European Investment Bank (EIB) Signs MOU

New programme to benefit from support of Europe's largest international infrastructure investor.

Representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB) were recently hosted at UCL to formalise a growing relationship with the Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management (BSC&PM).

On Friday February 22nd, the UK Vice President Jonathan Taylor, along with the Dean of the EIB Institute Remy Jacob and other senior EIB officials, were welcomed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which sets out the scope of the EIB's support and ongoing involvement in a new MSc postgraduate programme due to commence this coming September, 2013. The MSc in Infrastructure Investment and Finance (IIF), which is in the vanguard of MSc courses in this area, is a programme dedicated to the teaching of applied theory and practical skills for the financing, funding, structuring and management of new and existing projects aimed at improving the capacity and performance of infrastructure assets.

Dr. Aris Pantelias who is the Course Director for this innovative programme recently visited Luxembourg to meet with Senior EIB staff together with BSC&PM Director Dr. Andrew Edkins and Professor Michelle Baddeley to develop networks and content for delivery of the new MSc. On the growing relationship between the Bartlett's School of Construction and Project Management and the EIB, Dr. Pantelias commented "It is indeed a great privilege and an exciting opportunity to collaborate with an institution of international calibre such as the EIB, which has such a multi-faceted role and many years of experience in the world of infrastructure financing. We are looking forward to a mutually rewarding and long-lasting collaboration that will enhance the state-of-the-art, strengthen and promote the state-of-the-practice and ultimately benefit our students and their understanding of this professional field."

The new IIF programme will form a part of the soon to be launched International Centre for Infrastructure Futures (ICIF), which has been funded by the EPSRC and ESRC to investigate the potential development of new innovative business models to incorporate the interdependencies of operational infrastructure. MSc IIF will be a key channel for dissemination of research outputs, as well as providing opportunity for postgraduate students to have input into cutting edge research in this field. The EIB's involvement in the MSc IIF is sure to make its impact and relevance to industry significant, as well as provide a basis for future collaborations.

Further information about the relationship with EIB and the innovative new MSc IIF can be obtained by contacting Dr. Aris Pantelias at: a.pantelias@ucl.ac.uk