22nd September 2008

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The Simon Bolivar University, Caracas, Venezuela.

Undergraduates enrolled at the University of Ulster will have an opportunity to spend up to one academic year as exchange students in South America, thanks to an exchange agreement between Ulster and the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas - a prestigious Venezuelan state university with an international reputation for academic excellence.

The exchange agreement - the first between Ulster and a South American university - will also facilitate the sourcing of funds for bilateral teaching and research staff exchange. 

It is the culmination of several years’ sustained collaborative research activities initiated back in 1994 by Professor Omar Escalona, Director of the Advanced Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Ulster. He was a member of the academic staff at Simon Bolivar University for more than twelve years. Professor Norman Black, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), played a key leadership role on the Ulster side.

Since the initial contacts were made, ten Venezuelan PhD students have successfully graduated from Ulster, eight of whom were from Simon Bolivar University.      

Professor Escalona says the new exchange programme will build on the long and successful relationship with doctoral training between the two institutions. While the exchange programme is open to undergraduates across all disciplines, it should be of particular interest to those studying Tourism, Business or Spanish.  

Professor  Escalona says: "This is a marvellous opportunity to experience university life in another country and should appeal to anyone with a spirit of adventure."

The exchange students will be recruited during this academic year with a view to them starting their visiting year/semester in September 2009.

For further information on the exchange programme contact Professor Escalona at: oj.escalona@ulster.ac.uk  or Professor James McLaughlin, Director of the Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Research Institute at Ulster at: jad.mclaughlin@ulster.ac.uk 

Professors Escalona and McLaughlin are coordinating the programme with the support of Student Marketing.

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter