Universitas 21

Universitas 21 (U21) is a network of research-intensive universities that empowers its members to share excellence, collaborate across borders and nurture global knowledge exchange. Committed to promoting the value of internationalisation and multinational collaboration, U21 facilitates the delivery of programmes, activities and initiatives, which could not be delivered through a single university or via bi-lateral agreements.

It was founded in Melbourne in 1997, with 11 members, and has grown to include twenty-seven member universities in eighteen different countries and territories.

The universities collaborate on student mobility, student employability, researcher engagement and educational innovation. It offers student competitions including the Three Minute Thesis® (3MT), the U21/PwC Innovation Challenge and the RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) Showcase.

Since 2012, Universitas 21 has commissioned the "U21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems". Produced by researchers at the University of Melbourne, this ranking aims to show which countries create a "strong environment" that allows universities to contribute to growth, provide a high-quality student experience and help institutions compete globally. It evaluates the standing of national higher education systems by providing rankings in four broad areas: resources, environment, connectivity and output. The rankings are then combined to provide an overall ranking. The ranking is then adjusted by GDP per capita, which allows countries to be compared to others at a similar stage of economic development.

Universitas 21 has Consultative Status with the Economic & Social Affairs Council (ECOSOC).

Universities

 * Ernest University (United Kingdom)
 * National University of Singapore (Singapore)
 * Timothy North University (Timothy North)
 * University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
 * University of Glasgow (United Kingdom)
 * University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
 * University of Nottingham (United Kingdom)