Collaborating across Borders
Major challenges such as climate change, protection of democratic values, growing up healthy, socioeconomic security, migration, and increasing the resilience of society cannot be solved through a single discipline or perspective or by one organisation alone. For this reason, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 works together with other knowledge institutions, educational partners, community organisations, governments and private partners, across disciplinary boundaries, in the city and the region, in the Netherlands and worldwide.
We are at the heart of society and want the results of our education and research to benefit society. It is partly for this reason that we adopt transdisciplinary approaches, bringing together knowledge from science and practice. As a result, we achieve richer results that contribute to solutions for real social issues. We collaborate in education and research on the basis of equality and reciprocity, through knowledge sharing, innovation and entrepreneurship. We are committed to sustainable partnerships and strengthening public engagement. We shape cooperation in different ways.
National
Utrecht Science Park forms a strong and vibrant ecosystem in which knowledge institutions, companies and public organisations work together. We join forces here with our two direct partners, and . We also collaborate with dozens of local innovative companies and renowned research institutions. This makes the Utrecht Science Park a key driver in the Utrecht and regional knowledge-based economy. Further afield, throughout the city and region, we are part of a large network of education partners, ranging from primary and secondary schools, to ROCs (regional training centres) and the 木瓜福利影视 of Applied Sciences Utrecht. We have a wide range of teacher training programmes, including academic primary school teacher training, and develop and share knowledge on matters such as teacher shortages, equal opportunity and education and youth. We contribute to continuous learning tracks from ROCs to university, such as in the . Nationally, we cooperate in research and education in the EWUU alliance with Eindhoven 木瓜福利影视 of Technology, Wageningen 木瓜福利影视 & Research and 木瓜福利影视 Medical Center Utrecht. In this collaboration, we are highly complementary in terms of content, and we work together particularly on the broad research themes of Preventive Health and Circular Society. We develop new education together. This cooperation has been strengthened and expanded in the recent past and we will continue this development in the coming period.
International
In our international orientation, we make targeted choices when entering into or maintaining collaborations. In doing so, we take into consideration factors such as our strategy, social relevance, knowledge security, academic independence, human rights and financial and organisational feasibility. Specifically, we are planning a greater focus on collaborations within Europe. We are active participants in several European networks such as the League of European Research Universities, the Coimbra Group and the CHARM-EU education alliance. We nurture the many existing institutional collaborations and support academics in entering into new relevant collaborations. We also make the best possible use of European funding opportunities. In addition to focusing on Europe, we are investing more broadly in Global Engagement. The university aims to be a leading international centre of knowledge, and part of a global community of critical thinkers in order to accelerate positive change. In doing so, we are looking explicitly at cooperation with partners in the Global South.
We are investing more broadly in Global Engagement. The university aims to be a leading international centre of knowledge, and part of a global community of critical thinkers in order to accelerate positive change.
Geopolitics and security
Geopolitical developments create more urgency in the broad area of security. This not only touches on international cooperation, it also affects funding flows and the accessibility of certain research areas. We are therefore implementing measures in different security domains, including knowledge and information security. Embracing Open Science may seem to be at odds with this, and alertness is certainly called for. We make careful trade-offs between openness and confidentiality, and apply clear guidelines and ethical considerations with respect to knowledge-sharing and cooperation with domestic and foreign partners. At the same time, we plan to explore how we can contribute to enhancing national and European security and resilience.
Internal cooperation
Internal cooperation is an important foundation for fruitful collaborations with others. The strategic themes are meaningful networks in which researchers and teachers from different faculties and disciplines collaborate. The themes contribute to, and help shape, interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate education, Continuing Education and public engagement. Degree programmes, faculties and departments actively and structurally coordinate their education so that students have ample freedom of choice to combine educational modules from different disciplines and degree programmes. This is facilitated by aspects such as the design of our teaching timetable and the set-up of our logistics.
Strategic ambitions
- We are reinforcing the transdisciplinary approach in our research and education and working more with community partners on complex issues.
- Specifically, we are strengthening our cooperation with partners in, and residents of, the city and region of Utrecht, focusing on an equitable, resilient and sustainable environment for all.
- We are focusing more than ever on collaborations with European partners, and are making make targeted choices for Global Engagement.