Worldwide Universities Network
UNIL joined the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) in 2020. The network, founded in 2000, currently has 23 members (see below).
As a leading international higher education and research network, WUN envisions to be a force in developing innovative solutions to some of the world’s most significant challenges. To this end, WUN runs the Research Development Fund which support the initiation of collaborative research around the broad theme of sustainable development, including the following areas:
- Social justice, human rights, inequality
- Sustainable world: cities and urbanisation, energy transitions, water and food security
- Mental health, child and maternal health, ageing
- Responsible and ethical use of computing: artificial intelligence, information security, privacy
WUN also organizes conferences and workshops to bring an international community of researchers together.
Through its Research Development Fund , WUN provides support to initiate collaborative research that falls within the broad theme of sustainable development, inculing the following domains:
- Social justice, human rights, inequality
- Sustainable world: cities and urbanisation, energy transitions, water and food security
- Mental health, child and maternal health, ageing
- Responsible and ethical use of computing: artificial intelligence, information security, privacy
A call for projects is launched each year in June-July, with a deadline in September-October. An email will be sent to the relevant academic staff whenever a call is published.
Completed projects
- JIR-CliPS: comparison of Clinical Practice Strategies in Juvenile Inflammatory Diseases between 4 world regions (Prof. Michael Hofer, Faculty of Biology and Medicine)
- Sexuality across cultures: International Sex Survey in South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, and Taiwan (Prof. Joël Billieux, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences)
- Gender Trouble: Glocalization of gender politics and challenges for public health and democracy (Prof. Irene Maffi, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences)
Current projects
- Inclusive Law-making & Intelligent Assistive Technologies (Prof. Sophie Weerts, Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration)
- Education in a Warming World: A Collaborative Research Network on Education and Climate Change (Prof. Julia Steinberger, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment; Prof. Fabrizio Butera, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences)
- Intersectional Research Methodologies: Towards a Sustainable Post COVID 19 Future (Dr Eléonore Lépinard, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences)
To promote sustained collaborations, WUN will encourage the formation of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that bring together researchers from multiple member universities to pursue a shared research interest. WUN may provide funds for SIGs to hold workshops and launch special initiatives.
Global Africa Group
This collaborative research program is designed to support sustainable development and capacity-building in Africa in both the natural and social sciences. The five research priorities of the Group sit at the intersection of WUN’s existing expertise and research collaborations, Africa’s development agenda as outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Environmental change and food security
- Public health
- Governance, inequality and social inclusion
- Higher education and research capacity
- Natural resources for inclusive growth and sustainable development
The IRO covers part of the travel expenses of UNIL teaching staff visiting a WUN member university, under the conditions applicable to bilateral agreements, or to SEMP agreements in case such an agreement has been signed.
The IRO also covers part of the housing expenses of a visitor from a WUN member university, under the conditions applicable to bilateral agreements, or to SEMP agreements in case such an agreement has been signed.
Annual General Meeting
The WUN Annual General Meeting (AGM) usually takes place in the second half of May. Multiple governance groups, including the global challenge steering groups come together to network, evaluate the previous year’s achievements and set the course for the year ahead. Academic workshops may also be organised during the AGM.
WUN seminars and workshops
Workshops can be held at any time and are for the relevant Global Challenge Steering Group to approve with the Secretariat if funding support is required. They can be at a member university, jointly organised with a relevant international society or agency, and include research fellows working with such partners.
Autralia
University of Technology Sydney
Brazil
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Canada
Germany
Ghana
Hong Kong SAR
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
P. R. China
South Africa
Switzerland
Taiwan
National Cheng Kung University
Thailand
Uganda
United Kingdom
U.S.A.
The UNIL participation to WUN takes place under the responsability of Prof. Estelle Doudet Vice-Rector for Research.
Prof. Antoine Kernen represents UNIL in the Global Africa Group.
The International Relations Office coordinates the UNIL participation to WUN, under the responsability of its Director, Dr Denis Dafflon.
Contact
Dr Denis Dafflon
International Relations Office
University of Lausanne
Tel.: +41 21 692 20 26