BT to cherry-pick Cambridge boffins

Deal creates strong ties between venerable uni and telco giant...

BT has announced a deal with the University of Cambridge which will create strong links between its research division and the students of the prestigious UK institution. The agreement will see BT Exact work closely with the University to develop joint initiatives, such as research collaborations and consultancy projects. BT will also by sponsor talks, seminars and symposia at the University, which it is hoped will advance innovation by enabling a broad cross section of academics and BT research staff to interact and develop strong working relationships with the institution. Stewart Davies, chief executive officer at BT Exact, said: "This is a whole new way of working with one of the world's most important universities. We are delighted to have a formalised route that enables us to access the expertise at the University of Cambridge." The collaboration is the first fruit of the University's Corporate Liaison Programme which was developed to build stronger links between companies and the University. Dr Christopher Padfield, director of the Corporate Liaison Office, said in a statement: "Cambridge University has a long and successful history of working collaboratively with industry. "We are delighted that the CLO has been able to formalise the relationship between the University and BT through the Corporate Liaison Programme. I very much hope that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership between the two organisations."