Queen’s University Belfast and Aston University collaborate to offer dual award PhD

Queen's University Belfast and Aston University collaborate to offer dual award PhD

21 November, 2024

Queen's University Belfast is collaborating with Aston University in Birmingham to offer dual award PhD degrees.

President and Vice Chancellor at Queen's Professor Sir Ian Greer and Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University sign the MOU at the Global Innovation Summit 2024 held at Queen's University Belfast

The new development will allow candidates to be jointly supervised by academic staff at each institution and upon successful completion will be able to graduate with a doctorate from each university.

The announcement of the new PhD programme was marked with an official signing at Queen's University Belfast by its President and Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer with Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, Professor Aleks Subic.

This initiative follows on from the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Queen's University Belfast and Aston University in November 2023, which solidified both university's roles as catalysts within their respective areas. The document set out their intention to collaborate on ideas, projects, funding and investment proposals and cross-regional collaboration based on their complementary strengths.

It also set out the two institutions' intention to develop joint work which will support their roles supporting their respective innovation districts. Aston University already generates more than £1.4 billion to the national economy and this partnership will support its 2030 strategic aim to increase this contribution to over £2 billion annually, particularly in relation to the ongoing development of the Birmingham Innovation Quarter (B-IQ).

Queen's generates over £3 billion with an 8:1 investment to return ratio for the UK economy, and regularly ranks as one the leading universities in the UK for entrepreneurial impact.

The dual award PhD programme aims to strengthen collaborative research and training between the two institutions, focusing on key areas such as health tech, sustainable manufacturing, and digital finance. The programme, set to commence in October 2025, will also see industry partners play a key role aligning with the initiative's goal to drive regional innovation.

President and Vice-Chancellor at Queen's, Professor Sir Ian Greer, said: "This Memorandum demonstrates our ongoing shared commitment to innovation and academic excellence and builds on the collaborative approach we have fostered over the past year.

"By pooling our strengths, Queen's and Aston University aim to deliver transformative research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and equip the next generation of scholars to address global challenges. Together, we will amplify our socio-economic impact and advance our roles as anchors in regional innovation ecosystems, creating meaningful benefits for our communities and beyond."

Speaking at the signing event, Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, said: "It is almost exactly a year since Aston University and Queen's University Belfast established a strategic partnership and this new development will help advance our collaboration to the next level.

"The new industry-embedded PhD dual award between our two universities is a contemporary learning experience which will provide exciting new opportunities for students at both institutions in Birmingham and Belfast.

"It will support both institutions' roles as catalysts in our respective innovation districts and will contribute to the socio-economic transformation of both our cities and communities."

The dual award will benefit PhD candidates by offering access to resources and expertise within both universities, which is especially valuable for interdisciplinary study. Students will gain a wider perspective on their research area and make valuable connections in the academic community.

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