This is a very practical reading for everyone involved in negotiating, approving and managing university agreements with international partners. I especially recommend the sections on the economics of cooperation and on partnership conflicts.
A new report published this week underlines the power of international higher education partnerships, particularly in times of economic downturn and increasing competition in higher education.
The report – published by the American Council on Education (ACE) – is based on the outcomes of last years 11th Transatlantic Dialogue meeting organised by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), ACE, and EUA which brought together university leaders from North America and Europe.
The report concludes that partnerships between institutions are an important tool for higher education leaders to be “creative and adaptive in an environment where expectations are increasing and resources decreasing”. In this environment, the report notes, “going it alone may not be useful as a dominant strategy”.
Underlining that institutions are increasingly recognising the need to partner in a variety of ways, the report explores five key issues:
- the motivation to initiate and maintain partnerships;
- the economics of cooperation;
- conflicts inherent in cooperation;
- the role of government;
- and issues related to the special case of partnerships with the private sector.
The report provides specific hands-on advice on how to develop, negotiate and implement joint ventures with other HE institutions, governments and private companies, outlining the leadership qualities and institutional characteristics that are vital to the establishment and maintenance of successful partnerships.
Please click here to download the report (which also contains an executive summary).
