University of the West of England
Bristol, England
Jan Chlebowski, Ph.D. - Director, VCU-UWE Partnership
- Email: jfchlebo@vcu.edu
Virginia Commonwealth University’s International Partnership with the University of the West of England began in the mid-1980s as a collaboration with UWE’s School of Life Sciences bringing UWE students to VCU for “placement” in research laboratories. An opportunity for VCU students to study at UWE began in 2003 with UWE’s Forensic Science program and has since expanded to encompass both universities in a range of disciplines. These have been supported through mutual visits of VCU and UWE faculty and staff to develop a foundation for continuing development. Cooperative educational and research activity exploration is in progress. Jan Chlebowski, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate education in the VCU School of Medicine, was named the director of the UWE-VCU partnership in 2005 and continues to coordinate the “placement” program.
University facts
Location: The port city of Bristol in Southwest England (population: 400,000) is known for its Roman settlement, Georgian city architecture, and for its prolific engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (creator of the Clifton suspension bridge, SS Great Britain, and Great Western Railway).
Founded: 1592
Public/Private: Public
Number of students: 30,000
Number of undergraduate and graduate degrees: More than 600 graduate and undergraduate programs
Hospital, museum, theatres, etc. attached to the university: Bristol Royal Infirmary, Frenchay Hospital, Southmead Hospital, numerous theatres, museums and galleries across Bristol, including Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Hippodrome, and the Tobacco Factory.
VCU-relevant annual events: Bristol Harbour Festival, St. Paul’s Carnival, Organic Food Festival (Slow Food Festival), International Balloon Fiesta
Top recognized programs: Business, law, animation, biomedical sciences
Partnership track record
Departments/programs interacting at each university: School of Medicine, College of Humanities and Sciences, Chemistry, Biology, Forensic Science, Mathematics, English, Philosophy, History, Sociology, Criminal Justice, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, School of Allied Health Professions
Type of activity: Faculty/student exchange, collaborative research projects, curriculum development, course-mapping, dual degree program, student research placements
Areas of promise
Departments/programs interacting at each university: School of Engineering, School of the Arts, School of Business, emerging School of Public Health, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Type of activity: Faculty/student exchanges, curriculum development, course mapping, collaborative research projects, dual degree programs
