News

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has been awarded some HK$8m from the Hong Kong University Grants Committee to lead the AoE Centre for Genomic Studies on Plant-Environment Interaction for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security from 2017 to 2025. The new AoE Centre will develop new plant and agricultural technology with a view to striking a better balance between sustainable agriculture and food security. 

Research in Focus: in-FLAME

Sir Keith Burnett reflects on what he learned about international students while in India with the UK prime minister.

WUN supported research group has introduced novel Glucose-Responsive Hydrogels for Glucose Detection. 

The Institute of Future Cities at CUHK has developed the first platform in Hong Kong for integrating and analysing urban big data in an effort to help Hong Kong to become a smart city in the areas of personalized health monitoring, urban planning, air quality, and social care.

WUN announces the results of the 2016 Research Development Fund round.

WUN is delighted to announce that the University of Nairobi (UoN) has joined the Worldwide Universities Network. We welcome Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Mbithi and his colleagues to the WUN Board, research teams and programs. The Worldwide Universities Network looks forward to a valuable and productive partnership.

International symposium involving MDGT group to be held in Bristol in March 2017.

We are delighted to announce that National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has joined the Worldwide Universities Network. 

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“It has been very difficult to get these [results] published, because the concept of adolescent boys, having impact on their offspring born years later is new and editors could not believe our findings. I think that the WUN can inspire further research to support our findings and convey the new concepts to public health policy makers…”

Migration governance continues to fail in several key areas such as labour rights, employment opportunities and social protection.

On 12 November 2016 

CUHK engineers have invented the most efficient asymmetric supercapacitors and the flow batteries with the highest volumetric capacity reported to date.

Congratulations to the WUN international team that has achieved this highly competitive support. 

CUHK was ranked the most innovative university in Hong Kong and 21^st in the Asia-Pacific region by the latest “Reuters Top 75: Asia’s Most Innovative Universities”.

We are delighted to announce that Renmin University has joined the Worldwide Universities Network. 

The Climate- Resilient Open Partnership for Food Security project (CROP-FS) published in Nature magazine. 

Multi-disciplinary team from the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) publishes in Nature Plants.

CUHK has conducted the world’s largest study that examines the prevalence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in diabetic patients, in order to determine whether screening should be recommended.

The Institute of Future Cities at CUHK has conducted a comprehensive research on low-carbon transport practices and policies with the objective of formulating a strategy for Hong Kong’s future low-carbon transport system initiatives.

Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, recently took the helm of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) as Chair of its Partnership Board, a role elected from among the presidents of member universities. 

Higher education and research are no longer privileged pursuits pursued by high priests in isolated ivory towers. That history and stereotype, itself only partly true, has given way to the increasing catalysis of change. The change is fuelled by rapid development and competition, and by a concert of factors and global dynamics affecting the international research universities that are the subject of this discussion.

CUHK forms tri-continental partnership with the University of Toronto and Utrecht University for innovative solutions on urban issues

Researchers have used ‘network theory’ for the first time to visually depict the movement of dinosaurs around the world during the Mesozoic Era – including a curious exodus from Europe. The research, led by the University of Leeds and published in the Journal of Biogeography, also reaffirms previous studies that have found that dinosaurs continued to migrate to all parts of the world after the ‘supercontinent’ Pangaea split into land masses that are separated by oceans.

Large animals play a key role in mitigating climate change in tropical forests by spreading the seeds of large trees that have a high capacity to store carbon, new research has found. The research, co-led by the University of Leeds and published in the journal Nature Communications, sheds important new light on the role seed dispersal by animals plays in mitigating climate change, and how this role can vary in tropical forests across the world.

On 7 April, WUN Presidents, as well as distinguished representatives from the European Parliament, European Commission, European Research Council and national embassies, convened in Brussels for the sixth annual WUN Presidents Forum. Titled ‘Open Doors: European Opportunities in Research & Education,’ the Forum took place alongside the WUN Conference and AGM 2016.

From 2-7 April, close to 400 academics and university leaders from around the world participated in the WUN Conference & AGM 2016, hosted by Maastricht University.

A top-class conference, one might say: four hundred academics from all corners of the world, spending a week debating subjects of interest for the whole world. Migration of course, but also health care, climate change and emerging economies.

Maastricht University (UM) has climbed to the fourth place in the Times Higher Education (THE) 150 Under 50 ranking for best young universities in the world. After maintaining the sixth place since 2013 in the former THE 100 under 50, this fourth place can be considered as a compliment and congratulations in Maastricht Universities 40th anniversary year. The list has been published at the Young Universities Summit in Barcelona on April 6th.

On 7 April, WUN Presidents, as well as distinguished representatives from the European Parliament, European Commission and European Research Council, will convene in Brussels for the sixth annual Presidents Forum.

On 4 April, # international researchers came together at the second WUN China FDI Workshop to examine the progress of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is designed to build knowledge and innovation partnerships and accelerate business development. 

Scientists from the University of Leeds have solved a 25-year-old question about how a family of proteins allow bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics. Proteins of the ABC-F protein family are a major source of antibiotic resistance in ‘superbugs’ such as Staphylococcus aureus, a group of bacteria that includes MRSA. The findings, published in the American Society for Microbiology journal mBio, provide the first direct evidence of how this family of proteins ‘protect’ the bacterial ribosome, the protein makers in cells, from being blocked by antibiotics.

On 2-7 April, close to 400 academics and university leaders from around the world will descend on Maastricht for the WUN Conference & AGM 2016, hosted by Maastricht University.

On 2 April, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) and the Global Migration Data Analysis Centre in Berlin of the International Organization for Migration (IOM GMDAC) signed a collaboration agreement at the second WUN Migration Conference in Maastricht.

