International University Consortia, Networks and Associations
Key Resource, February 2006
The following is an overview of selected international university consortia, networks and associations. The initiatives listed are grouped into two main categories: alliances of multi-disciplinary institutions and alliances of specialist institutions (e.g. business schools or institutions of science and technology). This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather demonstrates the range of organisations which have formed. Membership in all associations listed is at an institutional level.
Alliances of multi-disciplinary institutions (listed in alphabetical order)
Established in 2002, the Academic Consortium (AC21) is an international network of 25 universities in South East Asia, the US, the UK, Australia, Germany and France. The consortium’s activities include student, staff and faculty exchange programmes, information sharing and consultation on research and academic activities, and the hosting of international forums. Membership is open to universities and research institutions that have an academic exchange agreement with Japan's Nagoya University, which also hosts AC21’s General Secretariat. Associate membership is also open to for-profit organisations as well as non-profit organisations which “have goals and purposes consistent with the objectives of AC21 and agree to pay membership fees as specified by the Steering Committee”. Aspiring associate members must be nominated by a partner institution.
ASEA Uninet is a consortium of European and East Asian universities. Formed in 1994, the consortium has its roots in long standing academic co-operation between the University of Innsbruck and various Thai universities. The ASEA Uninet's aims are to promote ties and partnerships between universities in Europe and Asia through joint programmes, and to develop research, exchanges, scholarships, graduate programmes, and specialised training courses (in agriculture and biotechnology). Areas of co-operation include science, economics, business, social sciences, medicine, and the humanities. Funding is provided by ministries, the universities and the EU. Membership as of December 2005 consisted of 57 universities from 13 countries. Applications for membership are approved at the consortium's plenary meeting.
Association of African Universities (AAU)
The AAU was formed in 1967 to promote collaboration amongst African universities and to represent their interests on the international stage. There are currently 123 higher education institutions in 33 African nations. AAU provides networking opportunities for its members, and organises staff exchange and scholarship programmes.
Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
Established in 1913, the Association of Commonwealth Universities brings together more than 500 non-profit higher education institutions operating in Commonwealth nations. Its core services include human capacity development, partly through the administration of scholarship and award schemes which facilitate the movement of students and scholars between Commonwealth countries, research and benchmarking of best practices in higher education management, and the dissemination of research and intelligence among member institutions.
Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
APRU is a network of 36 research universities operating in Pacific Rim countries. It aims to “foster education, research and enterprise thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement in the Pacific Rim.” APRU’s activities include strategic initiatives to promote entrepreneurship amongst its membership and the use of advanced ICT in the delivery of education. Membership is by invitation only.
Circumpolar Universities Association (CUA)
The Circumpolar Universities Association (CUA) is an association of tertiary institutions in the circumpolar region. The Association's role is to “represent the interests of higher education in the circumpolar North to governments and non-governmental organisations.” Members include 57 universities, colleges, and research institutes from Scandinavian countries, the USA, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, and the UK. CUA’s activities include bi-annual conferences and the University of the Arctic. The University of the Arctic is not a degree granting institution, but rather a vehicle of co-operation of universities, colleges, and other higher education and research organisations in the North. University of the Arctic members offer joint face-to-face and online undergraduate Circumpolar studies programmes, student/faculty exchanges (e.g. north2north and northTREX) and the Arctic Learning Environment online portal.
Founded in 1985, the Coimbra Group is a network of 37 multidisciplinary European universities. Its activities include scholar and PhD student exchange programmes, a scholarship programme for Latin American scholars wishing to conduct research at European institutions, and a winter school addressing the future of South East Europe. A joint Master's programme was recently launched by group members Coimbra University and University of Uppsala.
Compostela Group of Universities
The Compostela Group of Universities was initiated in 1993 by Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela. The network originally consisted of institutions located along the historic “Way to Santiago” pilgrimage route, but has recently expanded to include non-European universities as associate members. Its 81 members in 26 nations are involved in EU initiatives including Tempus IGBRIU along with organisation specific activities such as a mobility programme for administrative staff.
Europaeum is a network of 10 European universities committed to creating a “university without walls”. Its activities include scholarships, grants, and the creation of jointly taught MA programmes with a focus on European culture, history and politics. Future plans include the development of a linked network of policy research centres at member institutions.
European University Association
The European University Association is the product of a merger between the Association of European Universities (CRE) and the Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences. It currently has 775 member institutions and organisations in 45 countries. EUA plays a key role in promoting a “coherent” system of higher education in Europe, and facilitates member activity in the areas of research, quality assurance, and institutional development.
International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU)
The International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), a new consortium of ten research-focused Australian, European, Asian and North American universities, will promote joint teaching and research, student exchange programmes, and the promotion of best practice and benchmarking activities amongst its members. IARU membership will be capped at ten institutions for the first three years of operation. Refer to the Observatory's 25 January 2006 article for further discussion of IARU.
International Network of Universities
The International Network of Universities promotes research collaboration, student/staff mobility, and the exchange of best management practices among its 13 member universities in the UK, US, Australia, Hungary, China, Japan, Sweden, and Indonesia. Members must offer a range of programmes in English and demonstrate a strong institutional commitment to internationalisation. Potential members must be nominated by an existing member.
