17 May 2013
Potential for Dundee-India collaborations to be explored
Photo opportunity: 10.45am on Monday, 20th May at the Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre. Mr Nithavrianakis will be welcomed to Dundee by Professor Andrew Morris and other senior University figures.
The University of Dundee will next week be visited by a high-ranking official in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) looking to establish research, educational and commercial partnerships between the UK and India.
Mike Nithavrianakis, Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, is driving efforts to create links between UK Universities and companies and India in the areas of Health and Education. He will visit the University to hear about the world-leading work it conducts, and the potential for cooperation with India, on Monday, 20th May.
Mr Nithavrianakis was joint founder of the Indo-British Health Initiative and is visiting Dundee due to its international reputation as a centre for scientific excellence, which led to it being placed at 37th in the world, and 6th in the UK, for its impact in Biomedical and Health Sciences in the prestigious CWTS Leiden Ranking 2013.
The QS World University Rankings place Dundee first in the UK and 9th for Biological Sciences research in terms of citation per paper - the best and most commonly used general measure of quality and impact
The Deputy High Commissioner will be welcomed to Dundee by Professor Andrew Morris, Dean of the School of Medicine at the University and Chief Scientist for Health in Scotland.
"The University of Dundee rightly enjoys an enviable worldwide reputation for excellence in biological and health sciences, and we are delighted to be able to welcome Mr Nithavrianakis and demonstrate to him why we are already a partner of choice for many international companies and institutions," said Professor Morris.
"India is one of the world's fastest growing economies but it still faces significant challenges in improving the health and wellbeing of its huge population. Our stated vision as a University is to transform lives through the creation, sharing and application of knowledge and we believe that Dundee can help the Indian government and its companies, universities and other institutions to do so in their country."
Mr Nithavrianakis will hear about the work taking place in Dundee targeting diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as its pioneering approach to clinical skills training, internationalisation and inter-disciplinarity.
Mr Nithavrianakis will then visit the University's College of Life Sciences where he will meet Regius Professor of Life Sciences and Dean of Research Professor Mike Ferguson.
The Deputy High Commissioner will be taken on a tour of the internationally renowned Drug Discovery Unit, a unique partnership between academia and pharma, which also has a major research focus on neglected tropical diseases affecting a huge part of the world's most vulnerable populations.
Mr Nithavrianakis joined the FCO in the 1980s and has had diplomatic postings to Malaysia, Russia, Ghana, Saudi Arabia and Greece before taking up his current role in Chennai, formerly known as Madras and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Most of his recent career has been spent dealing with policy, economic and commercial issues. A major part of his portfolio in Chennai is focused on enhancing the trade and investment relationship between the UK and South India. He also takes a close interest in healthcare issues.
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