WUN’s new vision and strategy repositions the organisation for a disrupted world
When the Worldwide Universities Network’s leaders gathered in Bristol earlier this year, there was a shared recognition that fundamental changes in the global higher education environment required a rethink of the organisation.
Climate change, AI, health security, geopolitical fragmentation, and shifting centres of research power laid the foundation for discussions by member Presidents, Vice-Chancellors, and Rectors, who reflected on the value of the Network and its mission.
They agreed that the geopolitical and geoeconomic environment of the late 2020s required them to mobilise knowledge collectively.
New Executive Director Professor Dawn Freshwater explained that WUN was founded by research-intensive universities focused on supporting collaborative research to solve global problems. “We have been doing this for more than 25 years. At our meeting in Bristol, there was a strong sense that we must do more, with increased intensity and scale.”
Universities remain among the few institutions able to sustain trusted international collaboration based on evidence, scholarship and long-term relationships founded on shared goals.
“WUN’s members combine complementary research strengths and are recognised for their community, industry and government connections, forging 21st-century research ecosystems that improve lives and livelihoods at home and globally.”
Professor Freshwater says this strength is recognised in the organisation’s 2026-2029 vision and strategy, which prioritises fewer, higher-impact collaborations, supported by stronger commitments, external income and measurable outcomes; improving higher education systems to boost research; and continuing to provide a trusted leadership network for members.
You can read the Vision and Strategic Plan 2026-2029 here.
Header photo courtesy of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.