Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance: celebrating our global partnership

May 20th, 2024

The University of Nottingham welcomed a delegation from the University of Adelaide to an event celebrating the global partnership between the two institutions.

The second Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance Symposium took place at University Park on 13 May, and was attended by researchers, PhD students, undergraduates and professional services colleagues from both universities.

The alliance is based on many years of collaboration between the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham. It aims to deepen the impact of our partnership, promote a global mindset among students and spark new research collaborations to tackle global challenges. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West and Adelaide’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj renewed the long-standing Student Exchange Agreement between the two institutions.

The Adelaide visitors also visited the Advanced Manufacturing Building and Power Electronics and Machines Centre on Jubilee Campus, to explore potential research collaborations around sustainability, electrification and net zero technologies.

Professor West, welcoming, colleagues from both universities to the symposium, said:

“Your presence and support reflects the ambition of our alliance – as well as making a positive impact on lives in the UK, Australia and the world through research and education, we are committed to making a difference to our people, by enabling our staff and students to enrich their careers and outlook through opportunities for international partnership and experience.”

The symposium discussed the growing reach and impact of Adelaide-Nottingham collaborations, with a focus on the alliance’s three research themes: Global Food Systems, Sustainable Futures and Intelligent Health.

Intelligent Health’s highlights include a significant grant from Diabetes UK to the University Nottingham and the University of Adelaide, as part of a £1m research project using pioneering neuroimaging techniques to inform the development of new personalised dietary and drug treatments for people living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. 

Global Food Systems researchers highlighted projects including Plants for Space, where University of Nottingham researchers are playing a key role in the University of Adelaide-led Centre for Excellence in Plants for Space, which aims to create on-demand, zero-waste, high-efficiency plants and plant products to feed future space missions, while applying this science to sustainable solutions on Earth. 

The symposium also showcased research into building Sustainable Futures, and previewed the First International Conference of Net Zero Carbon Built Environment, at the University of Nottingham in June 2024.

Participants on the alliance’s Joint PhD programme also shared their experiences. The programme allows researchers to spend at least a year in Adelaide and Nottingham, benefitting from the expertise of world-leading supervisors and access to specialist research facilities at both institutions.  

Watch a video from Joint PhD student Tu Le

Adelaide Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj added:

“Our alliance with Nottingham is the most significant between two universities in the UK and Australia. We each have a global reputation and a shared passion for innovation, and for training the research leaders and change-makers of tomorrow. By encouraging collaboration between our researchers, we deepen the impact and reach of our discoveries, and by giving our students the opportunity to spend significant time in Adelaide or Nottingham we enrich their studies and encourage them develop a global mindset.”

Professional staff mobility programme

David Ouchterlonie, Associate Director of Global Engagement, previewed a new professional staff mobility programme, which will invite colleagues from Nottingham to reach out to Adelaide (and vice versa) and together propose a joint project that will address one or more challenges faced at each institution. To support the design and delivery of their project, the successful pairing will each be funded to spend a week in Adelaide or Nottingham.

The programme aims to provide an opportunity for professional services and technical (i.e., non-academic) staff to:

Experience different working environments, practices, and perspectives
Enhance professional skills
Broaden their knowledge base
Develop a global mindset
Return to their home institution with new ideas, strategies, and approaches to their day-to-day work.