Strategic partnerships
Our strategic partnerships bring together universities with shared ambitions to create lasting impact through research, education and international collaboration.
By building long-term relationships with leading institutions around the world, we connect people and expertise, create new opportunities for students and researchers, and develop collaboration that can grow over time.
What makes a partnership strategic?
Strategic partnerships go beyond individual projects. They bring institutions together around shared priorities, creating opportunities across research, education and our university communities.
Shared ambition
Building on complementary strengths and common goals.
Connected communities
Bringing together researchers, educators and students across institutions.
Long-term collaboration
Creating relationships that develop into new ideas, projects and opportunities over time.
Greater impact
Working together to achieve more than either institution could achieve alone.
Adelaide University
The University of Surrey and Adelaide University have built a strategic partnership around shared strengths in research, education and international collaboration.
Our partnership focuses on four key areas: cyber security, artificial intelligence, space, and sustainability and energy. Through joint research, collaborative education and opportunities for staff and students, the partnership connects expertise across both universities and helps new ideas develop into projects with wider impact.
Adelaide partnership in action
The Surrey–Adelaide partnership is creating practical opportunities for researchers, staff and students to work together across shared areas of strength.
9 follow-on funding applications
The first round of Surrey–Adelaide seed-funded projects has already generated nine further funding applications, with two successful and three awaiting outcomes.
23 workshops and events
Joint projects have delivered 23 workshops, guest lectures and public engagement activities, helping build stronger links between researchers and wider communities.
11 student placements and visits
The partnership has supported 11 student placements and visits, with further opportunities planned, alongside joint supervision and postgraduate research activity.
New education and research
Activity now includes the joint education initiatives such as the Space Fundamentals online course and a second round of Surrey–Adelaide partnership-funded projects.
From seed funding to wider impact
The Surrey–Adelaide Partnership Fund is helping researchers turn early-stage ideas into longer-term collaboration. The first round supported joint projects across the partnership’s priority areas, creating new research connections, workshops, student opportunities and further funding applications. The partnership is continuing to grow. A second round of jointly funded projects is supporting new collaborations, while activity is expanding across research, education and student engagement.
This includes joint education such as Space Fundamentals, alongside researcher exchanges, student placements and opportunities to develop new collaborative projects.
University Global Partnership Network
The University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) connects Surrey with North Carolina State University, the University of São Paulo and the University of Wollongong.
Established in 2011, the network creates opportunities for researchers, staff and students to work across institutions and disciplines on challenges with global significance. Through collaborative research, education and international mobility, UGPN helps new connections develop into lasting international partnerships and impact.
From seed funding to global collaboration
At the heart of UGPN’s research activity is the Research Collaboration Fund, helping researchers across the network turn new ideas into international collaborations.
Since 2011, the fund has invested more than US$2.5 million in 114 collaborative projects, supporting research across disciplines and institutions. UGPN activity has also enabled international mobility for more than 300 academic staff and 100 research students.
In 2026, the fund focused on clean and reliable energy solutions, supporting six international teams working across areas including smart grids, offshore wind, sustainable fuels and clean energy access.
A global network of universities
UGPN brings together four universities across four continents, connecting researchers, students and expertise through long-term international collaboration. Explore the network below.
Discover the University Global Partnership Network
See how UGPN connects universities across the world, creating opportunities for researchers, students and staff to collaborate, exchange ideas and build partnerships with global impact.
Explore more from UGPN
Continue exploring research, news and activity from across the University Global Partnership Network.
