The global sharing of ideas, research and creative solutions to shared sustainability challenges, has turned digital in an international symposium open to staff.

The University of Nottingham is proud to be one of the founder members of Universitas 21 (U21), the leading international network of 27 research-intensive universities. Through the U21 network we are actively engaged in a range of collaborative activities with like-minded universities around the world.

This year, for the first time, the U21 Annual General Meeting which was due to take place in Zurich has moved to an online symposium. The theme of the event is sustainability and there are a range of videos, case studies and presentations available for University of Nottingham staff to access.

Gail Armistead, Associate Director, Global Engagement at the University, manages Nottingham’s involvement in U21.

She said: “For many staff, the Universitas 21 AGM and meeting of presidents is not something that you would have highlighted in your calendars. However in 2020, the University of Zurich as host institution for the meeting has taken the event online and offers staff and students a range of ways to discover more about the network including the chance to listen to a keynote speech by Professor Thomas Stocker, Professor of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern.

“The topic selected for the 2020 Symposium is ‘Sustainable Universities; Sustainable University Networks’ and is perhaps a perfect choice for universities at this time. Alongside presentations on the theme of sustainability, the University of Zurich shares its own climate change strategy.”

The event also showcases presentations and reports on the work of the Universitas 21 network relating to the UN Sustainable development goals, reports on student mobility and examples of the impact of the network in the last 12 months. Nottingham’s successes, such as UNM hosting the 2019 summer school, and our various competition winners are also celebrated.

Professor Robert Mokaya, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement, encouraged staff to use the symposium as a gateway to finding out more about the benefits of the U21 network.

He said: ‘Membership of U21 goes to the heart of who we are as a global University. As a global network that brings together over 1 million students and 200,000 staff, U21 has over the years provided unique opportunities for staff colleagues and students to collaborate across borders and nurture international knowledge exchange. Such interactions are particularly important in seeking solutions for global challenges that we collectively face.”

Staff can find out more about the Universtas 21 network by contacting Gail Armistead for more information.