Global Education Partnerships

The UK is a world-leader for international collaboration - when it comes to research. In 2022, 60.4% of all UK research publications were produced in collaboration with at least one non-UK author. As shown in the graph, the only other countries with similarly high levels of international collaboration are France and Canada (57.3% and 56.6%, respectively in 2022). International research colllaboration is growing strongly - except for China, where alarmingly, collaboration is in decline (while China’s research output and quality rockets). The graph below shows the annual share of internationally co-authored research publications, UK and comparators, 2018 to 2022, according to Elsevier | Scopus. #weareinternational Source: International comparison of the UK research base, 2025, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: https://lnkd.in/ewkeJBiv

Two years ago, I moved to Austria with curiosity in my heart and a question in my mind: What if Austrian and Indian universities could do more together? This week, that “what if” felt more real than ever. TU Austria (a network of TU Wien, TU Graz, and Montanuniversität Leoben) this week has launched a powerful initiative with India, supported by €5 million in funding from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy. This isn't just another exchange program. It’s a strategic bridge — rooted in academic diplomacy, built on trust and excellence, and aimed at addressing the global challenges of our time: 📌 Circular economy 📌 Climate-neutral technologies 📌 Sustainable infrastructure 📌 AI and digitalization As someone who has worked for a decade at the intersection of academia, innovation, and international collaboration — from Indian universities to top US institutions, and now actively engaging with Austrian universities — I see this as a defining moment. A moment to: 🎯 Co-create joint research labs 🎯 Launch PhD exchange programs with dual supervision 🎯 Design transdisciplinary academic-industry clusters between Austria and India 🎯 Develop curriculum and mobility models for the future of STEM education This is where I’d love to contribute — as a consultant and bridge-builder for universities in both countries. Helping map opportunities, facilitate strategic dialogues, and enable world-class programs that serve both nations — and the planet. 📢 To university leaders, deans, researchers, and innovation offices — let’s talk. Because when two strong academic cultures come together, we don’t just exchange students. We exchange futures. Read more about the initiative: https://lnkd.in/dfvprh4U (English summary also available via TU Austria) #AustriaIndia #AcademicDiplomacy #JointResearch #HigherEducation #CircularEconomy #GlobalCollaboration #TUAustria #InnovationBridges

The future of international #HigherEducation will not be built by universities alone. It will be built by #Alliances between #Universities. For much of the past three decades, #Internationalisation in #HigherEdu was driven primarily by student mobility. Universities expanded globally by attracting international students to their campuses. But the landscape is changing. (1) Rising mobility costs, (2) visa restrictions, (3) geopolitical uncertainty and (4) demographic shifts are reshaping global student flows and forcing institutions to rethink how internationalisation is delivered. In this new environment, long-term strategic partnerships between universities are becoming one of the central pillars of global higher education. These #UniversityAlliances increasingly go far beyond traditional exchange agreements. They now include: – joint and dual degrees, – research and innovation ecosystems, – transnational education (#TNE) delivery, – shared infrastructure and academic platforms, – international branch campuses and distributed learning networks. In many ways, we are witnessing a structural transition: From mobility-driven #Internationalisation, To partnership-driven global networks. For institutions seeking resilience in an uncertain global environment, the strength of their international alliances may soon matter as much as the strength of their research portfolios or recruitment strategies. And for countries positioning themselves as global education hubs, including emerging hosts such as #Greece, attracting and sustaining these partnerships will be central to the next phase of higher-education strategy. The universities that will shape the future of international #HigherEdu may not simply be those with the largest campuses. They will be those that build the strongest #GlobalUniversityAlliances. #InternationalEducation #UniversityPartnerships #TransnationalEducation #GlobalHigherEducation

In an era of rising geopolitical tension, should Karolinska Institutet still collaborate with China? Writing this from China, where I’m visiting universities in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shandong. Given today’s geopolitical climate, it’s reasonable to ask: why do we collaborate with Chinese universities? With some time to reflect, I came up with five interconnected reasons: • Patients first: Diseases ignore borders, and to offer the best prevention, diagnostics and treatments—for patients in Sweden, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and globally—we must work with the strongest partners, wherever they are. • Global challenges require global science: Cancer, pandemics and antibiotic resistance demand large datasets, diverse populations and complementary expertise. Ca 10% of KI’s 7000 annual publications involve collaboration with Chinese researchers or institutions, which shows how central these partnerships already are. • World-leading environments: China hosts world-leading universities backed by massive investments in data, technology and infrastructure. In responsible partnerships, these resources can benefit patients and knowledge development far beyond China. • Bottom-up collaboration: Most collaborations start researcher-to-researcher, not government-to-government. KI researchers work with colleagues in almost every part of the world. This is how ideas grow, methods spread and young scientists are trained. • Responsible, broad global engagement: We take geopolitics, ethics and security concerns seriously—but withdrawing from collaboration will not make the world safer or healthier. Instead, we build strong frameworks for academic integrity, ethics and values, and we engage within those frameworks as part of a broad global mission that also includes close partnerships in LMICs, where health needs are greatest. So, to me, the answer is clear: yes, we should collaborate wherever it best advances knowledge and health—while standing firm on our values and responsibilities. #ResponsibleInternationalisation KI Alumni #StockholmTrio Sveriges Ambassad i Peking Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai Business Sweden Svenska institutet Shandong University The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Chinese University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong Fudan University Shanghai Jiao Tong University Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine STINT, The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education Vinnova Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council Utrikespolitiska institutet AstraZeneca Berthold Jäck #QuantumImaging

