The University of Glasgow will be forging strong links with the Pierre and Marie Curie Paris VI University, having today agreed that a joint degree will be developed between these two leading institutions in the field of biosciences.

This agreement builds on the unique collaboration that has developed since an INSERM (Institut National de la Sant￩ et de la Recherche M￩dicale) research team in parasitology was moved last year from Paris to the University of Glasgow and funded by INSERM and the Wellcome Trust.

Peter Holmes, Vice-Principal of Research at the University of Glasgow said,' we see joint PhDs as a highly effective way of further strengthening our current research collaboration. There are currently no joint research degrees between Britain and France, and this initiative from the French Embassy places us in the privileged position of being one of only a small number of leading British universities to offer such a joint degree.'

Professor Gilbert Balavoine, Cousellor for Science and Technology at the French Embassy said: " This agreement between three Scottish and six French Universities is the result of a joint will, to enlarge and strengthen their research collaborations on a wide range of disciplines, from Humanities to Computer and Engineering Sciences through, Geological Sciences, Cell and Molecular Biology . We can expect that the Franco-Scottish partnership to award a joint PhD will serve as the example to follow by other Universities in Europe."

In the longer term, the potential benefits of joint research degrees with European universities could be substantial. Increasingly, research is conducted by interdisciplinary teams often comprising of researchers and research students in different faculties, institutions and countries.

Two other Scottish Universities, Edinburgh and St Andrews, are also involved in this joint initiative.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

The signing will take place at the Residency of the Consul G?n?ral, Michel Roche, in Edinburgh (28 Regent Terrace) at 4.30pm today.

Attending for the universities are;

Glasgow: Peter Holmes, Carol Clugston

Edinburgh: Timothy O?Shea, Mary Bownes, Geoffrey Boulton.

St. Andrews: Brian Lang, David Corner.

In addition, Andrew Miller, Lucy Hunter, Wilson Sibbett, Chris Master, Roger McClure and Nicol Stephen will also be present.

For further information, please contact Judith Hodgson at the University of Glasgow Press Office on 0141 330 3535 , Gayle Cook at St. Andrews University on 01334 467227 or Stephanie Noblett at Edinburgh University on 0131 650 2250

First published: 14 May 2003