ECU, UNC leaders meet with eye on collaborations

Leaders at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill met in Greenville Monday to discuss present and future research and collaborations between the two universities.

The meeting was a part of Carolina Connects, a UNC-CH initiative aimed at strengthening the connections between universities in the state and their surrounding communities. Participants in Monday’s discussion hope the program serves as a springboard for building upon strengths in research, administration and economic development.

“East Carolina is fully committed to partnership and collaboration,” said ECU chancellor Steve Ballard. “If we do not have collaboration with other universities in the university system and community colleges, we know our efforts won’t be as successful as they could be.”

James Moeser, chancellor of UNC-CH, said he hopes future cohesion efforts will better serve the state, for example, with increased lobbying power for funding support.

“We discovered that we could accomplish a lot more by working together,” he said referring to attempts to gain federal and state funds.

Moeser noted that the relationship between ECU and UNC-CH is particularly productive because of their strengths in health sciences.

“I can envision a very special relationship with East Carolina University,” Moeser said to Chancellor Ballard. “You bring strength to the field that no one else can.”