Universities love signing MOUs with international partners. You'll find digital filing cabinets full of them. But signing agreements and building genuine partnerships are completely different things. Most MOUs sit dormant. Not because people don't want to collaborate - they do. The problem is jumping straight into ambitious, multi-year commitments without testing how you actually work together. Over 20 years of international research, I've learned to approach partnerships differently. Start small, see how it goes, then build from there. My work in West Africa began with a joint conference/seminar presentation. Six months later, we applied for a small pilot grant together. That led to a larger British Academy project, and so on. Now we have ongoing collaboration across multiple research streams. The pattern that works: Start with something specific and achievable - a conference paper, shared data collection, student exchange. Test the relationship when stakes are low. Move to substantial projects - but only with partners you've actually worked with successfully. Build long-term programs - after you know you can deliver together. Most failed international partnerships try to do everything at once. The successful ones I've seen all started with someone saying "let's try something small first." Real collaboration takes time - you have to play the long game and be prepared to invest and commit.

Since 2020, more than 5,000 UK researchers have co-authored 8,000 scientific papers with academics at Chinese institutions linked to the People’s Liberation Army. UK universities' research partnerships with China were front page news in yesterday's Sunday Times, but the structural question matters more than the scandal: why do these partnerships persist despite years of government warnings? One answer is that British universities are caught between irreconcilable pressures. Flat domestic funding pushes institutions toward international partnerships. Ranking frameworks explicitly reward international collaboration (irrespective of country). And Chinese institutions increasingly lead in fields where UK researchers need capable partners. China overtook the US in the Nature Index in 2024 and now produces 2.5 times more high-quality chemistry research, for example. I am sure that there is some naïveté in UK universities about the implications of these partnerships, as Tom Tugendhat, former Conservative Security Minister, claims. But another answer is that science has always been more porous than security services would prefer. During the Cold War, US-Soviet exchanges were deliberately maintained and helped build the relationships that ultimately led to arms control agreements. There’s also an irony in the assumption that knowledge transfer only flows from West to East. In quantum computing, materials science, and renewable energy, among other fields, UK researchers may be learning as much as they’re sharing. #ResearchSecurity #HigherEducation #UKUniversities #ResearchPolicy #ScienceDiplomacy

Lessons learned from global collaboration As a young faculty member, I envied faculty from Asia, Europe, and further afield. They had high status and large PhD programs, yet did not have the publications required for tenure at my home institution in the United States. I was envious because I did not yet understand that we were doing fundamentally different jobs. Over the past two decades, I have visited and worked with schools across Asia, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. What once evoked envy now reflects something more useful: different systems, different constraints, and different definitions of success. That shift changed how I approach global collaboration. A few lessons. First, teaching anchors the profession everywhere. Teaching cycles, grading structures, and program demands determine when work can happen. If you ignore this, coordination will fail. Second, service is no longer cleanly divided across systems. In the past, US scholars emphasized editorial roles and external visibility, while scholars elsewhere often carried heavier administrative responsibilities. That distinction is fading. Many faculty now juggle editorial work, institutional leadership, and external engagement at the same time. Effective collaboration starts with recognizing that everyone is managing multiple roles. Third, definitions of research success differ. Rankings have globalized expectations around top journals, but local systems still reward different outputs. Policy reports, industry engagement, grant capture, and societal impact are core activities in many contexts. If you screen collaborators only on journal lists, you will miss strong partners with complementary strengths. Fourth, industry access varies, and you should not assume it transfers. In some countries, access to firms and data is embedded in the role. In others, it is harder to secure. Global collaborators can expand access, but only if expectations are made explicit early. Fifth, coordination is easier and harder at the same time. Remote work, shared tools, and AI reduce friction. At the same time, time zones, institutional rules, data restrictions, and geopolitical pressures introduce new constraints. Successful collaboration now requires more structure, not less. Finally, PhD training models differ in meaningful ways. Some systems emphasize independence; others emphasize close supervision. These differences shape how students work, communicate, and contribute. If you ignore this, frustration is predictable. If you understand it, you can design better collaborations. I no longer assume that one model is superior. But I do pay close attention to fit. Global collaboration is not just about expanding your network. It is about expanding how you understand the work itself. #academicjourney #collaboration

