International research collaboration event a success

Members of staff from the Faculty of Medicine along with partners in the International Office, Wessex Global Health Network and the Global Health Research Institute came together to discuss and develop the University’s global health work in Ghana.

The special event, involving more than 100 people, provided an opportunity to explore future collaborations and partnerships.

As well as talks from University staff there were also presentations from Andrew Smith, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

There are a number of projects run by University researchers in Ghana, which aim to tackle a variety of issues such as research funding allocation, climate change and food and water security.

Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty, was one of the event’s organisers. He said: “We were delighted that so many people were able to attend and hear about the extent and variety of Southampton and Wessex activity in Ghana. There is clearly real enthusiasm to continue and expand the University’s excellent in-country collaborations and with the UK government’s renewed focus on global engagement and the Commonwealth, Southampton could be well-placed to lead efforts going forward.”

Josie Love, from the International Office at the University of Southampton, added: “This was the first event of its kind that the International Office has been involved in and I am delighted at the response it has received and the positive feedback from speakers, academics, professional services and students. The whole event was livestreamed via Twitter, and it was exciting to see how technology can be used to expand the reach of our activities and help us to engage with a truly global audience.  I hope we can support more of these symposium events in the future, which are the ideal format for showcasing our collective talents and fostering new collaborations and partnerships.”