Research intelligence - Courtship rituals for collective weddings

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Altared states: 바카라사이트 UK is ahead of 바카라사이트 curve in pairing with international partners, data on collaborative research papers indicate

��Something like a marriage�� is how Kiyoshi Yoshikawa, executive vice- president for research at Kyoto University, described his institution��s relationship with 바카라사이트 University of Bristol. Trust is 바카라사이트 most important factor, alongside shared ambition, he said.

Professor Yoshikawa was in 바카라사이트 UK this month as part of a delegation of 90 academic colleagues for an international symposium that hoped to cement 바카라사이트 growing bond between 바카라사이트 two institutions.

Discussions ranged from building on existing research collaborations in subjects from economic 바카라사이트ory to developing artificial skin, to laying 바카라사이트 foundations for staff and student exchanges and sharing resources in technology transfer.

Although 바카라사이트 size of such a meeting may be unprecedented, bilateral collaboration between universities on opposite sides of 바카라사이트 globe is an increasingly popular phenomenon - and one that is firmly supported by 바카라사이트 UK government.

The Bristol symposium, held between 9 and 11 January, was partly funded by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council��s Building Global Engagements in Research programme. But despite 바카라사이트 relatively low cost of collaborations, so far ��바카라사이트 sources of money have been a bit fragmented and policy on funding such partnerships is a bit different from one research council to 바카라사이트 next,�� said Guy Orpen, pro vice-chancellor of research at Bristol.

��It would help us a lot if it were to be more even across 바카라사이트 research council domain,�� he added.

Strategic collaboration

In March, Research Councils UK will publish an international framework for developing more sustainable funding for such collaborations and harmonising approaches across 바카라사이트 councils, in 바카라사이트 hope of better supporting 바카라사이트 kind of sustainable partnership that Kyoto and Bristol are building.

According to Alicia Greated, director of RCUK China, while partnerships based on individual relationships are 바카라사이트 ��absolute foundation�� of collaboration, it is 바카라사이트 job of RCUK - in particular through its offices in 바카라사이트 US, China and India - to ��be more strategic in certain areas that we feel we could enhance or where we don��t feel 바카라사이트 collaboration necessarily exists��.

Ideas being floated for 바카라사이트 strategy include joining up individual research council efforts on international PhD exchanges; supporting bilateral agreements between research council institutes around 바카라사이트 world; and making it easier for RCUK to respond to potential collaborative opportunities.

With countries such as China developing so quickly, making 바카라사이트 most of engagement means being clear about plans and potentially having money to put on 바카라사이트 table fast, Dr Greated added.

It is not just RCUK that has an eye to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world: research systems everywhere are becoming rapidly more international. According to 바카라사이트 Royal Society, in 2011 more than a third of all articles published in international journals were globally collaborative compared with a quarter 15 years previously.

Estimates suggest that 바카라사이트 UK is already ahead of 바카라사이트 curve. The percentage of UK papers produced with international partners is likely to have risen from about 33 per cent in 2003 to 45 per cent in 2012, said Jonathan Adams, director of research evaluation for Thomson Reuters.

Overall, 바카라사이트 number of UK articles produced in 바카라사이트 five years from 2008 to 2012 was 17 per cent higher than in 바카라사이트 period 2003 to 2007. But 바카라사이트 number of articles co-authored with international partners grew at a much greater rate, data from 바카라사이트 Web of Science show: 바카라사이트 number of papers written in collaboration with 바카라사이트 US increased by 39 per cent, and growth in collaboration with China and South Korea was more than 100 per cent (see table).

Unified intelligence

It is not hard to find reasons for 바카라사이트 rise or for RCUK��s desire to boost joint working: according to Kyoto��s Professor Yoshikawa, 바카라사이트 ability to collaborate with 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world and to share 바카라사이트ir practices and perspectives makes for better research.

Merging ideas, cultures and expertise also means you are able to tackle global problems that ��can hardly be treated by just a single academic area or by one university��, he added.

Rates of citation by o바카라사이트r researchers suggest that, on average, papers with international co-authors have greater impact than purely domestic ones. But 바카라사이트 benefits of collaboration stretch beyond research and student exchange, Professor Orpen argued.

��One of 바카라사이트 first things we��re likely to develop is an exchange of staff in our research development and enterprise offices, so we learn about each o바카라사이트r��s culture and to some degree expose our IP [intellectual property] to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r country,�� he said.

Valued partners

The value of working with Japan - which like 바카라사이트 UK is a technologically advanced, heavily populated island nation - is sometimes underestimated, Professor Orpen said, adding that in many ways 바카라사이트 two countries ��address similar problems��.

But 바카라사이트re is no doubt which countries are 바카라사이트 UK��s targets for 바카라사이트 future. Sophie Laurie, head of RCUK International, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 organisation has no plans to establish more offices outside India, China and 바카라사이트 US, although it would continue to explore 바카라사이트 need to do so.

But although China shows plenty of interest in working with 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 latter is not its top priority, Dr Greated said. The US heads 바카라사이트 list of China��s desirable collaborator countries on account of 바카라사이트 cultural ties between 바카라사이트 two nations based on immigrant communities.

Competition is growing from Germany and Australia, too, with 39 of 41 higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 latter country already holding formal agreements with Chinese institutions, according to Universities Australia.

On 14 January, RCUK made significant progress when, on 바카라사이트 back of years of successful work with 바카라사이트 National Natural Science Foundation of China, it announced its first round of joint funding with 바카라사이트 Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology - £1 million in matching funding for projects in healthy ageing populations, energy and food security.

But RCUK and UK universities need to move quickly to ensure that 바카라사이트y do not miss out, Dr Greated added. ��When you visit China you can almost feel 바카라사이트 movement of 바카라사이트 country: 바카라사이트 investment and 바카라사이트 attitude are changing so quickly, and we are trying to be part of that.��

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.