Arqus Global Outreach Strategy

As per the Arqus Mission Statement 2022-2032 a key aim of the Alliance is to utilise global mobility to promote Europe and Arqus as an attractive space for talent from around the world to study, research or work.

Global mobility is regarded a key strategic priority of all Alliance members and will play a central role in our efforts to expand the scope of our global outreach efforts to Non-EU member states.
Through close cooperation with Arqus stakeholders we aim to strategically identify key partners to engage in global mobility activities with Alliance members. We plan to diversify our mobility efforts among both staff and students through a variety of initiatives such as exchange, COIL,
BIPs and short-term programmes. These new partners will be selected on the basis that they align with the two core pillars of this strategy’s framework in creating value for and gaining value from the Arqus Alliance.

Our Goal:
To create new active and diverse mobility partnerships between the Alliance and strategically selected partners across all regions of the world. We will achieve this by:

1.  
   1. Identifying strategic partners & establishing clear objectives.
   2. Strengthening institutional relationships.
   3. Promoting inclusivity and diversity.
   4. Leveraging technology.

By systematically identifying mobility partners, establishing clear objectives, and providing robust support, the Arqus Alliance can successfully build a global network of active mobility partnerships that contribute to our strategic goals.

As a collective, the Arqus Alliance is committed to contributing to the social and cultural well-being of their local and global communities.

A core aspect of this commitment involves advancing participation, cooperation and dialogue between the nine Arqus universities and society in an effort to address social challenges as well as promoting inclusivity and sustainability.

Our Goal:

To advance global social justice, sustainability and inclusivity by harnessing the collective expertise and resources of the Arqus Alliance to address global challenges, encourage intercultural dialogue and promote social responsibility across diverse communities.

We will achieve this by:

1. Promoting global social justice and driving sustainable research development.
2. Fostering cross cultural dialogue and insight.
3. Collaborating on global challenges.
4. Encouraging active citizenship and social responsibility.
5. This strategy aims to enable the Arqus Alliance to widen the impact of our social engagement efforts across the globe to advance and enrich a sense of shared belonging among a wide range of communities and cultures.

The Arqus Alliance prides itself on its dedication and commitment to striving for excellence in the area of innovative teaching and learning. This strategy will enable members to adopt a student-centred approach to globalising Arqus teaching and learning, with a focus on personalised and inclusive education.

Arqus aims to further enhance its deep commitment to excellence by incorporating a global dimension approach to teaching and learning as a key area of focus for the Alliance.

Our Goal:

To develop a globally connected academic community enabling Arqus academic staff and students the best opportunities to pursue innovation and excellence in teaching and learning.

We will achieve this by:

1. Enhancing our digital engagement with global partners.
2. Expanding our joint programme efforts to include partners from non-EU countries.
3. Providing professional development opportunities with new global partners for all Arqus staff.
4. Establishing a global Arqus forum for staff and students on innovation in teaching and learning.

The Arqus Alliance hopes to establish itself as a leader in global education, making significant contributions to advancing international teaching and learning collaborations across the Alliance. By promoting intercultural exchange, digital learning opportunities and global academic partnerships, this strategy will allow both Arqus staff and students to gain valuable international experiences and skills, enhancing their employability and academic development in a globally connected world.

The core mission of the Arqus Alliance is to transform European higher education, research and innovation through deep cooperation and progressive integration, in pursuit of an equitable and sustainable future. With research at the centre of the major goals set by the Alliance in the 2022-2032 Mission Statement, it is prudent to ensure it plays a key role in the realisation of the Alliance’s global dimension efforts.

A key identifying feature of Arqus is its commitment to attaining excellence in all of its activities including in cutting-edge research based on the principles of Open Science, and aimed at contributing to resolve the huge societal challenges faced by Europe and the wider world.

This strategy will enable the Alliance to better utilise research as a vehicle to increase our members’ contribution to solving global societal challenges while also enhancing our opportunities to attempt to break down the barriers which currently persist between education and research within higher education not just in Europe but across the world.

Our goal:

To create an environment across the Alliance that enables our universities to collaborate together to advance global interdisciplinary research which focuses on addressing world-wide issues and contributes to the advancement of a more sustainable and inclusive world.