Environmental health science researcher Richard Peltier at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with others around the world, is launching a series of webinars and events for a Do-It-Yourself, citizen science campaign called “Air Sensors Everywhere.” It aims to bring small air pollution sensors to the developed and developing world “to empower people everywhere to use low-cost pollution sensors to reduce pollution-linked disease.”

Prof. Hon-Ming Lam, Director of the Centre for Soybean Research of the Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and his team have uncovered the structure and functions of the Rice YchF-type G Protein for the first time. The new findings help improve plants’ defense response and stress tolerance, and maintain a higher agricultural productivity under adverse conditions.

Professor Hai-Sui Yu has been appointed as the University of Leeds’ first Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International).

A research team led by the University of Leeds has observed for the first time how HIV and Ebola viruses attach to cells to spread infection. The findings, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, suggest a new way of treating these viruses: instead of destroying the pathogens, introduce a block on how they interact with cells.

A group of drugs already in everyday use to treat psychosis or depression may also be used to defeat deadly and emerging viruses. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that common drugs in everyday use were successful in preventing a particular virus from infecting cells, by blocking the ion channels that regulate potassium levels in those cells.

The research community know little about the new types of immigration in the world. A new, international project seeks to find the answers to difficult questions in the migration debate.

A new test could help patients with advanced bowel cancer get the best treatment for their disease. A Cancer Research UK clinical trial, run from the University of Leeds and St James’s University Hospital, studied almost 1,200 patients at hospitals all over the UK with advanced bowel cancer.

University of Leeds researchers are part of a project to transform the UK’s pharmaceutical industry by introducing new digital design processes. The £20.4 million ADDoPT (Advanced Digital Design of Pharmaceutical Therapeutics) project is a major four-year collaboration between the Government, industry and universities. It is expected to reduce the development time and cost of innovative medicines and improve the competitiveness of the UK’s pharmaceuticals sector.

“Data Diplomacy” seeks to better understand the role that data sharing plays as an agent in social and political relationships around the world. Examples of data diplomacy can include: negotiations between two competing health systems to enable access to electronic medical records of shared patients; cross-national sharing of outbreak data, such as ownership of and access to information about people impacted by Ebola virus; or the impact on diplomatic relationships among nations due to systematic “leakages” of data, evidenced by the Edward Snowden case.

A team of researchers led by the University of Leeds is conducting a new and innovative training programme in Africa. The Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) project, led by Professor Melvin Hoare, seeks to provide people in the targeted countries with training to use radio telescopes. It also has an outreach programme to encourage young people to study the technological aspects of radio astronomy and pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. The project is funded by the Newton Fund – a novel initiative that aims to promote the economic development and social welfare of developing countries through scientific collaboration.

The researchers of the joint team from Zhejiang University, University of Leeds and University of York are currently exploring novel glucose-responsive materials for GOX-free glucose sensors which will be more sensitive and stable. 

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) recently launched the Global China Research Program with the goal of understanding China’s global presence and international relations, as well as the global reception of China’s outward engagements. 

Around 7,000 colorectal cancer survivors in the UK struggle to cope with daily life years after their diagnosis, according to new analysis led by University of Leeds researchers. The study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and partly funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, shows that just under 1 in 6 (15%) people who survive a year to three years after a colorectal cancer diagnosis in England experience ‘social distress’, perceiving their daily social interactions to be severely negative or distressing.

Meet the UCT researcher discovering how parasitic worms can benefit human health.

A new £3.4 million programme will develop new tools to understand which interactions between proteins in the human body are relevant to disease. Currently, only a handful of drugs in clinical use work by targeting protein-protein interactions. The new project, which will launch on 1 February, 2016, will involve researchers from the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol and three drug discovery organisations: the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University; AstraZeneca; and Domainex.

Scientists have developed an innovative way of using one of the biggest problems facing health services—antibiotic resistance—to develop drugs to combat some of the most intractable diseases. The new study, from research led by Professor Sheena Radford from the University of Leeds and published in Nature Chemical Biology, outlines a way of using antibiotic resistance to find chemicals capable of stopping amyloid formation.  

After many years of failed attempts, world leaders have finally signed a comprehensive deal to address climate change at COP21 in Paris. WUN was there.

The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) announced today the results of the 2015 round of the annual Research Development Fund, marking a direct investment in international, interdisciplinary research of £156,213.

Four young scientists recently received over 80 million NOK from Bergen Research Foundation and the University of Bergen, making world class research possible.

As the world’s population continues to grow and the effects of global warming and climate change begin to affect crop yields, new and existing crops must be developed that are resilient to temperature extremes, drought and salinity, while also being cheap to produce. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, himself, noted the scale of the problem saying “diversification of crops with legumes and other practical measures must be scaled up to end hunger while meeting the challenge of climate change”.

The world will gather in Paris in early December for the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to develop solutions to climate change and WUN will join them as an official observer organisation.

A new report jointly written by University of Leeds experts reveals that the 6.8 million people who provide unpaid care for loved ones in the UK save the state £132 billion a year. The report for the charity Carers UK, Valuing Carers 2015 – the rising value of carers’ support, is the third in a series looking at the value of carers’ support to the UK economy. It shows a staggering increase in the value of carers’ support since 2001, almost doubling from £68 billion to £132 billion. Researchers attribute this rise to a dramatic increase in the number of hours people are caring for, combined with an increase in the cost of replacement care.

Much like the printing press, the invention of the world wide web has afforded us unprecedented opportunities for spreading information. Not only do we now have the capacity to share rich data sets online, we also have vast amounts of data about our online activity. However, without a proper framework in place, it is difficult to take full advantage of this rich information resource. There are currently multiple barriers to using this resource effectively, including accessibility of datasets, lack of comprehensive and shareable metadata, dataset identification and searching, access control and privileges, and analytics.

