MHLS has long-standing links in research with a number of Jordanian universities and the Faculty Dean of Internationalisation, Colin McCoy, coordinated a major research networking event in Jordan in January to build on this reputation and establish new areas of collaboration. Twelve academics from across MHLS and two staff from Research & Enterprise travelled to Amman to take part in the event entitled “Queen’s University Belfast – Jordan Research Symposium in Healthcare, Pharma and Agri-Food: Towards collaboration in Pharmacy, Food and Medicine.”

Over two days, our staff met with around 40 Jordanian academics, a range of potential research students and officials from key government agencies. In parallel sessions on Healthcare/Pharmacy and Agri-Food, Mary Harte and Mani Narayanan from Research & Enterprise set out the opportunities for funding of collaborative research, and facilitated discussions. Topics identified for collaboration included waste management, food safety and fraud, soil, environment and climate change, water management, public health issues in diabetes, cancer and poverty, antimicrobial resistance, drug delivery and pharmaceutical analysis.

Colin McCoy reflects on the event; “The symposium has been a significant step forward in developing relationships between Queen’s and Jordanian Universities across a wide range of subjects. More than 20 new collaborative activities have been brought forward as a result of the discussion. This represents real progress in developing research links across Jordan with our Faculty, and will impact positively on the research agendas of Jordanian Universities and Queen’s.”

The event has led to a wide range of developments, including substantial proposals for funding under the Grand Challenges Research Fund, new research collaborations between staff, research student exchange, joint PhD supervision, and further staff networking events, and sharing of research capability between institutions.