UNICA international partnership & membership for international organisations and networks Lucas Zinner Cyprus, 28 th April.2009

Description: The universities have usually cooperation and exchange agreements at different levels: department, faculty and university level. When are the agreements at the university level appropriate and which principles and guidelines should be used for these agreements? Some university agreements tend to be "sleeping agreements". Is this a problem? If so, how to deal with it? The universities are usually members of several networks and organizations like UNICA, EUA, IAU etc. Which are the benefits of being member of different types of networks and organisations? How to make use of it within the universities?

Content of agreements: to exchange researchers, students, staff to foster co-operations in research and teaching to improve the way we manage and administer our universities to share best practices

Who are the target groups Researchers Students Administration Who are the agreements’ advocates Management / Rectorate / Deans Researchers Administration People outside university

What about effectiveness? Who needs agreements and why? Why do we need agreements? For which kind of activities do we need agreements? Do they fit into our university’s strategy? Who should benefit from them (directly and indirectly)?

Hypotheses Agreements have zero impact w.r.t. research. Agreements are necessary to organize student exchange. Agreements may have large impacts concerning the development of our universities.

Conclusions Invest in those partnerships where there are common interests. agreements for the showcase are sometimes necessary, but clarify in the beginning small is beautiful.