Researchers report that continued deforestation of the Amazon rainforest could diminish rainfall levels in the Amazon River basin, which may impact the region’s climate, ecosystems and economies.

A new study, published on Thursday 12 November in Geophysical Research Letters, predicts that by the middle of the century annual rainfall in the Amazon could be less than the yearly amount of rain the region receives during drought years if deforestation rates revert back to pre-2004 levels. 

The local and the global have become entangled in rural and peri-urban areas, not only in South Africa, but around the world. And understanding these entanglements is the aim of the the WUN-sponsored project Understanding Globalisation – Margins and Peripheries. This project, led by Associate Professor Ana Deumert, seeks to study globalisation in the so-called margins of the world system: areas never before considered to be heavily affected by globalisation, but which are increasingly shaped by larger social and cultural processes.

The Leeds Academic Health Partnership (LAHP) has been involved in an initiative to bring a centre of excellence in precision medicine to the city, the government has announced. Precision medicine uses diagnostic tests and data-based insights to understand a patient’s disease more precisely and so select treatments with more predictable, safer, cost-effective outcomes. The UK’s research and clinical expertise, combined with government’s major investment in relevant research infrastructure, has placed it in a leading position in this area. The Leeds centre, which will run alongside other similar centres in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Oxford, was compiled by the LAHP, a consortium that brings together ten statutory organisations in Leeds — the city’s six NHS organisations, its three universities and Leeds City Council – into a formal partnership.

New research from the University of Leeds has revealed that some people are losing more than 15 day’s worth of sleep a year. The study showed that more than a quarter of the British population suffer from dangerously low levels of sleep – with many sleeping as little as five hours per night – and that it could harm their health. Despite aiming to undertake around eight – nine hours sleep a night, 30 to 50 year-olds were the most likely group for being in debt to their sleep body clocks. 

Scientists behind new research into the effects of transport infrastructure on biodiversity have developed much-needed approaches to protect wildlife. A Defra-funded study, conducted by a team from the University of Leeds led by Professor John Altringham, sets out best practice principles for assessing the impact of new roads and railways on bats, as well as the effectiveness of mitigation measures installed to help them cross safely. These new survey methods should improve the efficiency of planning processes, thereby benefitting both developers and wildlife. The researchers’ report also highlights the need for a more rigorous, evidence-based approach to protecting wildlife during development. 

Biologists arguing about whether the results of experiments by the man hailed as the father of modern genetics are “too good to be true” have been distracted from a more important debate. In a new paper in Science about Gregor Mendel, the 19th century Austrian monk whose experiments on peas revealed the basic principles of heredity, University of Leeds science historian Professor Gregory Radick suggests the time has come for a different perspective on the controversy, which over the years has encompassed allegations of fraud and Cold War political pressure.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Jockey Club Institute of Ageing held a Launch Conference on ‘Creating Age-Friendly Communities’ on 8 October 2015 to enable experience sharing and discussion on various aspects of the theme. Topics covered in the conference included: Redesigning Communities for Aged Society, Frailty and Geriatric Syndromes, and Age-friendly Hospital and Service. The event attracted some 300 renowned academics in gerontology from the U.S., Singapore, Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as representatives from organizations working on improving seniors well-being and welfare.

New research suggests that the movements involved in fidgeting may counteract the adverse health impacts of sitting for long periods. In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a team of researchers, co-led by the University of Leeds and UCL, report that an increased risk of mortality from sitting for long periods was only found in those who consider themselves very occasional fidgeters. They found no increased risk of mortality from longer sitting times, compared to more active women, in those who considered themselves as moderately or very fidgety.  

The first images of motor proteins in action were published in the journal Nature Communications on Monday 14 September 2015. These proteins are vital to complex life, forming the transport infrastructure that allows different parts of cells to specialise in particular functions. Until now, the way they move has never been directly observed. Researchers at the University of Leeds and in Japan used electron microscopes to capture images of the largest type of motor protein, called dynein, during the act of stepping along its molecular track. 

A pioneering partnership has been signed between the University of Sheffield and Zhejiang University as part of ongoing commitments to work collaboratively in tackling some of the biggest global issues.

The higher education sector is rapidly evolving as a result of new technologies and globalisation. WUN universities continue to innovate, using these new technologies to expand their offerings and global reach. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is one such technology, allowing students from around the world to access world-class expertise from anywhere at any time. Below are ten free MOOCs, offered by WUN universities through FutureLearn, beginning over the coming months.

The Foreign Minister of Australia, the Hon Julie Bishop launched the new AGAAR on Friday 4thSeptember. She stated that the group would advise her and the Australian Government on economic diplomacy and development of Australian African mutual interests within Australia’s overall international engagement. These equal partnerships in mid-term programs and a long term framework for cooperation would inform the government and stakeholders with evidence based policy options. The Advisory Group was charged to help develop such a framework. The emphasis would be on sustainable and specific activities, with Australian African characteristics, in key sectoral areas and with key countries. The approach would build teamwork between governments, academic and business, along with NGO’s and international agencies.

Professor John Hearn, Executive Director of WUN, today announced the appointment of Professor Joe Berger as the new Chair of the Global Higher Education & Research Global Challenge (GHEAR) to take effect from 1 October 2015.

Prof. Amos P.K. Tai of the Earth System Science Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was recently conferred the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Research Award for Young Scientists for 2015. The award was presented to Prof.Tai for his paper in Nature Climate Change, Volume 4, 2014, titled “Threat to future global food security from climate change and ozone air pollution”. Prof. Tai is the first Hong Kong scientist receiving the Award.

Patients with chronic whiplash experience long-lasting pain, but doctors and researchers struggle to explain the causes. Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit wants to help these often misunderstood patients.

