VLA signs landmark collaboration with Royal Holloway :
07/09/2009
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has formalised its collaboration with Royal Holloway, University of London, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This enhanced collaboration will enable both institutions to strengthen and expand their current working relationship. Professor Rob Kemp, Acting Principal at Royal Holloway, and Professor Peter Borriello, Chief Executive of the VLA, signed the MOU on 2 September at the VLA’s international conference, held at Royal Holloway.
VLA, an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is internationally renowned as a centre of excellence in veterinary research and surveillance, working to safeguard public and animal health. This year’s conference, Animal Diseases 2009, pulled together leading scientists and veterinary experts for discussions, presentations and workshops covering topics such as animal welfare, emerging diseases and vaccines.
Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Principal for Research, Enterprise and Communications at Royal Holloway, comments, ‘Royal Holloway has an outstanding group of Biological Scientists and academics working in related fields. We are delighted that our relationship with the VLA continues to deepen and are confident that it will enhance the research and teaching capacities of both institutions’.
Royal Holloway and VLA are looking forward to working together to develop further joint research projects and training initiatives, as well as sharing each others’ high quality facilities. Four collaborative research projects have already been submitted, with joint research posts also to be confirmed by both institutions. Royal Holloway’s students will benefit from work experience placements with the VLA, together with access to a ‘Research Hotel’ for jointly-funded PhD students. New specialist teaching modules focusing on animal health and international disease risk will also be introduced alongside a new Masters course in global health.
As part of the collaboration, Royal Holloway has awarded two eminent scientists at VLA with the honorary position of Visiting Professor. Professor Martin Woodward, Head of Food & Environmental Safety, and Professor Marion Wooldridge, Head of the Centre for Epidemiology & Risk Analysis, have renowned expertise and knowledge in the area of medical and veterinary science that will be an asset to the College.
Peter Borriello, VLA’s Chief Executive, comments, ‘It is very easy to identify partners to work with. However, the critical thing is to identify partners who can offer genuine additional value to collaborations. As well as a mutual trust based on previous interactions, my view is that we have struck gold with Royal Holloway’.
This year’s international VLA conference also featured the inaugural presentation of the Rooker Prize, which is awarded by VLA for outstanding contributions to veterinary science. The award was presented to Royal Holloway alumnus Simon Carpenter, who also received £1,000 in prize money. He was handed the award by Lord Rooker, who is a Life Peer in the House of Lords and a former Member of Parliament. The recipient of the award will be chosen each year by an international select committee. Simon Carpenter, as the first prize winner, also had the honour of giving the first ever Rooker Lecture at the conference.