By Kritika Agarwal
The Global Research-Intensive Universities Network, which represents leading research universities across North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia, issued a statement on May 2 (“The Ottawa Declaration”) calling for increased international collaboration between research-intensive universities during a time of rising global tensions.
GRIUN consists of AAU and similar associations of research universities in other nations, including the League of European Research Universities, the Canadian U15, the United Kingdom’s Russell Group, the Japanese Research University 11, the German U15, and the Australian Group of Eight. AAU President Barbara R. Snyder attended the group’s Ottawa meeting in early May, and the statement emerged out of discussions held during the meeting.
The Ottawa Declaration noted that, “amid shifting geopolitics and growing international uncertainty, the global research community must double down on its collaborative approach, which accelerates knowledge sharing and creates greater opportunities for innovation to benefit all societies.”
The statement affirmed that the partnering associations are committed to facilitating and encouraging international collaborations among universities that further the public good; “support academic freedom and institutional autonomy;” “better support academic integrity and security;” and promote transparency.
“Our associations commit to doing all we can to enhance international collaboration among leading research universities to better realize transformational advancements in science, research and innovation for a better 21st century for all societies,” GRIUN noted.
The Ottawa Declaration follows GRIUN’s 2022 Leiden Principles, which articulated five core principles guiding the work of research-intensive universities, and the 2024 Berlin Statement, which reaffirmed those core values and called attention to the critical role research-intensive universities play in responding to global challenges.
Kritika Agarwal is senior editorial officer at AAU.