The University of Leicester has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with one the world’s largest integrated healthcare service providers, the Apollo Hospitals Group. The MoU is intended to strengthen the institution’s existing links with India and sets out a mutual desire to promote international cooperation and explore collaborative education and research programmes, particularly in the fields of healthcare management, healthcare and data science.
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to set out a vision to help to build the healthcare of the future with the potential to transform lives, not only in India and the UK, but around the globe.
“Apollo is a pioneering organisation and has led the way in Asia with a number of firsts including the first heart transplantation in 1995. At Leicester, our long-established expertise in health means together we can create more world firsts in healthcare.
“The potential of this collaboration cannot be underestimated, we can be at the cutting edge of the degree programmes of the future, offering opportunities that will enrich the experience of students and academics in both countries, new research partnerships in precision medicine, and collaborating to find new and novel ways to solve the biggest challenges in health. I am delighted that we have taken this first step towards a closer working relationship.”
The university highlighted the city of Leicester’s strong links with India with one of Britain’s highest proportions of South Asians, a vast majority of them of Indian heritage, who make up 22 per cent of the overall population.
Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson of the Apollo Hospitals Group, said: “We are delighted to have this MoU in place with the University of Leicester to explore the creation of education programmes, cutting edge research and global mobility opportunities for Indian students to excel in their area of interest.
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“Building a healthcare workforce to global standards has been the cornerstone of Apollo’s education and skilling. Working with the University of Leicester builds on the legacy of collaboration between India and the UK and could lead to finding newer solutions to tackle global healthcare challenges while addressing the shortage of skilled workforce in India and the UK.”
As one of only 20 institutions in the UK, the University of Leicester Biomedical Research Centre was awarded £26 million of funding by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The Biomedical Research Centre will drive clinical research from the laboratory to the patient's bedside in the areas of; cardiovascular disease; respiratory and infectious diseases; lifestyle and physical activity; personalised cancer prevention and treatments; environment and health; and data innovations in multiple long term health conditions and ethnic health.
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Another of the University’s flagship projects is a £10 million initiative led by Professor Kamlesh Kunti which will see the University work with the UK, Indian and Nepalese governments to improve the health outcomes of those with multimorbidity, as well as create a self-sustaining international centre for improving management of multiple long-term conditions and disseminate outputs globally.