UCLan to work with hsg in Germany
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has strengthened its international presence by joining forces with a leading university of applied sciences in the field of health in Germany.
UCLan’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hochschule für Gesundheit (hsg) in Bochum, Germany, to establish a framework of collaboration between the two institutions.
The universities will work together over the next 24 months in areas of teaching, research and clinical practice, and the agreement could include provisions for course franchising, staff development and exchange visits for staff and students.
hsg is the very first state funded university of applied sciences in Germany for nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, and its programmes are closely aligned with UCLan’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing.
UCLan’s Reader in Allied Health Practice, Dr. Hazel Roddam, has been working with hsg over the past 12 months. The German hsg selected a group of international experts, of which Dr. Roddam was the first, to help develop Masters programmes in evidence based practice and the MoU was a direct result of the success of this collaboration.
Dr. Nigel Harrison, Executive Dean in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, signed the agreement on behalf of UCLan.
He said: “There are many similarities in education provided for nursing, midwifery and allied health, and interests in research and innovation between our two organisations. There are exciting opportunities and mutual advantages for staff from the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at UCLan to collaborate with staff from Hochschule für Gesundheit and we are looking forward to working in partnership together for the benefit of staff, students and the wider community.”
"There are many similarities in education provided for nursing, midwifery and allied health, and interests in research and innovation between our two organisations."
Dr. Roddam added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for students and educators on both sides to understand more about high quality professional education across a wide range of health service and delivery models. Students will be able to understand better how other health services are delivered, gaining invaluable international experience.”
Dr. Harrison and Dr. Roddam travelled to Germany to formalise the MoU, which was signed on behalf of Hochschule für Gesundheit by hsg-president Prof. Dr. Anne Friedrichs.
She said: “We are very pleased to join cooperation projects and to organise an exchange of students and educators. A strategic partnership with the renowned UCLan represents an important step in terms of the international focus and the development of the hsg, which was built in 2009. We pursue modern teaching concepts and the cooperation with UCLan is an asset for the hsg.”
