How do we build good strategic partnerships? GUNILLA CARLECRANTZ, SENIOR ADVISOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Where is Lund?
Lund University Founded in 1666 A comprehensive university top 100 45 000 students Lund / Malmö & Campus Helsingborg Almost 3 000 research students 6 800 employees Around 650 professors 800 senior lecturers 1 200 lecturers and other research staff Turnover EUR 760 million 1/3 education, 2/3 research ESS & Max IV
Internationalisation Strategic plan 2012 2016 Vision A world-class university that works to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition Goal Highest quality in education, research, innovation and interaction with society Four strategies Cross-boundary collaboration Internationalisation Quality enhancement Leader, teacher and employee excellence + policy plan & action plans university wide and at faculty level No national plan for Sweden
An international university Offers more than 100 Masters programs in English 680 partner universities in 50 countries worldwide Participation in EU-funded programmes in education and research Highest number of full-fee paying students in Sweden Member of LERU & U21
Partnerships - we use the same words but do we mean the same thing? Relationship Link Tie up Collaboration Partnership Preferred partner Strategic partnership Key partnership Core or integrated partnership Embedded partnership Fundamentally all partnerships are about relationships: getting into them, getting out of them, and everything that happens in between!
International partnerships & activities Memorandum of Understanding MoU Erasmus (+) exchange agreements for students/staff Bilateral agreement Network collaboration Consortia agreement Research collaboration Joint program (double/multiple degree) Joint program (joint degree) Foundation program Pre-Masters program Articulation Credit transfer Advanced standing Franchising Twinning Module delivery Progression agreement Combined degree Support provider Validation Joint publications More?
Success factors Clear policy and strategy WHAT A truly international university global reach Be reactive or proactive? Who is responsible? Processes in place HOW For all possible activities For all partnerships including risk analysis, due diligence, sign offs, monitoring & review Buy in from senior management, staff and students vital Money money money? Return on investment
Partnership portfolio what should we strive for? Not ONE answer instead depending on strategy and objectives of the institution type of university available resources for for developing and managing (NB quality assurance) knowledge, skills and experience (about opportunities, activities, markets etc) funding opportunities legal constraints philisophy Education as a public good
Partnerships management Fewer the better? Does that really work..? What would our researchers say..? Student mobility do the students always want to/ should go to a smaller number of universities? Making use of funding opportunities means also taking on board temporary partners, e.g. Erasmus Mundus Action 2 Longstanding relationships get to know each other! We are judged by the company we keep Breaking up is hard to do The easiest way of getting out of a relationship is not getting involved to start with
Partnership management So what are we talking about? Success is depending on FUNCTION of international partnerships as part of the university s core activities ORGANISATION for managing international partnerships STRUCTURES for managing international partnerships RESOURCES for managing international partnerships STAFFING for managing international partnerships
What makes a partnership strategic? Breadth of activity and impact Depth of activitity and impact Institutional commitment (top-level together with administrative support and allocated resources) Strong support and buy in from academics, students and administrative staff across the institution Demonstrative benefits for both/all parties (but may not be the same ) Sustainability
Examples of partner activities for students in/with China Exchange studies (at all faculties) on departmental-, faculty or university wide agreements Mastersprogram i Technology management International Market Driven Engineering, 7 HP China focus at the Faculty of Engineering: Civilingenjörsprogrammen i Datateknik, Elektroteknik eller Informations- och kommunikationsteknik (Chinese language studies at LU and then in China plus subject courses teachers from LU also in place)
A different kind of long standing partnerships