We will achieve this by:

1. Expanding the global research impact of Arqus across multiple regions.
2. Advancing the Alliance’s interdisciplinary and global research.
3. Promoting inclusive & sustainable research initiatives globally.
4. Engaging in global knowledge transfer and new research collaborations with non-European institutions.
5. Building on from successful globally focused initiatives such as the Arqus Talent Scholarship

Fund, the Arqus Alliance will engage in multiple collaborative global research initiatives, focusing on our common goal of making Europe and Arqus appealing destinations for international talent to contribute their research.

Innovative global opportunities will play a key role in the delivery of the Arqus Alliance Global Outreach Strategy, reflecting the Alliance’s commitment to promoting a more inclusive and responsible approach to global engagement.

Through initiatives such as seminars, workshops and internships with global partners, the Alliance aims to offer academics, professional staff and students the chance to deepen their participation in global activities. This approach will provide stakeholders with a unique opportunity to broaden their intercultural competencies and global perspectives, while also delivering significant value to the global partners and communities the Alliance seeks to collaborate with.

Our goal:

To create a suite of accessible and inclusive global opportunities for our students, academics, and professional staff to engage in impactful global experiences that promote the development of intercultural skills and the initiation of global collaboration beyond the constraints of the formal curriculum.

We will achieve this by:

1. Creating a culture across the Alliance that facilitates and encourages engagement in innovative global opportunities.
2. Developing an internship programme across the Alliance that engages students from around the world.
3. Creating a task force to identify and implement a range of innovative global opportunities for Arqus members.
4. Collaborating with global non-university partners to identify initiatives where the Alliance can make meaningful contributions.
5. This aspect of the Global Outreach Strategy provides the Alliance with a key opportunity to showcase its capacity to participate in global initiatives that not only creates value for external partners but also offers significant value to Arqus participants through unique experiences and meaningful global engagement.

The diverse cultures and people within the Arqus Alliance are recognised as a key identifying feature of Arqus according to the Arqus Mission Statement. The Alliance centres its primary interest on people, as the essential component, resource and beneficiary of the knowledge society, the raison d’être of education in general, and higher education in particular.

As an Alliance made up of different EU universities and ethnicities, we are reliant on the skills, knowledge, energy, culture and experience of our people to drive forward the Alliance’s mission and vision. These global outreach efforts will be no exception. Their success will hinge on securing the support and commitment of all members across the Arqus partner institutions and our ability to bring together the differences and strengths of our various cultures to deliver success. We will also be relying on the energy, drive and expertise of colleagues from new partners we wish to engage with by harnessing their own unique skills and cultures to augment the success of our global initiatives.

People and culture are considered as resource-type enablers for supporting the delivery of this strategy, as they are essential in equipping the Alliance to successfully implement the plan and achieve the desired outcomes.

The key strategic objectives for leveraging people and culture as core resource-type enablers that can effectively support the goals and objectives of our Global Outreach Strategy are:

1. Cultivating intercultural global competence and leadership among staff by developing the skills of Alliance members to effectively engage in global collaborations and drive the Alliance’s global initiatives.
2. Creating deeper collaboration between staff across member universities to better share their culture, expertise, best practices, and resources, enhancing the collective impact of the Alliance’s efforts to expand the scope of its global outreach. We will leverage the diverse current networks of Alliance members to establish and strengthen global partnerships, enhancing the Alliance’s global reach and influence.
3. Empowering the people of the Arqus Alliance to implement sustainable practices and initiatives globally, aligning with the Alliance’s commitment to long-term positive impact.
4. Promoting inclusive and cross-cultural engagement and ensuring active participation from a diverse range of members across the Alliance, promoting inclusivity and cross-cultural understanding in all global outreach efforts.

Arqus Alliance stakeholders will play a crucial role in enabling the delivery of the new Global Outreach Strategy by leveraging their collective expertise, cultural insights and networks. Their active participation will nurture collaboration across borders, ensuring the exchange of best practices and innovative ideas. By engaging with global partners and communities, they Will help expand the Alliance’s influence and impact, be the driving force of this new Global Outreach Strategy and strengthen the Alliance’s international presence overall.

The successful implementation of this strategy will be highly reliant on the appropriate levels and use of suitable technology and infrastructure to enable the Alliance and its stakeholders to effectively and efficiently engage on a continuous basis.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Arqus has intensified its commitment to the digitalisation of joint teaching and learning, of joint research, of internal and external communication, and the enhancement of digital skills in general. This continued advancement in the use of appropriate digital technology along with the implementation of the other relevant infrastructure required to expand the scope of the Alliance’s globalisation efforts across the world will be central to the successful utilisation of this strategy.