🟪 One Plant, Many Countries: Why Collaboration Matters A medicinal plant may grow in one country, be studied in another, manufactured in a third, and finally reach patients around the world. That journey reflects the reality of modern botanical drug development. No single laboratory or nation has all the expertise needed to transform a traditional remedy into a globally accepted medicine. Scientific discovery is only the beginning. Successful botanical drugs require expertise in botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, clinical research, manufacturing, regulation, and commercialization. These capabilities rarely exist within one institution. When researchers, companies, and regulators work in isolation, promising discoveries often remain trapped in the laboratory instead of reaching patients. From the perspective of the Global Botanical Drug Innovation Network (GBDIN), collaboration is the most valuable resource in botanical innovation. By connecting scientists, clinicians, industry partners, regulators, investors, and policymakers across borders, GBDIN helps accelerate knowledge sharing, reduce duplicated effort, and build stronger development pathways. Global partnerships also improve access to diverse plant resources, advanced technologies, and international regulatory experience. The future of botanical medicine will not be built by one country alone. It will be built by a worldwide community that shares ideas, expertise, and a common vision. One plant may start the journey, but global collaboration is what turns it into a medicine that benefits the world.

When we launched the report "Rationale for International Cooperation in an Increasingly Polarised World" in March 2024, our world was already showing signs of growing instability...heightened #geopolitical friction, rising #distrust, and a dawning realization that #research was increasingly viewed through a lens of security rather than collaboration. Fast‑forward to mid‑2025: global tensions and volatility have only deepened. Borders feel more guarded. #AcademicPartnerships are under tighter scrutiny. And yet, the recommendations we issued remain not just relevant; but essential. 🌍 The world hasn’t become calmer—just more complex Our Advisory Board sounded a warning almost 16 months ago: “If research is increasingly regarded as a security issue, global research partnerships may be undermined and the rapid developments seen in recent decades may be impeded.” That insight is now unfolding in real time: #TravelBans, #ExportControls, #PoliticalInterference, and institutional caution are reshaping the global academic landscape. Our guidance was (and is) for universities to "openly as possible and as securely as necessary." This is not a cliché, but a practical framework that equips institutions to navigate today's turbulence while preserving valuable global collaboration. “A world becoming increasingly polarised, complex, and uncertain … creates the need for a renewed discussion of the fundamental value of international academic collaborations.” That hasn't changed. If anything, the stakes are higher now than when the ink dried last year. 💡 What institutions should do right now ➡️ Embed risk management in international efforts ➡️ Invest in international collaboration units within universities and funding bodies ➡️ Create regular touchpoints with experts in security, diplomacy, funding and academic freedom ➡️ Foster community across and within institutions; sharing experiences helps everyone adapt faster The vision we set out in 2024 was never theoretical. In 2025, it's actionable and urgent. Open, resilient academic partnerships remain not just desirable, but essential to solving global issues, from public health to climate change. If you haven’t had a chance to explore the full report yet, it's available here: https://lnkd.in/gaZbczyN (Thanks to STINT, The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education and Andreas Gothenberg, William Brustein, Agneta Bladh, Nelson Torto, Bertil Andersson, and Albin Gaunt for a wonderful collaboration.) #Internationalisation #AcademicCollaboration #Geopolitics #ResearchSecurity #HigherEducation #STINT #ResponsibleInternationalisation

Provosts today face a choice: Build globally or be left behind. 🌍 Here's what separates high-impact institutions from the rest... The data is clear. International academic partnerships deliver 52% higher research impact. The global university collaboration market is tripling by 2033. And the institutions winning student recruitment, faculty talent, and research funding are those with intentional, equitable global engagement strategies. I've spent 20+ years building these strategies at scale—from founding research institutes to leading research transformation at a 28,000-student university across 12 campuses. Here's what separates high-impact institutions from the rest: ✓ Vision beyond rankings. Global partnerships aren't a prestige play—they're a research strategy. They unlock federal funding, expand graduate pipelines, and drive innovation. ✓ Faculty leadership, not check-the-box agreements. MOUs are just paper. Real partnerships are built by faculty with shared research missions and long-term commitment. ✓ Investment in graduate mobility and mentorship. Students and postdocs who study and train internationally become global researchers. They attract talent, secure funding, and put your institution on the map. ✓ Equity at the center. The institutions building trust across borders are those advancing health equity, research access, and opportunity in under-resourced regions. If you're a Provost, Chief Academic Officer, or research leader asking, "How do we position our institution for global leadership?"—let's talk. The next decade belongs to innovative universities that think globally and act locally. #ProvostLeadership #HigherEdStrategy #InternationalEducation #ResearchTransformation #AcademicLeadershipAssociation of American Universities (AAU)The Chronicle of Higher Education