Academy launches to showcase the best of Wales to the world

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has jointly launched the Wales Global Academy with the University of Wales to provide a focus for its vision of taking the best of Wales to the world and bringing the best of the world to Wales.

The University has been at the forefront of forging global educational collaborations for many years, offering exciting opportunities for learners from around the world to engage in programmes of study that lead to University awards.

Many of these programmes are offered through a number of collaborative partners who attended the launch and took part in the University’s graduation ceremonies held in Swansea this week.

The work of the Wales Global Academy is supported by three objectives:

1. to enhance global learning opportunities for learners to study university awards or to take part student mobility schemes by working in partnership with others, whether based in the UK or overseas;
2. to develop a global campus concept and online platform to provide access to, and sharing of, resources, events, and to facilitate networking across the partnerships;
3. to establish academic chapters to create global subject-based communities for learners, staff and alumni that will contribute to curriculum development, research and scholarship, as well as the provision of fellowship schemes for professional development, and to facilitate lifelong learning.

Professor Simon Haslett, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International and Engagement) said: “The Wales Global Academy is the hub for a network of global institutions who are linked to UWTSD. We are creating a global education network to strengthen the links between the University and its collaborative partners.

“The global campus will facilitate communication and collaboration within the Wales Global Academy and will promote student and staff mobility across our network.

“The Academy will also provide an ongoing point of contact for alumni and graduates of the University, one that will also offer opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development through the establishment of academic chapters and fellowship schemes.

“Given the current global context, the time is right for the relationships between like-minded global educational organisations to become closer still and the Wales Global Academy will be the vehicle through which this can be supported”.

In welcoming, the University’s collaborative partners to the launch, Professor Medwin Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, Vice-Chancellor said: “It was wonderful to see so many of our collaborative partners at the launch and the graduation ceremony in Swansea. Many of them travelled great distances to join our local partners in celebrating our historic links. But the launch marked a new context for our partnership and an important next stage in our journey.

“The Wales Global Academy identifies the opportunity for our learners, staff and alumni to become a part of a global network; to become truly global citizens. Together, we are developing a range of opportunities for learners, staff and alumni to engage through the Academy.  It includes a continuing professional development framework that allows graduates of each organisation to become professional learning fellows to support lifelong learning, professional and leadership development, networking and career development. This will become the gold standard for leadership training over the next few years. The Wales Global Academy stands for quality – quality of experience; quality of opportunity and quality of connectivity between each partner.”

The University’s collaborative partners currently represents 16 countries including Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, USA, and Canada, as well as institutions in Europe and the UK including Schumacher College, Newbold College and the Prince’s Foundation.