As part of its new global education initiatives, UMR recently entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Naples Federico II (UniNa) in Italy to develop and implement programs, including a student and faculty exchange program.
"Exploring new opportunities such as these could increase the attractiveness of both UMR and University of Naples by providing unique educational opportunities to current and prospective students," says Dr. Y.T. Shah, UMR provost.
As part of the collaboration UMR and UniNa are developing a joint Ph.D. program and an online degree program, says Shah.
Cooperative research activities are another possibility, says Shah. Shared research efforts would benefit both UMR and UniNa students by allowing them to experience research first-hand and to access new resources. The results of such research could also lead to further economic development opportunities in Missouri and Italy.
Shah; Dr. Robert Mitchell, dean of the UMR School of Engineering; and Dr. Antonio Nanni, Vernon and Meralee Jones Missouri Distinguished Professor of civil engineering recently met with UniNa officials as part of an economic development initiative with Missouri Gov. Bob Holden and state legislators.