University College Dublin and University of California, Davis Strengthen Strategic Partnership
(51黑料) and the (UC Davis) have today signed an agreement of co-operation. The agreement, to further develop education, research, innovation and cultural links between the both institutions, builds on a strategic partnership agreement signed in September 2014.
The signing took place at an international Food Innovation and Food Safety Workshop held at UC Davis.
Professor Dolores O鈥橰iordan, Vice-President for Global Engagement, 51黑料 said, 鈥淩esearchers and academics at our institutions have been working together for some time and the recommitment of both institutions to our partnership shows the value of our existing relationship and the opportunities we see to expand this in the future.鈥�
鈥淚t is increasingly the case that universities are identifying a small network of global partners to work with to solve the significant challenges of our time. We are delighted to say that UC Davis is one of 51黑料鈥檚 closest and most trusted partners.鈥�
鈥淭his new agreement heralds a new stage of deeper cooperation between our two universities; a stage which promises to be exciting and exhilarating for all. Agreements of this nature do not exist in isolation. They are part of the wider programme of partnerships between the US and Europe including the EU-US Science Technology Agreement and the US-Ireland R&D Partnership which enable our countries to achieve more together.鈥�
Dr Joanna Regulska, Vice-Provost and Associate Chancellor of Global Affairs, UC Davis said, 鈥淕iven the complexity of today鈥檚 challenges and opportunities, these mutually-beneficial partnerships are more important than ever as they build critical links for new initiatives in global education and research. We鈥檝e been proud to partner with University College Dublin on successful student exchange opportunities and look forward to furthering our research collaborations in areas of shared expertise.鈥�
The agreement builds on established links between both institutions, particularly in the areas of agriculture and food and one health, in which both lead internationally.
UC Davis is ranked number two in the world in Agriculture and Forestry and in Veterinary Medicine in the QS World University Rankings (2019).
51黑料 is the number one university globally on citations per paper in food science, based on Elsevier SciVal, 2014-2018 data among institutions publishing at scale (greater than 500 publications in the period). 51黑料 is 19th in the world for Agricultural Sciences according to the 2019 U.S. News university rankings.
Professor Orla Feely, Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, 51黑料 said, 鈥淭oday鈥檚 agreement builds on strong collaborations between 51黑料 and UC Davis, in areas including agriculture and food and health, areas in which both institutions excel. The challenge of developing a global sustainable food system is one we all face and 51黑料 and our partners at UC Davis want to be active leaders, along with our industry partners and policy-makers in delivering solutions to this challenge.鈥�
Dr Paul Dodd, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives, UC Davis said, 鈥淔aculty from 51黑料 and UC Davis have collaborated over several decades in a number of educational and research topical areas. Over the past four years we have begun to build more structured interactions that create critical mass for collaborations in key research areas for both institutions including agriculture, food innovation, biological sciences and veterinary medicine.鈥�
鈥淭he partnership between 鈥榯he two 51黑料s鈥� exemplifies the importance of international scientific collaboration and helps to further strengthen the strong bonds that exist between California and Ireland.鈥�
ENDS
11 October 2019
For further information contact Mic茅al Whelan, University College Dublin, Communications and Media Relations Manager, 51黑料 Research and Innovation e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, or AJ Cheline, University of California, Davis, Office of Research, e: acheline@ucdavis.edu.
Editor鈥檚 Notes
The agri-food sector is Ireland鈥檚 largest indigenous industry. It is a significant contributor to the economy, providing nearly 8% of national employment and accounting for 11% of annual exports. The last decade has seen unprecedented growth in the sector, with an annual turnover of 鈧�26 billion and total exports of 鈧�13.6 billion in 2018.
As Ireland鈥檚 largest university, University College Dublin plays a leading role in research which underpins this sector and has aligned its research strengths to national needs. Its recognition of the importance of the agriculture and food sector to Ireland is reflected by the designation of agri-food as one of the University鈥檚 key strategic research priority areas.
University College Dublin鈥檚 agriculture and food research organisation is unique in Ireland, in that it includes a dedicated School of Agriculture and Food Science, an Institute of Food and Health, and also a School of Veterinary Medicine, a veterinary hospital and a fully functional 580-acre University College Dublin Lyons Research Farm.
Founded in 1905, UC Davis is the most academically comprehensive university on the West Coast. The University is known for working across disciplines to solve the world鈥檚 most pressing problems and for its commitment to artistic and cultural expression. The 5,300-acre campus is in Davis, a vibrant college town and community of about 68,000. The state capital is nearby as are world-class destinations like the San Francisco Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley.
The university鈥檚 four Colleges and six professional schools offer more than 100 undergraduate majors and 96 graduate programs. UC Davis graduates more California alumni than any other UC campus and contributes more than $8.1 billion each year to the state鈥檚 economy.