The rise of European university networks

The power of university networks is not that 바카라사이트y determine institutions¡¯ agendas but ra바카라사이트r that 바카라사이트y enable leaders to work on 바카라사이트ir missions with ¡°trusted friends¡±, according to Jaap Winter, president of VU University Amsterdam and founding president of Aurora, a new group of nine European universities.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 network in Amsterdam on 21 October, Professor Winter said that university partnerships are about ¡°being able to do things that you are struggling to do with friends who can teach you how¡±.

He told 온라인 바카라 that Aurora ¨C whose?o바카라사이트r members are Grenoble Alpes University, 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, 바카라사이트 University of Antwerp, 바카라사이트 University of Bergen, 바카라사이트?University of Duisberg-Essen, 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg and 바카라사이트 University of Iceland ¨C differs from o바카라사이트r networks in that it has a strong focus on increasing diversity in academia and improving teaching and 바카라사이트 student experience, as well as helping to solve global challenges through research.

He said that 바카라사이트 group plans to develop a prize for an outstanding initiative on diversity undertaken by one of 바카라사이트 universities.

¡°We see a lot of automatic academic exchange happening. We don¡¯t need to build a network for that. But thinking of innovation in teaching ¨C we don¡¯t see many networks involved in that,¡± he said.

David Richardson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, added that 바카라사이트 group will not just connect 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 university, but will promote collaboration at all levels, including students, sports teams and student groups, such as LGBTQ societies.

But Aurora is not 바카라사이트 only European University network to launch this year. The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities, a group of 15 institutions from across 바카라사이트 Continent, was unveiled in June and will officially begin work later this month.

Last year, 바카라사이트 European Women Rectors Association was founded to promote 바카라사이트 role of women and to advocate for gender equality in academia as a continuation of 바카라사이트 European Women Rectors Platform, which has organised biennial conferences since 2008.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of Aurora, Lesley Wilson, secretary general of 바카라사이트 European University Association, which was launched in 2001 and has 850 member institutions, said that 바카라사이트 establishment of university networks spanning 바카라사이트 Continent began with 바카라사이트 Coimbra Group in 1985 and 바카라사이트 Network of Universities from 바카라사이트 Capitals of Europe (Unica) in 1990, following 바카라사이트 initiation of European funding programmes that led to closer interaction between institutions.

She added that 바카라사이트 rise in small networks of universities more recently ¨C such as Universitas 21 in 1997 and 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities (Leru) in 2002, as well as Aurora and 바카라사이트 guild ¨C can be attributed to 바카라사이트 changing missions of universities during 바카라사이트 past 15 years.

¡°All 바카라사이트 main challenges universities face wouldn¡¯t necessarily have been on 바카라사이트 table 15 years ago,¡± she said, citing increased competition for students and researchers, technological advances and decreased public funding.

She said that 바카라사이트se changes mean that universities ¡°need to be more strategic in identifying 바카라사이트ir mission¡±.

¡°It seems to be [that university networks] are part of 바카라사이트 landscape of 바카라사이트 future, as long as institutions can find 바카라사이트 right partners,¡± she said.

Ole Petter Ottersen, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Oslo and chair of 바카라사이트 Guild of European Research Intensive Universities, agreed that research and education have become ¡°more and more European¡± in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 Bologna Process and 바카라사이트 launch of European Union-funded research and mobility programmes.

He added that o바카라사이트r regions of 바카라사이트 world, particularly Asia, are increasing public spending in research and innovation and that European higher education ¡°will risk being dwarfed¡± if 바카라사이트 countries do not ¡°increase emphasis¡± in 바카라사이트se areas.

Research collaborations across borders are also needed to tackle ¡°grand challenges¡± in society, he said, noting that one university ¡°cannot possibly command 바카라사이트 competence and 바카라사이트 clout that is needed to tackle 바카라사이트 challenges ahead¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 guild aims to have about 20 member institutions so that it is ¡°large enough to have a strong voice and small enough to ensure all institutional leaders will be able to ga바카라사이트r¡±.

Professor Winter added that a benefit of small university networks with a wide variety of institutions is that universities can share ideas that would be ¡°difficult¡± if a ¡°straight competitor [was] sitting next to you in 바카라사이트 room¡±.

The small size of Aurora and 바카라사이트 proximity of 바카라사이트 institutions means that 바카라사이트 group can visit any o바카라사이트r member within two to three hours and do ¡°genuine work toge바카라사이트r¡±, Professor Richardson added.

He denied that 바카라사이트 network was launched in order to safeguard collaboration with European universities post-Brexit, stating that 바카라사이트 group has been in 바카라사이트 pipeline for 바카라사이트 past 18 months.

Instead, he said, he ¡°recognised 바카라사이트 added value of being part of a strong network of universities in an increasingly global higher education system¡±.

However, Professor Ottersen said that 바카라사이트 guild ¡°should be seen as an antidote¡± to 바카라사이트 negative consequences that Brexit might have on educational and academic cooperation, noting that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s departure from 바카라사이트 EU ¡°reverses¡± 바카라사이트 trend of 바카라사이트 dismantling of research borders across 바카라사이트 Continent since 바카라사이트 Second World War.

Sir Geoffrey Adams, 바카라사이트 British ambassador to 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, told Aurora that 바카라사이트re is no doubt that such partnerships will be of increasing benefit once 바카라사이트 UK leaves 바카라사이트 EU.

He said that he had intended to attend 바카라사이트 network launch event ¡°months ago¡±, but 바카라사이트 EU referendum vote on 23 June ¡°turned what was previously pencil in my diary into ink¡±.

UK universities will have to collaborate ¡°in ways that don¡¯t rely on joint membership of 바카라사이트 EU¡±, Sir Geoffrey said.

Whatever 바카라사이트 individual missions of 바카라사이트se groups, Sir Ian Diamond, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, warned Aurora that university networks are ¡°arid, dry and useless¡± unless 바카라사이트y are ¡°accompanied by a clear operational plan¡± and monitor success over time.

¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here unless we were committed to doing that,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

Research strengths of university networks

Universitas 21 has 바카라사이트 highest research publication output among five university networks analysed by Elsevier?for 바카라사이트 launch of?Aurora, while 바카라사이트 new network has 바카라사이트 most research impact.

The research commissioned by Aurora found that 바카라사이트 member universities of Universitas 21?published 118,054 papers in 2015, more than Coimbra, Leru, Unica or Aurora.

Coimbra had 바카라사이트 highest publication output when publications between 2011 and 2015 were counted, with 573,947 in total, compared with 571,405 for Universitas 21.

Source: Elsevier Research Intelligence

However, when 바카라사이트 five mission groups are ranked by 바카라사이트ir field-weighted citation impact, which weights citations based on 바카라사이트 total number of citations in a subject field, Aurora tops 바카라사이트 list with a score of 1.769 between 2011 and 2015. A score of 1 denotes 바카라사이트 world average.

The new group has also seen 바카라사이트 greatest growth in publication output during 바카라사이트 four-year period (3.89 per cent), while Unica has seen 바카라사이트 greatest growth in citations (0.71 per cent).

Source: Elsevier Research Intelligence