16 January 2001
Partnership spawns new masters degree in environmental biology
Joint release by University of Dundee and University of St Andrews
A new postgraduate research degree in a field of pressing global significance, environmental biology, is announced today jointly at the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews - the first concrete example of the new partnership between the universities working at an operational level.
The first students will take up their places on the one-year Master of Research in Environmental Biology course in October 2001 following an award worth over £400,000 from the Natural Environment Research Council. This award, initially for five years, will support seven students each year. The course is likely to grow beyond this number.
Chairman of the partnership group on biological sciences and Deputy Principal of the University of Dundee, Professor David Boxer said, "This is a fine example of the complementarity on which this partnership is founded. Alone, neither university could cater for a wide-scope specialist degree of this nature but together we combine our expertise and resources to develop an excellent programme ranging right across the field of environmental biology from zoology and marine biology to plant sciences and microbiology - areas in which each university has established a specialist reputation for excellence."
Meanwhile, Director of the Gatty Marine Laboratory at the University of St Andrews, Professor Ian Johnston said, "In today's world, environmental biology is tomorrow's major focus of study. This new Master of Research degree positions the partnership in a small, high-level league of environmental bio-masters. Significantly, the new degree is particularly aimed at graduates who have trained in the physical and mathematical sciences and now wish to convert their skills to enter the environmental sphere of biology. We feel that complex environmental problems require both biological knowledge and analytical skills - we will be developing both in concert. The new course is particularly timely given growing public concern over global warming and other long-term trends. Graduates will be prepared to tackle such issues in jobs ranging from risk assessment to conservation biology. The power of the partnership between the two universities is that it accelerates the rate at which new problems can be addressed, whether through research or educating tomorrow's workforce."
Places will be advertised early in the New Year. The students will study at both institutions, distributing their time according to the nature of their research projects. In Dundee, they will work within the division of Environmental and Applied Biology while, in St Andrews, they will be based in the division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology.
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS - The two universities formally announced their collaboration, known as the Promoting Partnership Initiative, at a ceremony in Dundee in December after receiving a strategic change grant of over £300,000 from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The partnership will help the institutions expand both teaching and research in important emerging areas, experiment with innovation, build relationships with the private sector and significantly contribute to the social and economic well being of Scotland.
Further information can be obtained from Claire Grainger, Press & Public Relations Officer, University of St Andrews on telephone (01334) 462530 or mobile 07730 415 015;
or Carol Pope, Press Officer, University of Dundee on telephone (01382) 345108.