Professor John Hearn, Executive Director of WUN and Chairman of the Australia-Africa Universities Network, discusses the prolific threats that continue to plague public health and outlines initiatives in place that promote education and prevention.

In communities where livelihoods are linked to the land and sea, environmental security is of utmost importance. This is particularly true in the developing nations of the Asia-Pacific, where many localities have a high dependency on fisheries, tourism and agriculture. Moreover, global changes are increasingly resulting in challenging localised impacts, such as increased frequency of extreme events. Thus, understanding the social-environment system is imperative to providing solutions for responding to climate change.

Renmin University School of Marxism in Beijing held a high level international conference on “China’s Path in International Relations” at the end of June 2015. The purpose was to explore and develop the scholarly and practical concepts of “One Belt One Road” as articulated by President Xi Jinping. WUN Executive Director, Professor John Hearn, and WUN China Manager, Associate Professor Grace Liu, were among international speakers from Canada, USA, Russia and Europe invited to present papers.

WUN Executive Director, Professor John Hearn, and WUN China Manager, Associate Professor Grace Liu, visited WUN member Zhejiang University in June to meet with the new President Professor Zhaohui Wu, reviewing the WUN-Zhejiang Partnership and exploring greater engagement and teamwork. Zhejiang currently ranks in the top three Chinese universities and is a recognised international research leader.

Based on the methods used to calculate the Global AgeWatch Index which measures the wellbeing of older people in the world, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, with support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Charities Trust, revealed that Hong Kong ranked 24th among 97 countries or territories in 2014. 

Medical research and advanced mathematics are usually considered separate disciplines. But for one WUN collaboration, bringing maths and biology together could hold the key to understanding how cells in the human body signal to each other, and might potentially unlock the secrets of a range of non-communicable diseases.

In the coming months, WUN will see considerable transition in its Partnership Board, with leading figures that have helped shape WUN over the last ten years moving on from their respective universities. WUN thanks these individuals for their dedicated service and wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavours. We also look forward to welcoming their successors and continuing to build on mutual strengths.

There has been a significant increase in asthma and allergies in high-income countries over the past few decades. These diseases are also increasingly prevalent in developing countries, which can substantially increase mortality rates since proper medication is often expensive. The causes of asthma and allergies are not well understood, and there is currently neither a cure or effective prevention. At the same time, parasitic infections have decreased and have known immunological effects.

Today’s higher education landscape is changing rapidly as a direct result of globalisation and technological advancement. Key issues include access and affordability, public/private collaboration, technology’s impact on research, and the evolving roles of academics, students and administrators in light of increased internationalisation. 

As the world’s population continues to rise, so does the increasing demand for water, energy and food. These three resources are inextricably linked and any shortage or disruption of one will significantly impact the other two. This is known as the water-energy-food nexus.

WUN is pleased to announce the launch of the 2015 Research Development Fund (RDF). The RDF is an annual competitive grant scheme designed to foster innovative, high quality and sustainable research among member universities.

A new study, by scientists from the University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre (NOC), implies that the global climate is on the verge of broad-scale change that could last for a number of decades.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as allergies, asthma, cancer, diabetes and obesity are on the rise. Inflammation and immune dysregulation are common features of these conditions, often associated with environmental and lifestyle risk factors such as dietary patterns, environmental pollutants, microbial patterns and stress.

Anne Christine Johannessen takes over as chair of the Worldwide Universities Network’s Public Health Global Challenge Steering Group.

Maastricht University (UM) has ranked among the top 10 in the Times Higher Education (THE) 100 Under 50 ranking for the third year running, making it the sixth best young university in the world.

The University of Leeds is currently accepting applications for visiting fellows through the Cheney Fellowships scheme. 

The WUN Migration Conference 2015 explored the issue of migration through the lens of WUN’s four Global Challenges in a multi-disciplinary, multi-thematic and multi-cultural approach.

The annual WUN Conference and AGM 2015 took place at The Chinese University of Hong Kong over six days from 25-30 April.

The WUN Public Health Global Challenge Conference on Healthy Ageing focused on how lifecourse research might contribute to the promotion of healthy ageing. 

The WUN Understanding Global Digital Cultures Conference explored the emergence and development of global digital cultures through a number of themes, including social media, cultural identity and politics. 

Academic leaders from across WUN and local Chinese universities came together for the fifth annual WUN Presidents Forum at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen on 30 April.

The fifth annual WUN Presidents Forum will convene at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen on 30 April as part of the WUN Conference and AGM 2015.

Hot water could be the answer to stopping aquatic invasive species from “hitchhiking” around Britain on anglers’ and canoeists’ kit, according to a new study.
Invaders like the killer shrimp, zebra mussel and floating pennywort cause extensive environmental damage and have been previously reported to cost the British economy £1.7 billion per year to manage.
The new research, led by the University of Leeds and the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), has identified that eight of the UK’s worst aquatic invasive species die if they are submersed in hand-hot water for just 15 minutes.

The university leadership and several UiB researchers will participate at the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) conference in April 2015. Dag Rune Olsen wants to make more UiB researchers aware of the opportunities offered by the network.

The WUN Conference and AGM 2015 begins today at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Spanning six days, this year’s event will run from 25-30 April.

The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) has extended its global footprint into West Africa with the signing of the University of Ghana to its global network.

The WUN Partnership Board Directors, which includes the 18 member University Presidents and the Executive Director, have elected the Vice Chair 2015-16 and Chair 2016-18 of the Board.

As the world’s two most populous countries, India and China, battle it out for superpower status, the Indian Ocean is growing in prominence as a key geopolitical region. But human memory is short when compared with the history of humankind. Archaeological evidence has unearthed a number of insights indicating that this Indian Ocean connection has been a key region of cultural interaction and trade for approximately 2,000 years.

