DCU strategic alliance with Arizona State University

Dublin City University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership with Arizona State University in the United States, in the first of what is planned as a series of similar international agreements.

ASU, based in Phoenix, Arizona, is the first of DCU's global partners. The two universities will develop links in a number of areas, including joint research projects, joint entrepreneurial initiatives, institutional learning projects and benchmarking of internal operations, as well as inter-institutional faculty, student and staff transfers between the universities.

Forming international alliances is a key objective in DCU's strategic plan, 'Leadership through Foresight', which was launched by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in the Helix at DCU in December 2005.

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, President of Dublin City University, said: "We are looking forward to a very close collaboration with Arizona State University in this new alliance. The two universities are both driven by excellence and an entrepreneurial spirit and have developed in a similar way; both are now internationally recognised centres of excellence in their priority areas of research. This new alliance will provide exciting opportunities for faculty and students of both universities in teaching and learning as well as the joint development of critical research."

ASU is a comprehensive public metropolitan university enrolling more than 60,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on four campuses.

The university underwent a transformation from a territorial teachers college to a world-class research institution paralleling DCU's own historical path from a National Institute of Higher Education to Ireland's leading research university now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Dr. Michael M. Crow, President of Arizona State University, stated: "ASU and DCU both have a significant focus on regional social and economic impact. Working together, we can be an effective force linking two of the fastest growing economies of the world."

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed and this is now being developed into a range of projects involving several research units within DCU.