COO/Registrar Network

The U21 Chief Operating Officer/Registrar Network is a significant role-based group. With annual meetings, most recently at McMaster University, key themes and issues relevant for the group are discussed and informed insights and best practice shared.

For example, areas covered include opportunities and challenges of AI in Higher Education, HE strategy, reputation, and campus design for innovation and sustainability.

Hosting the CoP meeting enabled McMaster to highlight where we are innovating within higher education and the time spent with my peers from across the U21 network was, as always, invaluable.

It is through both the commonality and diversity of the challenges and opportunities we face that we can come together and engage in a very meaningful way”

Saher Fazilat, Vice-President, (Operations and Finance)

McMaster University

Social Work Community of Practice

With sixteen universities initially committing since 2020, the Social Work Community of Practice has helped to foster a community across institutions to promote social justice and human rights.

Colleagues have been able to learn more about their respective institutions, hold virtual events on current topics of social work practice and research, meet physically at conferences, assist with important processes such as promotion reviews, and have been commissioned to complete two books building on the Community of Practice’s expertise.

The Social Work Community of Practice Inaugural conference (May 15-16, 2024) provided a fascinating opportunity to share cutting-edge social work research and innovative pedagogical and practice approaches aimed at addressing global challenges.

Under the theme of Social Work Responding to Global Challenges, the two-day event brought together over 280 social work practitioners and academics from the Universitas 21 members and their collaborative partners from around the world to address global challenges including poverty, gender equality, ageing, health emergencies, environmental degradation and human rights.

The Social Work Community of Practice has provided opportunity for academics in the network to connect around shared topics of interest and through the conference and webinars to gain a wider perspective on social work research and practice from different countries and universities.

It has highlighted how much there is to learn from each other and resulted in tangible benefits including books and special editions of journals, and engaging colleagues within academic career developments.”

Professor Robin Miller, Professor of Collaborative Learning in Health & Social Care, University of Birmingham, U21 Social Work Community of Practice Chair

Deans of Education Communities of Practice

Established in 2000, the U21 Deans of Education is one of U21’s longest standing Communities of Practice providing a trusted forum to discuss issues of common interest and to promote collegial interaction and collaborative projects. These include:

• Conference Presentations
• Global journal publications
• Staff and student exchange programmes
• Development of shared higher degree programmes

The success of the Deans of Education CoP also led to the establishment of an associated group, the Forum for International Networking in Education (FINE) Community of Practice. FINE is an international group of postgraduate research students and ECRs from Universitas 21 Schools of Education who cooperate and collaborate to better understand educational issues from a global perspective.

More recently, the U21 Deans of Education CoP have published a book on, “Building a Better Normal: Visions of Schools of Education in a Post-Pandemic World”, as part of the Emerald’s Great Debates in Higher Education series.

Health Research Exchange

Established in 2020, the U21 Health Research Exchange (U21HREx) is a virtual international knowledge translation and exchange network and Community of Practice for staff, students and ECRs in Health and Social Care.

HREx provides both staff and students across U21 member institutions with a space to share innovative ways of working together and developing networks.

Activity includes joint programmes, virtual events, professional development opportunities, and in-person symposia twice a year. The network provides the opportunity to expand on local and international research, practice, and joint academic initiatives to strengthen U21 member institution connections and train the next generation of researchers to be healthcare leaders.

In October 2024, the group held its annual symposium at the University of Birmingham. Participants took the opportunity to meet with the leadership of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the UK and US –based MedStar Washington Hospital to discuss strategies to improve healthcare quality, manage physicians, address workplace violence, and develop health system collaboration.

“Engaging at a global level with institutions that students have not previously interacted with has had a really positive impact in areas such as developing research and practice and connecting academically across institutions for coursework and projects.”

Negin Fouladi, Associate Clinical Professor, University of Maryland