August 10, 2006 Source: :
http://www.mta.ca/news/?id=1074 Mount A physicists collaborate with Japanese counterparts Mount Allison physicists have made a quantum leap…to Japan. Mount Allison University is pleased to announce the signing of an exchange agreement with Ochanomizu University, Japan. The agreement will provide exchange opportunities for research students between the universities’ physics departments with the possibility of expanding to include student researchers in other disciplines. Unlike many other international exchanges, which focus on academic courses taught by each university, the new agreement with Ochanomizu University provides the opportunity for students to gain experience in research laboratories for up to one academic year, carrying out collaborative research. Dr. Mohammad Ahmady, head of Mount Allison’s physics department and co-ordinator of the exchange, says, "This is an exciting opportunity to advance our shared knowledge in experimental and theoretical physics, particularly between two research environments that have sometimes been separated by language and distance." Dr. Ahmady has worked with physicists in Japan on a number of projects in recent years. Dr. Stephen McClatchie, Vice President (Academic and Research) says, "This new agreement reflects the increasing maturity of Mount Allison’s internationalization strategy and broadens the concept of student mobility in a way that recognizes Mount Allison’s distinctive approach to excellence in undergraduate research." Ochanomizu University is a top-ranked Japanese university with a mandate to support higher education primarily for women. With an undergraduate enrolment of 2,200 and a further 1,100 graduate students, Ochanomizu University provides courses and research opportunities through its faculties of letters and education, science and human life, and environmental sciences. The new agreement with Mount Allison adds to Ochanomizu University’s existing partnerships with universities in the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Australia, and many European countries. Mount Allison is the second Canadian university to develop a successful agreement with Ochanomizu. The new exchange agreement joins an expanding suite of international programming at Mount Allison University, now comprising over a dozen different agreements in ten countries around the world. Co-ordinated by the Senate Committee on International Programs, these agreements place Mount Allison students in new learning environments and cultures, enhancing their Mount Allison Experience by drawing upon different academic programs and expanding cultural horizons. In return, students from the partner universities come to Mount Allison to study in a university that focuses on liberal education and the development of the whole person, as well as to experience Canadian culture and life in the Sackville community. Chair of the Senate Committee and dean of social sciences, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, explains, "At Mount Allison, internationalization is about educating a global citizenry. Exchanges and other forms of student and staff mobility are great ways to extend the Mount Allison Experience and to bring the experiences of our academic partners here to Sackville." —30— Photo caption (L-R): Dr. Stephen McClatchie, Mount Allison Vice President (Academic and Research); Dr. Robert Campbell, Mount Allison University President (seated); Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, Dean of Social Sciences at Mount Allison and Chair of the Senate Committee; and Dr. Mohammad Ahmady, Head of Mount Allison's Physics Department and co-ordinator of the exchange agreement.
For further information please contact Dr. Mohammad Ahmady, Mount Allison Physics Department, tel: 364-2581 (mahmady@mta.ca).
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