Universitas 21
Universitas 21 (U21) is an international association of comprehensive, research - intensive universities in 14 countries.
Established in 1997, U21 is capable of achieving the kind of practical outcomes that none of the individual members would be able to achieve independently or through traditional bilateral alliances. The aim of U21 is to facilitate interchange between members. It provides a framework for international collaboration, capitalising on the established reputation and operational reach of each of its members.
U21 engages in a number of activities on three different levels:
- The first level encourages interactions between researchers and teachers, encouraging student exchanges and academic cooperation, and engaging universities in collegial dialogue
- The second level facilitates greater international collaboration between members, such as the sharing of resources and learning materials to enhance capabilities.
- The third level focuses on developing opportunities and utilising the Universitas 21 networks for entrepreneurial activities.
For more information, visit the U21 website.
U21 functions as an equal partnership of its members. Participation is by invitation. Current members are:
Faculty and Staff
International Central Networks Fund (ICNF)
The International Central Networks Fund (ICNF) provides central funding to support University of Auckland staff access the networking and collaboration opportunities presented by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), Universitas 21 (U21) and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).
The University’s engagement with U21 includes collaboration in teaching and learning, and university administration best practice. The University works, as a member of APRU, to address identified research themes and institutional challenges that relate to the Pacific Rim.
WUN creates new, multilateral opportunities for transcontinental collaboration in research. It has structures in place to help seed new multilateral projects and a number of active WUN multilateral projects in this ‘start-up’ phase. In receiving WUN support and recognition there is an expectation that the projects will become fully sustainable through successful joint applications to international agencies.
Academic and General staff may apply to ICNF for support to undertake activities related to all three networks. For more information, please visit ICNF page.
Students
A number of opportunities exist for students, including participation in the annual U21 summer school, undergraduate research conference, and scholarships for student mobility.
U21 Early Career Researcher Workshop
Early career researchers (ECR) focused on healthy living research, inlcuding Life Sciences, Psychology, Sport & Exercise Sciences, Public Health and Epidemiology, Medicine, or the Allied Health professions, are encouraged to apply for the U21 career developent workshop to be held at the University of Birmingham, UK, on 13-15 December 2011.
At this U21 ECR workshop, participants will meet global peers for networking and research communication, while gaining valuable skills and training in critical aspects of research career development, such as media and communication skills, journal editing, licensing and spin-offs, grant writing, and career progression. Training will be conducted by academics and/or industry professionals with experience in these skills and research career development training.
Keynote address by Professor John C. Mathers, University of Newcastle, UK, will give the keynote address. Inspirational mid- and late-career speakers with a variety of research backgrounds from the Universities of Birmingham, Loughborough, Westminster, and Surrey (UK) who will talk about their research, their career paths, and give participants tips and strategies for research career success. There will also be opportunity to network and share research outcomes and ideas in interactive group workshops and poster sessions.
For more details, please visit U21 website.
U21 Doctoral Student Mobility
A new scholarship has been established to support University of Auckland doctoral students who wish to undertake short term visits and placements at other U21 institutions.
The scholarship shall provide a return economy airfare and a stipend. The stipend will be determined by the value of doctoral stipends offered by the host U21 institution. Students may apply for up to three months funding.
More information about the regulations and selection process can be obtained from the Scholarship Office.
U21 Graduate Research Conference (GRC)
The Graduate Research Conference gives graduate students the opportunity to study, network and live together for a week, developing research partnerships and international friendships which will be of great importance for their future academic careers. One of the main aims of the conference is to provide participants with an opportunity to develop a range of skills relevant to research.
The first U21 Graduate Research Conference was held at the University of Birmingham on the theme of "Water". Following from its success, a second GRC took place in Australia at the end of 2009. The University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, hosted the 3rd U21 Graduate Research Conference from 22-26 June 2011. Two doctoral students from our University attended this event, namely, Ashley Young and Niha Phukan.
For more details regarding this year's Conference, please visit U21 website.
U21 Summer School
Each year an annual U21 Summer School is held within a U21 institution, in which students from each member institution participates. The summer school is a 2-3 week intensive programme in which students explore and participate in a pre selected theme.
The University College Dublin (UCD) hosted this year's 8th U21 Summer School on Conflict Resolution from 11–19 July 2011. Participants learnt about the dynamics of conflict across a range of areas: politics, international organisations, war, labour relations, social and ethnic conflict and ethics.
The University of Auckland selected three students, namely, Regan Taia, Emily Wright and Elizabeth Chan.
For students interested in applying for next year's summer school, guidelines and relevant information will be available in February 2012.
U21 Undergraduate Research Conference (URC)
The Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) provides the opportunity for outstanding undergraduate or Honours students from U21 member universities to showcase their research to an international audience of fellow students and staff. The URC aims to attract students from a diverse range of discipline and typically includes a range of seminars and student presentations interspersed with social activities and tours to promote networking and stimulate discussion. Students are also presented with the opportunity of publishing their research in the University of Virginia's undergraduate journal The Oculus.
Fudan University hosted 2011 URC from 13-18 July 2011. The University of Auckland selected three students, namely, Rebecca Allenby, Niancen Miao and Robert Hoye.
For students interested in applying for next year's conference, guidelines and relevant information will be available in March 2012.
Annual General Meeting
A general meeting of U21 members is held annually, and hosted by a member institution chosen 12 months in advance.
The 2012 Annual U21 AGM and Presidents' Meeting will be hosted by Lund University, Sweden from 9-11 May 2012.
This meeting will be attended by the U21 Director (Vice-Chancellor/President) and Manager (Pro Vice-Chancellor International/International Director) in each institution.
U21 joint PhD agreement
Universitas 21 (U21), the leading network for international higher education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a unique development in the opportunities available to PhD students around the network.
The agreement, signed by Vice Chancellors and Presidents from fourteen leading universities around the world at their annual meeting this year at Korea University, establishes a joint PhD programme which enables doctoral students to embark on joint degres which will considerably enhance their research and employment opportunities on an international scale.
Unlike a number of other joint programmes, this MoU gives an over-arching framework for universities to create tailor-made programmes of study for each students, taking individual research needs into account and enabling collaboration with another of the network's universities.
U21 sustainability declaration
Vice-Chancellors and Presidents from U21, signed a Statement on Sustainability at their Annual Network Meeting held in Seoul, Korea, which emphasises the important role that universities can and do play in addressing the decline of biodiversity, of energy, food and water security, of climate change, of economic sustainability and of human health.
Through the Statement, which is one strand of the network's Year of Sustainability, the U21 member universities commit themselves to ensuring a sustainable future:
- through research, teaching, community partnerships and demonstrable actions, to advance timely solutions to ecological, societal and economic problems
- through engagement with civil society, industry and government, to accelerate these solutions beyond the campus
- by working together collaboratively and cooperatively, to achieve more than is possible by working alone
To become involved in this initiative through U21, contact us.
