Universitas 21
“Fostering collaborative partnerships and global research networks like U21 allow Illinois to provide students, faculty, and staff with access to the transformative teaching, learning, and outreach experiences central to our institutional mission.”
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
About U21
Universitas 21 (U21) is a global university network established in 1997 to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between members institutions and strengthen capacity through internationalization and open dialogue. U21 members have access to several high-value cooperative research, learning, and development opportunities, enabling collaboration, knowledge exchange, and enhanced capacity to engage within local and global communities.
U21’s activities fall into three areas of focus:
- Educational Innovation
- Researcher Engagement
- Student Experience
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign joined the U21 in October 2024 as the fifth North American institution represented in the network and the first from the Midwest region. As a member university, Illinois students, faculty, and staff will have access to several unique initiatives and programs with esteemed peer institutions from multiple corners of the world.
Opportunities for Illinois Faculty
Mid-Career Researcher Programme: Reset, Re-imagine, Reframe
The program convenes mid-career researchers from across U21’s global membership to share knowledge, perspectives, and ideas, blending engaging asynchronous content and high-touch synchronous sessions. Participants are nominated by member universities.
Global Leadership Program
The Global Leadership Program reflects real dynamic challenges faced by U21 universities and explores the leadership required to meet those challenges. The 4-week online program connects peers around the world through discussion. Participants are nominated by member universities.
Early Career Researcher Workshop
The Early Career Researcher workshop enhances international networking and encourages the development of interdisciplinary collaborative research on an aspect of a UN Sustainable Development Goal for those in the early stages of their career. Participants are nominated by member universities.
Opportunities for Illinois Students
Three Minute Thesis Competition
The competition allows students to develop academic, presentation, and research communication skills by explaining their research to a non-specialist audience. The local competitions will occur face-to-face while the virtual final will allow students to hone skills associated with presenting to a global audience and participating in an international peer review.
Sustainable Micro-Internships
U21 Sustainable micro-internships allow students to work with their peers from across the globe, sharing knowledge and expertise while immersing themselves in a commercial organization. In a group, students will be tasked with providing a solution to a real-life SDG related challenge, which they will pitch to senior stakeholders within the organization.
U21 Global Citizens
Global Citizens is a three-week, online leadership development course with 75 student spaces available per university. By developing ideas together, across borders and time zones, students develop the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century whilst tackling some of the world’s most pressing problems, outlined in the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
RISE Showcase and Awards
RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) is U21’s international showcase of student achievement in sustainability and social innovation designed to accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects by connecting them with a network of experts in academia and industry. Each member institution is invited to nominate up to four student-led projects.
Illinois-U21 News
U21 Welcomes the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Watch the welcome message for Illinois from U21 Provost, Professor Jenny Dixon.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign joins U21
Illinois joined Universitas 21, a global education network, in October 2024, to enhance collaborative research and education opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
More Global Illinois Stories
Explore the latest global learning and engagement stories through the Illinois International News blog.
Resources
Questions about the U21 network and associated opportunities may be directed to Global Relations at iip-globalrelations@illinois.edu.