International Association of Universities (IAU)
The International Association of Universities, supported by UNESCO, brings together over 580 higher education institutions from 150 countries for information sharing and collaboration on issues of global concern. Membership is open to any degree conferring institutions with programmes in “several branches of knowledge”.
League of European Research Universities
The League of European Research Universities (LERU) was founded in 2002 to influence European education policy and create a forum for the discussion of best practice. Its members currently consist of 18 universities in the Netherlands, Sweden, UK, France and Switzerland. Membership is by invitation, and is restricted to institutions offering research based undergraduate to PhD level programmes in at least three academic areas. The activities of this network include the production of position papers and advocacy at the regional level and the production and shared use of multimedia and learning object repositories among member institutions. Refer to the Observatory's 25 January 2006 article for further discussion of recent developments with LERU.
The Santander Group is a network of 40 European universities in 16 European nations formed to promote co-operation in the areas of curricula, student/staff mobility, research, mutual recognition of programmes, and cultural exchange. In addition to the group’s involvement in EU sponsored mobility programmes like Socrates, Erasmus, and Leonardo, Santander administers the Alban programme, which will bring approximately 3,900 Latin American scholars and students to study in EU universities.
Consisting of 39 universities located in European capital cities, UNICA was established in 1990 to facilitate co-operation between its member institutions and act as a central source of information on European strategies and initiatives. Its activities include the promotion of joint degree programmes at a Master's level, staff mobility programmes, and the organisation of seminars and conferences for members. Recently UNICA has been involved in evaluating the impact of the Bologna process on its members, and is active in advocating the needs of its membership to various levels of government. All “legally constituted” universities operating in European capitals may apply to UNICA’s Steering Committee for membership.
Universitas 21 is an international network of research-intensive universities. Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration and co-operation between member universities and “to create entrepreneurial opportunities for them”. The network was established in 1997 and currently counts 17 member universities in nine countries. Institutions can join the network by application, which is assessed by a Nominations and Membership Committee. Criteria for membership include the willingness “to participate as a licensing partner in Universitas 21 Global”, a joint venture with Thomson Learning which currently offers jointly branded online programmes. U21’s activities also include student and staff exchange, research collaboration, and the development of a quality assurance tool (U21 Pedagogica).
Worldwide Universities Network (WUN)
The Worldwide Universities Network provides administrative support and “pump-priming funding” to facilitate the formation of research collaborations between 16 public universities in Europe, the US, and China. WUN is particularly active in the area of e-learning, and relationships formed through the organisation have resulted in shared online educational resources and jointly developed postgraduate programmes. Membership in the network is by invitation only.
Alliances of specialist institutions (listed in alphabetical order)
Community of European Management Schools (CEMS)
Founded in 1988 by four European higher education institutions (Spain's ESADE Business School, France's HEC Group, Germany's University of Cologne and Italy's University of Bocconi), CEMS has grown to include 17 European business schools/universities, 48 corporate partners, and 4 non-European institutions from Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. In addition to the promotion of co-operation between member institutions and corporations, CEMS has created a joint one-year Master’s in International Management (MIM) programme, which is only open to students studying at CEMS member institutions.
Consortium Linking Universities of Science and Technology for Education and Research (CLUSTER)
CLUSTER is a grouping of European institutions of science and technology. Founded in 1990, its mission is the promotion of research and the study of engineering, applied science and architecture. The consortium currently consists of 10 member and two associate member institutions. Described as “a multi-location European University,” CLUSTER members have signed agreements relating to the mutual recognition of awards and have generated policy statements relating to quality assurance, accreditation and compliance with larger EU processes like Bologna.
European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTL)
The EADTL was founded in 1987 to build relationships between European universities, consortia, associations and higher education research centres offering or investigating open and distance learning. Non-profit entities may apply to the EADTL Secretariat for membership. Currently, 21 member institutions located in 19 countries are engaged in various activities including the creation of e-learning quality standards (the E-xcellence project) and a joint open educational resources offering through the Self-Learning through Open Resources (SLOR) initiative.
European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU)
Formed by 11 “entrepreneurial” European universities in 1997, ECIU’s activities currently lie in three key areas: joint postgraduate offerings, student and staff exchange programmes, and increased collaboration with industry. The Network has now expanded to include three non-European association members in Australia, Mexico and Russia.
The IDEA League is the result of a memorandum of understanding between four institutions with a focus on science and technology (Imperial College London, TU Delft, ETH Zürich and RWTH Aachen). Areas of collaboration include quality management, e-learning, mobility and scholarships schemes, and the development of joint academic offerings. The League may be expanded to include a French institution in the future.
TIME (Top Industrial Managers for Europe) Network
The TIME Network brings together 46 European engineering and technical universities. Founded by 16 institutions in 1987, membership in TIME is now by invitation only. TIME’s primary activity is the promotion of double degree programmes among its membership, which allow participating students to obtain two Master's level engineering degrees from institutions in two different countries.