On November 2, an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed by Larry Hirst, General Manager for IBM UK and Professor John Perkins, Vice-President & Dean of the University of Manchester's Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, formally establishing the partnership.
The signing of the MoU will also mark the creation of the IBM-Manchester Partners Programme, an initiative unique to the University of Manchester, which will identify key staff to partner with IBM towards future opportunities for collaborative research. The programme will also identify areas of overlapping strategic importance for course delivery and future outreach activities.
The MoU will seek to exploit activities which are of mutual benefit to both organisations in respect of research, education, the development of new scientific applications and the recruitment of students to both the University and IBM. It will build on relationships between the University and IBM which have existed for more than a decade in subjects spanning engineering, the life sciences and humanities.
Professor John Perkins, said: "This is a unique partnership which will bring together the most skilled and gifted individuals from both organisations, forging a unique link which spans both commerce and higher education. By signing this MoU we are creating a bridge of opportunity which will benefit the research, teaching and recruitment activities of both the University of Manchester and IBM."
Larry Hirst, said: "IBM is building strategic partnerships with some of the world's top Universities so that we may benefit from mutual cooperation and collaboration. We are delighted to count Manchester among them."
In addition to the IBM Partners Programme, The MoU will provide a platform for a host of new initiatives which will include:
- People with Disabilities Project – which will address issues facing disabled students on campus through the provision of IBM Assistive Technologies and staff training.
- IBMMentoring Programme – which provides IBM mentors to University staff and to current and potential students.
- IBM Faculty Award – which supports excellent relevant research in Universities. The first IBM Faculty Award will be presented in the form of a cheque for £14k to Professor Linda Macaulay, of the School of Informatics, for a project entitled: "Exploring the role of patterns for e-business in supporting the emerging services science discipline" at the event on November 2.