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University networks extend their reach during pandemic
University World News posed a question about whether university consortia and networks can adapt to the ‘new normal’. This is one that is uppermost in the minds of those responsible for oversight and management of these alliances.
There is no doubt that the experiences of the pandemic have prompted rapid innovations and adaptations in respect of how universities are undertaking international engagement and activities across the globe. This is very much the case for networks such as Universitas 21 (U21), an example quoted by Gerardo Blanco in his article.
It is worth reflecting on the purpose of networks and why universities join them. They provide collaborative strength and advantage, achieving more together than is possible alone in respect of shared goals and interests, opportunities for staff and students in research, student mobility and engagement through working on global problems.
So what are international university networks good for?
In his 20 February piece, “Can university consortia and networks adapt to new normal?”, Gerardo Blanco argues that COVID-19 has so disrupted the functioning of international networks that they face serious questions about their sustainability. As executive director of one of the selective networks that he mentions explicitly, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), I beg to differ.
Dr Blanco’s thesis is that, in a post-COVID world, a global network like WUN is endangered because its principal function – to burnish the reputations of the highly selective research universities that constitute the membership – is no longer justifiable in a world of greater austerity. Were he right about the major function of the network I would wholeheartedly agree, but I think he has missed the point.
Can university consortia and networks adapt to new normal? universityworldnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from universityworldnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.