The University of North Texas (UNT) and the University of Tasmania Australia (UTAS) are now connected through a General Exchange Agreement that allows each university’s students to attend courses through study abroad programs.
xREZ Art + Science Lab Director Ruth West was a visiting professor at UTAS for the summer of 2015, and she discovered that the university has some interesting programs that would offer benefits to UNT students and a Texas-Australia connection was initiated.
Others who helped work on the proposal and solidify the relationship include UTAS Professor of Computing Christopher Lueg, UNT College of Visual Arts & Design Associate Dean Eric Ligon, head of the UTAS College of the Arts Kit Wise, director of the UTAS Creative Exchange Institute Stephen Loo, UTAS Provost Mike Calford, current UNT Provost and VP for academic affairs Finley Graves and pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement Gary O’Donovan at University of Tasmania.
Even though the cooperating schools are in two different hemispheres, the timing of their academic years somewhat coincide, says Ruth West, so that makes it easier for students to take advantage of the program.
“It’s tremendous!” West says. “The agreement allows UNT to become part of an international network of interdisciplinary research centers and makes international connections for students, visiting professors and scholars at both universities.”
The agreement became official in summer 2016, and students from both universities are now able to travel to the other through this program and receive credit for coursework at their home university. In addition to student exchange, professors are also able to do research abroad under this program, and the program enables collaborative research, joint courses, conferences, symposia and lectures.
The agreement, says Stephen Loo, “specifically facilitates significant knowledge exchange and collaboration between the Creative Exchange Institute (CxI) at UTAS and xREZ Lab at UNT. It provides opportunities for students and academics from UTAS to participate in global research, particularly in art + science and the STEAM agenda, with relevant industry and community engagement dimensions local to Tasmania.”
For more information, contact Ruth West.