The mission of WUN is twofold: to support international research collaboration and to foster the next generation of researchers. It appears to have accomplished both in regard to two PhD students who have recently published a joint paper in a special issue of the Journal of Asian Social Work and Policy Review.

Global food security has become an increasingly important issue as climate change further reduces the amount of land available for farming. Coupled to this is the higher demand for animal protein as developing nations become wealthier, and a higher demand for cereals, making them less attractive as animal feed at both an economic and social level. This has resulted on a greater emphasis on ruminant farming (e.g. cattle and goats) because these animals are capable of converting feed unsuitable for human consumption into high-value protein.

Getting heard in the world’s most populous country can be a hard task. As China’s economy continues to drive forward and the nation’s political clout on the world stage grows, more and more international organisations recognise the importance of building a strong profile in China.

How did African plants and animals get to India? The Indian Ocean Archaeology Network is uncovering the long-term history of trade and interaction across this geopolitical corridor.

Scientists from the University of Southampton have found that ocean tides have changed significantly over the last century at many coastal locations around the world.

The University of Massachusetts has taken a large step toward advancing its international research capabilities, announcing in January that it would become one of a handful of schools in North America to join the Worldwide Universities Network.

Researchers from the University of Southampton will play a major role in establishing a European Data Science Academy (EDSA) – a new online platform for training data scientists across Europe.

From climate change to improving public health, the world’s 350 million Indigenous people share a number of urgent challenges in common. Yet while many Indigenous groups are actively involved in forging solutions to the issues they face, there are surprisingly few organisations dedicated to disseminating and sharing their insights.

What is the connection between parasitic infections and allergies? This question is at the core of a new University of Bergen-led research project, which has received seed funding from the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN).

New evidence showing the level of atmospheric CO2 millions of years ago supports recent climate change predications from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) today announced that the University of Basel has joined its global research network, raising membership to 18 universities.

Health literacy is a relatively young field of research which focuses on people’s ability to understand health information and make decisions about their own health care. By helping patients to become more health literate, researchers hope to find ways to improve public health outcomes across low, middle and high-income countries.

Students and researchers from Europe and North America moved the lecture hall to Greenland to learn more about climate dynamics.

WUN Executive Director, Professor John Hearn announced today that The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) joins its global research university network, lifting the number of members in the network to 17.

One of the world’s most vital resources—water—is increasingly at the centre of debate. Its scarcity has intensified the movement toward water as a human right, yet private control over water utilities is simultaneously increasing. Although this tension is only just emerging, experts believe it will rapidly intensify as more investors seek access to fresh water in new countries.

As the world prepares to mark 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, an international exhibition looking at how Germany confronted the Holocaust is unveiled.

Professor Michael Lee, an expert in ruminant nutrition in the School of Veterinary Sciences, has been appointed Head of Site at North Wyke, Rothamsted Research’s site for grassland systems research.

The University of Bristol’s second Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Cultural Studies and Modern Languages: An Introduction, launches on Monday 16 February 2015. Registration is now open on the FutureLearn website, with the course already reporting a high level of enrolment.

The University of Bristol is ranked among the top five institutions in the UK for its research, according to new analysis of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 which takes into account the percentage of staff submitted.

In the National Geographic article “Origin of Arts” published in January 2015, Professor Henshilwood and his groundbreaking research at the very tip of Africa, an hour’s drive from Cape Town, is featured in a very fascinating story about the invention of symbolic expression by the first Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals.

Since the adoption of the “go global” strategy in the early 2000s, China’s total outward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock has increased from US$30 billion to US$610 billion in 2014. The Economist estimates that the flow of Chinese outward investment will be US$264 billion in 2017 alone. Although China remains a relatively new player in outward FDI, this rapidly expanding flow of capital represents a host of opportunities and challenges for policy-makers, businesses and researchers.

The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) at the University of Southampton has been awarded over one million pounds to develop students who will help tackle global marine and maritime challenges.

In three independent studies, scientists from the Universities of Southampton and Cambridge have identified how a simple chemical called nitrate, found in leafy green vegetables, can help thin blood ensuring oxygen can be delivered to all corners of the body efficiently. Reducing the thickness of blood may also decrease instances of dangerous clots forming and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) announced today the results of the 2014 round of the annual Research Development Fund, marking a direct investment into international, interdisciplinary research of £165,671 across 17 projects.

The University of Southampton is to join forces with the European Commission and the Japanese government to develop new technologies for high-speed networks in densely populated user areas.

Senior leaders from Australian universities came together to discuss Australia-China higher education in a workshop held at Australian Technology Park in Sydney on Tuesday.

New research shows that ocean heat uptake across three oceans is the likely cause of the ‘warming hiatus’ – the current decade-long slowdown in global surface warming.

A team of researchers from the universities of Southampton, Bristol and Liverpool have derived the first theoretical equation to demonstrate that global warming is a direct result of the build-up of carbon emissions since the late 1800s when man-made carbon emissions began. The results are in accord with previous data from climate models.

Caring for the growing number of patients with non-communicable disease is a challenge faced by policy-makers and healthcare providers across the world. To tackle the issue, a team of WUN experts in healthcare system planning have come together to share their unique insights from across Canada, the UK and Australia.

A study of ancient marine algae, led by the University of Southampton, has found that climate change affected their growth and skeleton structure, which has potential significance for today’s equivalent microscopic organisms that play an important role in the world’s oceans.

Researchers have discovered a mechanism linked to the brain damage often suffered by stroke victims—and are now searching for drugs to block it.

Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) are one of the most important emerging health concerns. Approximately one in every 100 children is diagnosed with an ASC, which includes autism, Asperger syndrome and atypical autism. 

