Worldwide Universities Network
The Worldwide Universities Network is an alliance of 22 research-intensive universities. WUN provides financial and infrastructural support to member universities to foster international research collaboration and facilitate academic mobility.
Founded in 2000, the Worldwide Universities Network is a nonprofit group of 22 research universities from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Ghana, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States.
The current members are:
- University of Alberta
- University of Auckland
- University of Bergen
- University of Bristol
- University of Cape Town
- University College Dublin
- University of Ghana
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- University of Leeds
- Maastricht University
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- National Cheng Kung University
- Renmin University of China
- University of Rochester
- University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton
- University of Sydney
- Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
- University of Western Australia
- University of York
- Zhejiang University
Structure
WUN is managed by a Secretariat, which is responsible for the operations, communications and strategy implementation of the network.Partnership Board
The Partnership Board provides entrepreneurial leadership of the company. The Board sets the strategic direction and vision of the company. The Board comprises the Presidents, Vice-Chancellors or Rectors of the member universities and the WUN Executive Director.
Chair: Professor dr Martin Paul, President, Maastricht University
Board Members
- Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana
- Professor Koen Lamberts, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sheffield
- Professor Peter Lennie, WUN Executive Director
- Professor Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor, University of Auckland
- Professor Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of York
- Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor, University of Leeds
- Professor Wu Zhaohui, President, Zhejiang University
- Professor Rocky Tuan, Vice-Chancellor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Professor Jane den Hollander, acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Western Australia
- Professor Mark E. Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton
- Professor Dag Rune Olsen, Rector, University of Bergen
- Dr David Turpin, President, University of Alberta
- Professor Sarah Mangelsdorf, President, University of Rochester
- Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney
- Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy, Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town
- Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor, University of Bristol
- Dr David Garza, Rector, Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Professor Huey-Jen Jenny Su, President, National Cheng Kung University
- Professor Sandra Almeida, President, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
- Professor Andrew Deeks, President, University College Dublin
- Professor Liu Wei, President, Renmin University of China
The Academic Advisory Group is responsible for overseeing the academic portfolio of the Network and advising the Partnership Board on strategic direction. It is made up senior administrators, usually at the level of Vice-President or Deputy Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for the research or internationalisation priorities of the member universities.
Institutional Coordinators
Each WUN member university appoints an administrator to manage the implementation of the WUN strategies and programs on campus and to serve as the main contact point for network initiatives. This group shares information on collaborative opportunities and develops WUN’s research programs.
Global Challenges
WUN has identified four Global Challenges as the focus for its thematic research areas. There are numerous research groups within each Global Challenge. They are:Responding to Climate Change
The Responding to Climate Change Global Challenge encapsulates a number of research projects that address scientific, cultural, health and social issues relating to climate change. Broad themes of the research include:- Drivers and pressures of climate change
- States of and impacts on systems affected by climate change
- Managing a response to climate change.
Public Health and Non-Communicable Disease
There is a particular focus on:
- Health of family and migrants across the lifecourse
- Resilience of adolescents in different cultural contexts
- Schools as a setting for reducing risk factors associated with NCDs.
Understanding Cultures
There is a particular focus on:
- Global Migration and Population
- Generations in Global Context
- Chinese Culture in the World.
Global Higher Education and Research
QS & THE Rankings of Members
| Institution | Country | QS Ranking - 2019 | THE Ranking - 2019 |
| University of Alberta | Canada | 113 | 132 |
| University of Auckland | New Zealand | 83 | 201-250 |
| University of Bergen | Norway | 163 | 197 |
| University of Bristol | UK | 49 | 78 |
| University of Cape Town | South Africa | 198 | 156 |
| University College Dublin | Ireland | 185 | 201-250 |
| University of Ghana | Ghana | 801-1000 | 801-1000 |
| Chinese University of Hong Kong | China | 46 | 53 |
| University of Leeds | UK | 93 | 153 |
| Maastricht University | The Netherlands | 239 | 128 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | USA | 305 | 164 |
| National Cheng Kung University | Taiwan | 225 | 501-600 |
| Renmin University of China | China | - | 501-601 |
| University of Rochester | USA | 170 | 163 |
| University of Sheffield | UK | 78 | 106 |
| University of Southampton | UK | 97 | 118 |
| University of Sydney | Australia | 42 | 59 |
| Tecnológico de Monterrey | Mexico | 158 | 601-800 |
| Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais | Brazil | 651-700 | - |
| University of Western Australia | Australia | 86 | 134 |
| University of York | UK | 148 | 119 |
| Zhejiang University | China | 54 | 101 |