Technology and infrastructure serve as the second resource-type enablers for supporting the delivery of this strategy, offering the platforms, tools and supports required to efficiently and effectively implement the plan across multiple channels, ensuring its success.

The key strategic objectives for leveraging technology and infrastructure as core resource-type enablers that can effectively support the goals and objectives of our Global Outreach Strategy are:

1. Further developing and implementing appropriate technology and digital platforms to allow for the seamless connectivity, communication and collaboration among stakeholders between Arqus members and new partners worldwide.
2. Identifying and creating the appropriate policies, mechanisms, structures and resources to provide the Alliance the capabilities to successfully facilitate all elements of this strategy.
3. Utilising various data analytics and other necessary digital tools to monitor, evaluate, and optimise the impact of the Arqus Alliance global outreach initiatives, ensuring informed evidence-based and data driven decision making to allow for required strategic adjustments and continuous improvement.
4. Synchronising the strategic use of technology across the Alliance to create and expand virtual global outreach opportunities in a cohesive manner for all member institutions.

The strategic and coordinated use of technology and infrastructure by the Alliance will enhance the creation of impactful opportunities for Arqus members. This will play a key role in maximising the value provided by, and gained from this strategy in order to amplify the overall benefits.

As the fifth key identifying feature of Arqus, sustainability is central to all strategic initiatives and activities undertaken by the Alliance. Arqus is committed to driving sustainable change and empowering its communities to contribute positively through its research, education and institutions.

Sustainability has been identified as an approach-type enabler and will act as a key guide in ensuring the long-term success of the strategy’s outcomes. This plan intends to embed the concept of both financial and environmental forms of sustainability into every aspect of the strategy’s implementation. This will enable the Alliance to ensure that all activities undertaken via this strategy are environmentally sustainable while also being designed for long-term resilience, growth and durability.

The key strategic objectives for leveraging sustainability as a core approach-type enabler that can effectively support the goals and objectives of our Global Outreach Strategy are:

1. Embedding financial and environmental sustainable principles and practices into all activities delivered via this strategy.
2. Developing environmentally friendly solutions to increased global mobility and collaboration among academics, professional service staff and students.
3. Building sustainable infrastructure and support mechanisms to maintain and future-proof the initiatives of this plan.
4. Establishing clear and achievable metrics with regular assessment to track and ensure the sustainable practice of global outreach activities by Arqus Alliance members.

Both financial and environmental forms of sustainable practice will be recognised as a key enabler in helping the Alliance achieve its global outreach goals while doing so in a manner aligned with the core values of the Arqus Mission statement. This approach will deliver long-term, future-proofed benefits to all stakeholders, ensuring enduring value and impact across the Alliance.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is an essential enabler in the utilisation of the Alliance’s Global Outreach Strategy because it aims to nurture an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, driving innovation and creativity across all strategic themes.

By integrating EDI into all five themes responsible for delivering value through this strategy’s strategic framework, we will ensure that all students, staff and partners can fully participate and benefit. This will ultimately enable all stakeholders to have richer educational experiences, expand their global collaborations, and promote and deliver more equitable access to opportunities, thereby enhancing the success and impact of the Alliance’s initiatives.

EDI will act as the second approach-type enabler for supporting the delivery of this strategy by ensuring that a responsible and inclusive approach to our globalisation efforts is taken by all stakeholders across all activities.

The key strategic objectives for leveraging EDI as a core approach-type enabler that can effectively support the goals and objectives of our Global Outreach Strategy are:

1. Shaping the impact of the global outreach activities in a way that enhances access and participation in higher education across all partners that Arqus engages with.
2. Promoting inclusive and responsible globalisation across all projects and initiatives that Arqus members participate in with global partners.
3. Incorporating inclusive teaching & learning practices and principles in all global outreach activities.
4. Nurturing a multicultural environment/atmosphere through language learning and intercultural communication skills acquisition.
5. The inclusion of EDI as a core enabler to this Global Outreach Strategy underpins the commitment of the Arqus Alliance to responsible globalisation and ensuring that this plan is delivered with a strong EDI perspective.