OREANDA-NEWS. August 13, 2014. The University of Tartu will co-ordinate the “Excellence in Analytical Chemistry” (EACH) – an international joint curriculum for analytical chemistry MA studies.

The consortium, created in co-operation with three prestigious international universities received a 1,95 million EUR grant from the EU to help push-start the programme.

The main partners in the consortium are Uppsala University from Sweden, Lyon University from France and Abo Akademi University from Finland. The first students on this course will be enrolled in autumn 2015. Ivo Leito, the co-ordinator of the curriculum and a professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Tartu explained: “Students will spend their first year studying in Tartu, in their second year they head to France, Finland or Sweden depending on their specialisation.”

EACH sprouted from Tartu University’s applied measurement science MA curriculum, which is co-ordinated by Ivo Leito. “Tartu University’s role as the co-ordinator of the programme is undoubtedly a recognition of the university’s excellence in teaching and developing applied measurement science studies”, Martin Hallik, the vice rector said. “The aim of Tartu University is to create internationally attractive curricula, which would help internationalise studies here. Opening this new Master of Arts programme by Ivo Leito is a big step forward in developing the quality of our courses in English.”

Preparations for the joint curriculum have lasted for years. 26 partners from across the world will take part in developing it in addition to the main partners. These partners comprise industrial enterprises and laboratories, which offer internships to students and universities from different countries whose professors contribute to the studies.

The EU’s support from EACH comes from Erasmus+ programme’s resources for joint Master of Arts degrees. The grant was awarded to 9 applicants out of 58. Contracts for funding and forming the consortium will be signed this autumn.