Texas partnerships: left, University of Houston, with (l-r) Dr Caroline Coleman Davies, Maggie Mahoney of UH, Professor Lisa Wallace, and Michael Pelletier of UH; right, Houston Methodist Research Institute which offers a collaborative PhD with Swansea, with researcher Simone Pisano pictured
A partnership between Swansea University and two institutions in Houston, Texas, which has delivered benefits for students and researchers in Wales and the USA, is marking its 10th anniversary.
University of Houston and the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI) are both based in Texas’ largest city, which is also the fourth biggest in the USA.
Swansea University has built up close links with both institutions over the past decade, as part of its wider Texas Partnership. The result is two flourishing collaborations which have driven forward research in areas from medicine to psychology and given life-changing opportunities to students through exchange programmes.
Houston Methodist is a major healthcare provider in Texas and its Research Institute is where teams of clinicians and researchers work on translating discoveries into treatments.
Swansea University and HMRI are marking the 10th anniversary of their collaborative PhD. This sees students spend time in Swansea and Houston, with supervisors in both cities, before graduating with a Swansea PhD “in collaboration with” Houston Methodist Research Institute.
PhDs so far have focused on topics including ovarian cancer, applications of nanomedicine, cartilage regeneration and prostate cancer.
To date there have been 13 enrolments on the programme and 8 graduates, with plans under way to expand the programme for more students.
In addition, Swansea and HMRI have co-authored 63 publications since 2014, involving almost 200 researchers.
The University of Houston (UH), founded in 1927, is one of the largest universities in Texas, with around 46,000 students. Benefits of the UH partnership with subjects and faculties across Swansea University over the past decade include:
- Student mobility programmes, with 130 students benefitting so far, enhancing their intercultural awareness and developing them as global citizens. Programmes include two-way student exchanges, with a year or semester abroad; short visits for students in areas such as nursing and nanomedicine; faculty-led visits in nursing and social work. Funding has come from Erasmus+, Taith, Turing and the British American Foundation of Texas, which has generously supported Swansea's exchange programmes in Texas since 2014.
- Guest lectures – 44 since 2014 - where leading experts from both institutions share their expertise on critical topics such as renewable energy, climate change, inclusive healthcare and children's rights
- Research collaboration, with 37 joint publications involving almost 100 researchers. One example is a large-scale study to assess how effective mindfulness is in reducing stress, led by Swansea and UH experts, with other institutions worldwide.
- Sharing of best practice in teaching, research and professional services. This has helped with developing new initiatives such as Street Law, a free education programme for the public about the law and their rights. Set up in the US, over 100 Swansea Law students have adapted it and delivered sessions for 300 people in south Wales
Jan Syk, a Swansea graduate, explains how a year abroad at the University of Houston was instrumental in clarifying his career direction:
“I knew I wanted to go into legal practice before going to Texas, but it was the stepping stone in deciding what I wanted to do as a career: Whilst there I took a criminal law class where the professor used to stand you up against your peers and get you to argue particular positions against each other in front of the class. We were marked on our performance, not on whether or not we won. This made me realise that my passion is advocacy, and my longer-term ambition is to become a barrister.”
Professor Steve Conlan of Swansea University Medical School said:
"Our partnership with Houston Methodist Research Institute offers a unique opportunity to study in both Swansea and the Texas Medical Center—the world’s largest medical complex, and our PhD programme has been life changing for students, launching them into successful medical research careers globally. As one of our most significant international partners, Houston Methodist plays a crucial role in our global engagement, and we look forward to expanding this collaboration to benefit even more students in the future."
Professor Lisa Wallace, Associate Dean International for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, said:
“International partnerships are pivotal to advancing our research and are crucial in preparing graduates with the intercultural competencies needed to thrive in a global landscape. Our collaborations in Houston exemplify how international engagement can elevate the quality of our research, enrich our teaching, and empower our students to succeed on a global stage.”
Dr Caroline Coleman Davies, deputy head of academic partnerships and head of the Swansea-Texas partnership, said:
“Our international strategic partnerships are designed to foster impactful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial collaborations and, year on year, our partnerships in Houston have generated exciting opportunities for both students and staff, enriching their experiences and making the university a more vibrant and appealing place to work and study. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last ten years”.
Find out more about Swansea University's Texas Strategic Partnership