Vassar-Edinburgh Partnership Breaks New Ground
Vassar’s ongoing collaboration with the University of Edinburgh took a major step forward on November 21 when the two institutions agreed to create a new master’s of science degree program for Vassar students. Vassar President Elizabeth Bradley and Frank Cogliano, Edinburgh Professor of American History and Dean International for North America, signed the agreement—and engaged in a jovial exchange of gifts—in a ceremony on the Vassar campus.
The program, which begins next summer, will enable students to earn their bachelor's degree from Vassar and a master’s degree in planetary health from the University of Edinburgh, within five years. Those enrolled in the program will spend the summer in an internship on the Edinburgh campus following their junior year at Vassar. After completing their studies at Vassar, the students would return to Edinburgh for a year of study and research to acquire their MSc degree.
President Bradley, who initiated the collaboration with the University of Edinburgh three years ago, noted that Vassar has been sending students to the prestigious Scottish institution for many years. “But today, we are amplifying our partnership in a very significant way,” she said, “and we could not think of a better partner for this initiative.”
Cogliano said he and others at the university were eager to launch the new program. “This marks the beginning of a new phase of our relationship with Vassar,” he said. “This program offers a wonderful opportunity for both institutions, and our students will be making a positive effort to address global health problems around the world. The world is facing climate change and biodiversity loss on an unprecedented scale. Students enrolled in this program will be addressing a real-world crisis.”
The program represents an outcome of the Global Collaborative for the Liberal Arts, an ongoing partnership between Vassar, Edinburgh, the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, Africa, and the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) Bombay in Mumbai, India. The Collaborative seeks to support institutions of higher education as they explore integrating liberal arts content and pedagogy into their degree programs, as a way to better fulfill the promise of higher education globally.
Tara Peterson ’25, a Vassar student who in Spring 2024 studied at the University of Edinburgh, said she was certain Vassar students who enroll in the new master’s degree program would enjoy the experience. “It’s fitting that a degree in planetary health will be an option for Vassar students at this time,” Peterson said.
As the event concluded, Cogliano, who is an American, told President Bradley he had a uniquely Scottish gift for her but that his heritage made it impossible for him to pronounce it properly. Bradley then unwrapped the gift, a two-handled silver cup called a quaich. “I pronounce it ‘quake,’ but I know that’s incorrect,” Cogliano said. He then asked a Scottish colleague, Scott McQuarrie, the university’s North American Regional Director, for the proper pronunciation, and McQuarrie responded with a more guttural reply. Cogliano said the quaich was originally intended as a peace offering between two warring clans, drawing laughter from those in attendance. But more recently, he said, it has become a common gift at weddings to memorialize the forging of two families.
Bradley then presented Cogliano with a gift from Vassar, a Tiffany glass bowl etched with the College logo. Bradley said it is a gift traditionally given to people who have made significant contributions to the College, such as retiring members of the Board of Trustees. “And I know how to pronounce ‘bowl,’” she quipped.
The new master’s degree program wasn’t the only initiative discussed on the day of the announcement. Later in the day, Cogliano and McQuarrie met with Vassar’s Kerry Zuccaro, Assistant Dean of International Programs and Global Partnerships, and Andrew Meade, Director of International Services and Assistant Dean of Student Growth and Engagement, to talk about ways of attracting and assisting University of Edinburgh students who may want to study for a semester at Vassar. “The United States is a popular destination for many of our students, and I’m sure many of them would be attracted to Vassar,” Cogliano said.
The signing ceremony was attended by several members of the Vassar and the University of Edinburgh communities: Kerry Zuccaro, Assistant Dean of International Programs and Global Partnerships; Alison Spodek Keimowitz, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of Environmental Studies; Thomas Parker, Associate Professor and Chair of French and Francophone Studies; Scott McQuarrie, Regional Director North America, Edinburgh Global, the University of Edinburgh; President Elizabeth Bradley; Professor Francis (Frank) Cogliano, Professor of History and Dean International (North America) at the University of Edinburgh; Kelli A. Duncan, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Academic Resources and Professor of Biology on the Patricia Shoer Goldman-Rakic ’59 Professorship Chair; and Wesley Dixon, Deputy to the President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.