The University of Southampton is part of a new £120 million national network of Quantum Technology Hubs, that will put its cutting-edge research in quantum sensors at the forefront of future technologies to drive the UK’s economy.

Senior leaders from Australian universities will come together to discuss innovation in higher education at a workshop held in early December at Australian Technology Park in Sydney.

While most medical research focuses on the quest for new treatments, much less attention is paid to how we can make better use of medicines that already exist. Yet up to half of patients don’t take long-term medicines as prescribed, which can result in serious harm or even death.

The Advanced Climate Dynamics Courses (ACDC) are yearly international research training schools for PhD students organized by the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Bergen in collaboration with the Norwegian Research School in Climate Dynamics (ResClim).

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, believe the key to making future generations healthier could lie before the mother becomes pregnant.

Scientists at the Universities of Southampton and Cardiff have discovered that a globally warm period in Earth’s geological past featured highly variable levels of CO2.

Every day more than 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created, and its growing every day. What are the possibilities that could be unleashed by analysing and applying that data to solve some of the globe’s most pressing challenges? 

People around the world are living longer, but social policies to support their wellbeing in later life are lagging behind in many countries. This is according a new report by HelpAge International, developed in partnership with the University of Southampton.

Scientists from the University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre, Southampton contributed to the world’s first ever sub-sea carbon dioxide impact, detection and monitoring experiment relevant to Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) in sub-seabed storage reservoirs.

Geographers at the University of Southampton have developed a new way to measure the ‘health’ of poor regional communities.  They aim to improve the wellbeing of people by guiding sustainable development practices to help avoid social and environmental collapse.

Land-ice decay at the end of the last five ice-ages caused global sea-levels to rise at rates of up to 5.5 metres per century, according to a new study.

Demand for better care by women linked with the expansion of basic services, rather than political pressure, has helped to improve midwifery services in low to middle-income countries, according to international research involving the University of Southampton.

Read the August 2014 edition of the WUN Newsletter. 

A rise in the number of reported floods in the UK over the past 129 years can be related to increased exposure, resulting from urban expansion and population growth, according to new research by the University of Southampton.

A new academy has been launched by the University of Leeds’ specialised Care-Connect Sector Hub. The academy is a national programme of support to assist communities to gain a greater understanding of research through learning, provided by experts at the University.

The University of Leeds and Bionow have agreed a formal collaboration to support the UK life science sector in the North. Built around the University’s world-class strength in interdisciplinary biomedical research and Bionow’s industry network of over 1,000 biomedical companies, the partnership will offer opportunities across three key areas; collaboration; employment support and building influence.

The University of Leeds has developed a three week online course exploring commercial innovation, how innovations emerge and, how ideas become reality.

The Data Science (Big Data) Exploratory Workshop will be hosted by the University of Rochester on 22 August 2014, and will provide an opportunity to explore where partners’ interests are sufficiently aligned to warrant deeper collaboration. WUN members will explore where WUN has the greatest impact in this burgeoning field of scientific exploration.

New research has identified areas of the Earth that are high priorities for conservation in the face of climate change.

Geographers at the University of Southampton have found a link between increasing average temperatures in India and a reduction in wheat production.

Scientists from the University of Southampton have helped to create a new map, which shows the impact climate change could have on the whole planet by the end of the century, if carbon emissions continue to increase.

The University of Southampton welcomed HRH The Countess of Wessex to LifeLab on Friday 27 June to officially open the facility that aims to empower school students to take more control over their health.

Green spaces in towns and cities need extra consideration as they may be damaging buildings in the area, according to new research from the Universities of Southampton and Surrey.

The University of Southampton based SETsquared incubation centre has been named the number one university business incubator in Europe and second best in the world.

New research, led by scientists at the University of Southampton, has found that neurogenesis, the self-repairing mechanism of the adult brain, can help to preserve brain function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Prion or Parkinson’s.

Representatives from WUN international exchange and study abroad offices met at the 2014 NAFSA Conference in San Diego, USA.

A study of how penguin populations have changed over the last 30,000 years has shown that between the last ice age and up to around 1,000 years ago penguin populations benefitted from climate warming and retreating ice. This suggests that recent declines in penguins may be because ice is now retreating too far or too fast.

A new device designed to sample and detect foodborne bacteria is being trialled by scientists at the University of Southampton.

John Dearing, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Southampton, has been given the prestigious Murchison Award (2014) by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).

The University of Southampton’s Professor Neil Wrigley has been presented with the Outstanding Impact in Business award by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for his research which has transformed thinking on food retail development and the future of UK high streets.

The University of Southampton is featuring in a UK-wide campaign next week to highlight the value and importance of university research to our everyday lives.

WUN announced it will fund sixteen young researchers from member institutions to spend periods of up to three months at partner institutions across the network through its Research Mobility Program (RMP).

Deep sea fishes remove and store more than one million tonnes of CO2 from UK and Irish surface waters every year, according to a new study led by the University of Southampton.

WUN is pleased to announce the launch of the 2014 Research Development Fund.

On 21st May 2014, the WUN Global China Group, together with the University of Chicago and the University of Sydney hosted a forum entitled “Feeding the masses: China-Latin America agriculture connections through time.”

WUN Newsletter – May 2014

New research at the University of Southampton into how animals keep time through their internal circadian rhythms could help us understand why we sleep and how we cope with jet lag.

Three scientists from the University of Southampton have been recognised for their contribution to the advancement of medical science by election to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

A University of Southampton oceanographer is working with experts from around the globe to warn against lasting damage to the deep-ocean, caused by fishing, oil and gas development, industrial-scale mining, waste disposal and land-based pollution.

The University of Sheffield is pleased to announce that: we have been voted number one for student experience!

Doctors and scientists in Southampton have completed their first hip surgery with a 3D printed implant and bone stem cell graft.

