brexit, a fyddai’n cael effaith niweidiol ar fyfyrwyr ac ymchwilwyr mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd.

Esboniodd Dr Caroline Coleman-Davies, sy’n Bennaeth Partneriaethau Strategol Rhyngwladol, a oedd yn rhan o’r grŵp Gweinidogaethol, fod bron 250 o fyfyrwyr wedi cymryd rhan mewn rhaglenni astudio dramor ers 2013 rhwng Abertawe a Thecsas.

Meddai: “Rwy’n clywed o lygad y ffynnon gan fyfyrwyr yr effaith y mae astudio dramor wedi’i chael arnynt, yn bersonol ac yn broffesiynol, ac rwy’n falch iawn bod y Gweinidog a’r Is-ganghellor wedi gallu ymweld â Houston a gweld ein gwaith cydweithredol llwyddiannus.”

Wrth bwysleisio arwyddocâd y daith, meddai’r Gweinidog dros Addysg, Kirsty Williams : “Mae Llywodraeth Cymru bob amser yn chwilio am ffyrdd o hyrwyddo cysylltiadau addysgol ag UDA a chreodd yr ymweliad hwn gyfleoedd inni symud ymlaen mewn meysydd busnes allweddol yn y sector addysg uwch.

“Drwy gynyddu partneriaethau rhyngwladol ein prifysgolion, gallwn ddenu mwy o fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol yn ogystal ag annog mwy o fyfyrwyr o Gymru i dreulio amser yn astudio dramor, gwirfoddoli neu ymgymryd â phrofiad gwaith dramor.”

 Anogodd unigolion i ymgeisio am y math o gyfleoedd a gynigir gan Gomisiwn Fullbright, sy’n cefnogi myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig ac ymchwilwyr o Gymru i astudio yn yr UD a myfyrwyr Americanaidd i ddod i Gymru, yn ogystal â rhaglen Ysgoloriaeth Ryngwladol Benjamin A Gilman sy’n cynnig cyllid cyfyngedig i fyfyrwyr Americanaidd astudio mewn prifysgolion yng Nghymru.

 “Roedd yr ymweliad diweddar yn gyfle inni ddatblygu’r llwyddiannau hyn yn ogystal â gwreiddio partneriaethau allweddol ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru a’r rhai rhwng prifysgolion unigol yng Nghymru ac America,” meddai.