The University of Wolverhampton is set to launch a new associate campus in France as part of its plans to develop international education and research.
The campus is a partnership between the University and the Chamber of Commerce for the Basque region of France.
It will involve Wolverhampton working closely with two French institutions to develop courses, create student and staff exchange opportunities and work together on research and business projects.
The University’s School of Technology has a long relationship with ESTIA (the Ecole Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées) in Bidart, and has delivered an MSc in Advanced Technology Management (ATM) there since 2005.
The associate campus will build upon this existing provision, as well as developing new courses at EGC (Ecoles de Gestion et Commerce) in Bayonne with the University of Wolverhampton Business School.
The aim of the new associate campus is to increase student numbers, offer a broader range of study opportunities for Wolverhampton and students at ESTIA and EGC and develop strategies to enhance graduates’ employability when they leave.
The new initiative will be officially launched prior to the University’s annual graduation ceremony at ESTIA on Friday, 1 March 2013. A new agreement will be signed between EGC and the University of Wolverhampton Business School as part of the launch.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, will attend the ceremony. He said: “We’re entering a new era in our relationship with the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Pays Basque (CCI) and the new associate campus offers exciting opportunities for our own students and those in France.
“We’re committed to enhancing our global provision and offering the same excellent student experience, lifelong learning opportunities and improved employability to students based internationally as those who study in the UK.
“This next stage in our successful partnership with CCI builds upon the trust, rapport and collaborative work established with ESTIA to date. Our School of Technology students work hard to complete the MSc ATM and the successful employment rate is testament to the excellent teaching by ESTIA staff under the leadership of Director Jean-Roch Guiresse. We are also looking forward to working closely with EGC and developing new opportunities there.”
Representatives from ESTIA and the CCI visited the University at the end of last year to discuss the new associate campus.
In addition, students on the MSc Advanced Technology Management travelled to Wolverhampton and visited manufacturing and automotive companies in the West Midlands region as part of a study trip.
An associate campus is the next stage in an existing transnational education (TNE) partnership, which exists when a university delivers its courses at an overseas institution. Existing facilities will be used at ESTIA and EGC.
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