The University of Southampton has launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to help people improve their research project skills and share ideas.

An international study led by the University of Southampton and the National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme (NVDCP) in Namibia has used mobile phone data to help combat malaria more effectively.

A new Cancer Research UK trial, involving the University of Southampton, investigating whether high doses of aspirin can help prevent permanent hearing loss, a common side effect among cancer patients given the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, launches today (8 May).

A multidisciplinary team from the University of Southampton has won a national prize for their innovative research into the future of sociology in the digital age.

Professor Tim Leighton from the University of Southampton has been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, it is announced today.

12 of WUN’s 17 member universities were among the top 100 in the The Times Higher Ed’s World University Rankings of Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health Schools.

Recently evaluated evidence suggests that organisms bred from different genetic lines have evolutionary advantages over more closely related members of the same species when colonising new environments.

A WUN-funded research project aims to better understand the relationship between energy production and climate measures. The goal is to give decision-makers better tools to create climate policies that also take into account the world’s growing energy requirements.

Finding novel ways to address complex global issues such as climate change and public health was the recurring theme of this year’s WUN Annual Conference and AGM, held in Cape Town, South Africa from 28 March – 3 April 2014.

The following news story appeared on the front page of the University of Bergen’s news website on 3 April 2014.

Researchers from the universities of Southampton and Cambridge have discovered a new section of the boundary wall of the ancient Roman port of Ostia, proving the city was much larger than previously estimated.

Scientists have gained new insights into the molecular process of how some people get type II diabetes, which could lead to new ways of preventing people from getting the condition.

In the spring 2014 edition of the IIE Networker Magazine, WUN Executive Director, Professor John Hearn writes about the convenient and inconvenient truths of international higher education.

New research from the University of Southampton has identified a coral-eating flatworm as a potential threat for coral reefs.

As we preluded in October last year, WUN stepped into the world of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in late March with the launch of the Globalizing Higher Education and Research for the 'Knowledge Economy' course taught by Professor Susan Robertson of the University of Brsitol and Professor Kris Olds of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research from the University of Southampton has shown a drug, used in combination with chemotherapy to treat advanced colorectal cancer, is not effective in some settings, and indeed may result in more rapid cancer progression.

Professor Cyrus Cooper of the University of Southampton has been awarded The 2014 ESCEO-IOF Servier Pierre D. Delmas Prize for his distinguished body of work in the epidemiology of musculoskeletal disorders.

Researchers from the University of Southampton are leading an international project to understand the effect of climate change on people living in deltas in South Asia and Africa, and how they respond.

In the first study of its kind, research undertaken at the University of Southampton has cast significant doubt over the use of biochar to alleviate climate change.

The University of Southampton is pleased to announce that Nick Jennings, Professor of Computer Science and a Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, has been appointed as its first Regius Professor in Computer Science.

Scientists, practitioners, and representatives of community organisations, government bodies and industry will gather in Cape Town on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March to discuss the challenges that lie at the intersection of public health and climate change and to discuss solutions that will have meaningful impact, particularly in Africa.

Research by the University of Leeds has linked drinking alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy to a higher risk of having a premature or unexpectedly small baby.

A study led by the University of Leeds has shown that global warming of only 2°C will be detrimental to crops in temperate and tropical regions, with reduced yields from the 2030s onwards.

In a keynote address to newly elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago, the Rt Hon David Willetts encouraged a spirit of competition and collaboration in science and technology, and underlined the importance of researcher mobility.

Scientists have found that a simple blood test, which can read DNA, could be used to predict obesity levels in children.
Researchers at the Universities of Southampton, Exeter and Plymouth used the test to assess the levels of epigenetic switches in the PGC1a gene – a gene that regulates fat storage in the body.

The study, from the Medical Research Council Units and the Universities of Southampton and Cambridge, showed that mothers’ activity levels differed depending on her level of education, number of children and weekly working hours. It also showed that many mothers were not meeting the government’s recommended amount of physical activity per week.

The University of Southampton has launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), giving people the opportunity to explore Portus, the ancient port of Rome.

Professor Anna Scaife, from the University’s Astronomy Group, will join other UK scientists, engineers and industries in supporting the design of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the world.

A new study to identify patients with undiagnosed lung disease is to begin in West Hampshire.

A University of Southampton researcher has helped to develop a wireless network of sensors that is set to revolutionise soil-based salinity measuring.

Music by a Jewish victim of the Nazis feared lost forever is being performed for the first time since the Holocaust, at the University of Leeds Clothworkers Concert Hall on Friday, March 14. Chad Gadya (One Little Goat), by Dovid Ajzensztadt, was uncovered in South Africa by a University of Leeds researcher.

The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) at the University of Southampton has officially launched a joint laboratory in Singapore with the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) at A*STAR, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research, to focus on maritime and offshore engineering research and development.

WUN Global Platforms Researchers publish comment piece in ‘Nature’

Professor Guy Poppy, of the University of Southampton and one of the UK’s leading experts on food systems and food security, has been appointed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as its Chief Scientific Adviser.

Leeds’ Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor David Hogg, says the University is poised to be a leader in Big Data research.

Two multi-million pound grants will make the University of Leeds a major centre for ‘Big Data’ analysis – and a national resource that can be used by academics.

An online Masters degree in English Language Teaching is being launched worldwide thanks to a collaboration between the University of Southampton and the British Council.

A new publication from researchers at the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton highlights the importance of nutrients for coral reef survival.

WUN Newsletter – February 2014

University of Twente’s Tissue Regeneration research group, led by Prof. Clemens van Blitterswijk, moving to Maastricht

First ‘university professor’, professor of Nanobiology Peter Peters, appointed at Maastricht University

Pennsylvania State University, one of WUN's founding members, announced on Monday a new President to take the helm from 12 May, 2014.

