European institutions join global network of elite research universities
Four European institutions are among the ten founder members of a new global network of research universities, which aims to become 'the premier alliance of universities in the world'. The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have all joined the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), which was launched in Singapore on 14 January. The alliance describes itself as a 'strategic drawing together of a selected group of research-intensive universities that share similar values, a similar vision and a commitment to educating future world leaders'. The other institutions in the network are The Australian National University, the National University of Singapore, Peking University, Berkley and Yale in the US, and Tokyo University. The IARU will enable its member institutions to exchange ideas and experiences in both teaching and research projects, and will encourage joint activities such as internships, participation of alliance academics at international conferences, undergraduate and postgraduate student exchange, and the development of joint or dual degrees. At the inaugural meeting in Singapore, Ian Chubb, vice-chancellor of the Australian National University, was selected as the first chair of IARU for 2006-2007. Written proposals for potential IARU research collaboration were also considered at the meeting, on such potential topics as the movement of people, ageing and health, food and water, and energy and the environment. 'The IARU is an exciting development with the potential for global benefit,' said Professor Chubb. 'It offers a chance to enhance the education of future leaders around the globe and produce research outcomes that benefit people beyond each of our national borders.' Bill Macmillan, pro-vice chancellor at Oxford, said: 'The IARU has been designed both to promote collaborative research and to enable member universities to learn from each other. We are excited by the prospect of creating opportunities for students and young researchers not just to work on problems of global significance but to do so as part of an international university community.' In the longer term, the alliance says that it plans to seek support from companies, foundations and governments for its research, create a forum to share knowledge concerning the commercialisation of research, carry out benchmarking activities, and develop common positions on key issues of public policy. On 17 November, the League of European Research Universities (LERU) announced that it is expanding its membership to include the Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Lund, Paris-South, Zurich, and University College London. Malcolm Grant, provost of UCL, said: 'European research universities have common values and common cause, and we welcome this opportunity to become part of so outstanding a network of research institutions. I think that groupings such as these this are particularly important at a time when the EU is thinking seriously about the function of research-intensive universities, about the European Research [Council] and a possible European Institute of Technology.'
Countries
Switzerland, China, Denmark, France, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States