Eric J. Barron will become Penn State's 18th President, taking over from Rodney Erickson who steps down after a two-and-a half-year tenure.

Research by the University of Southampton suggests new teachers could be better trained to help them promote health and lifestyle issues to children in schools.

Researchers from Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton in collaboration with the Mixed Reality Lab at the University of Nottingham are examining how people can relate to the concept of digital provenance of objects through the free ‘The Apocalypse of MoP’ ARG.

Fertility experts at the University of Southampton and University of Warwick have found new insights into why some fertilized eggs can embed in a uterus and why some do not.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, Sir Alan Langlands, has been appointed as the new Chair of the N8 Research Partnership.

Scientists from the University of Western Australia and University of Leeds have teamed up to explore the process responsible for the ability of the vine to develop buds that can not only survive winter but can make the rapid transition to new life once the good weather returns.

The study, led by the Berlin-based think-tank Global Climate Forum (GCF) and involving the University of Southampton, presents, for the first time, comprehensive global simulation results on future flood damages to buildings and infrastructure in coastal flood plains.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has announced the appointment of Professor Philip Nelson as chief executive and deputy chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The University of Southampton has been awarded a rare professorship, bestowed by The Queen, to mark its excellence in the field of Computer Science.

Three WUN member universities have been recognised for their commitment and achievements in internationalisation in the Times Higher Ed’s ranking of the 25 most international universities in the world.

Researchers in Southampton now have the benefit of a dedicated, brand new facility to develop and support pioneering research into patient safety and essential care.

The University of Southampton is part of an innovative £10m project, which has just received major funding to help reduce energy use in the home.

The Centre for Geobiology (CGB) is one of four Norwegian Centres of Excellence (SFF) at the University of Bergen (UiB). The centre is one of the world’s leading environments for basic research on the deep ocean layers.

New research by the University of Southampton has found a mechanism as to how corals use their pink and purple hues as sunscreen to protect them against harmful sunlight.

Research carried out at the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh shows that sunlight alters levels of the small messenger molecule, nitric oxide (NO) in the skin and blood, reducing blood pressure.

New research from a global group of scientists and engineers, including from the University of Southampton, has been published in a special issue journal of the Royal Society. The work is in support of tidal power, which has the potential to provide more than 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand.

Tough limits on global emissions of greenhouse gases could avoid between 20 and 65 per cent of the damaging effects of climate change by 2100, according to new research contributed to by Professor Robert Nicholls and Dr Sally Brown of the University of Southampton, published in the journal, Nature Climate Change.

Postgraduate training at the University of Southampton in engineering and scientific fields, important to the UK’s economy, has received a major funding boost through three new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs).

Scientists have cast doubt on the widely held perception that there has been a global increase in jellyfish.The results of the study, which includes lead co-author Dr Cathy Lucas, a marine biologist at the University of Southampton, appear in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS manuscript # 2012-10920R).

Researchers from the University of Southampton looked at the records of over 200 patients** with a type of oesophageal cancer known as adenocarcinoma treated at Southampton General Hospital.

The team, led by Dr Laura Grange, a researcher at University of Southampton, and Professor Craig Smith of University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, document their discovery this month in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

What will happen to the Greenland Ice Sheet if the Arctic sea ice covers disappears? To answer this question, researchers at the University of Bergen and Uni Research are to receive between NOK 50 and 60 million from the European Research Council (ERC) over a five year period.

WUN member university Presidents joined with Presidents of other leading universities around the world to mark the 50th Anniversary celebrations of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) at the CUHK Golden Jubilee University Presidents’ Forum.

China scholars from around the world gathered at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on 5-6 December for the WUN Global China Group Conference on Family Transition, Ageing and Social Security in China.

Researchers from the University of Southampton have identified regions beneath the oceans where the igneous rocks of the upper ocean crust could safely store very large volumes of carbon dioxide.

On 26 November 2013, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and consumers gathered at the University of Sydney for the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Global Health Literacy Network’s second annual conference titled “Crossing Disciplines, Bridging Gaps”.

A new study, led by a University of Southampton scientist, highlights the potential for fish communities in marine reserves to resist climate change impacts better than communities on fished coasts.

Scientists have, for the first time, demonstrated that climate models are able to simulate past abrupt changes in the Earth’s climate – giving more confidence in predictions of future global climate change.

At the third plenum held earlier this month, the Chinese government announced reforms to further drive urbanisation in China. After already experiencing the largest human migration in history, what are the public health consequences of this mass movement from rural towns to cities?

A team of researchers led by the University of Southampton has launched an online project to map detailed population information from countries around the world.

Introducing solid food with breast milk after the 17th week of birth could reduce food allergies in babies, according to University of Southampton research.

New research has found that the number of pests and disease outbreaks in trees and forests across the world has been increasing.

Three University of Southampton academics have won a prestigious environmental award at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) Professional Awards, which celebrate professionalism, skills and knowledge right across the spectrum of waste and resource management.

Researchers from the ESRC Centre for Population Change (CPC) at the University of Southampton have identified key ‘turning-points’ in young adults’ lives which influence whether or not they return to the parental home.

The University of Leeds is spearheading the drive to recruit the next generation of environmental scientists.

Scientists at the University of Southampton have helped to develop artificial membrane pores, using Lego-like DNA building blocks, which could provide a simple and low cost tool for drug discovery and diagnostic devices.

The University of Southampton has been awarded €2.49 million (£2.1 million) by the European Research Council to study a large network of Roman ports stretching from Turkey in the east, to Spain in the west.

A team of scientists, led by the University of Southampton, has developed a new method to help the world’s coasts adapt to global sea-level rises over the next 100 years.