By Craig Leroux, Senior Communications Officer

Queen's in the World

Queen’s and the other members of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities recently signed the Hefei Statement on the Ten Characteristics of Contemporary Research Universities, joining the pre-eminent global network of research universities from America, Europe, Asia and Australia that addresses issues facing research-intensive universities around the world.

“Research-intensive universities such as Queen’s are drivers of creativity, innovation, and competitive advantage,” says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “By signing the Hefei Statement, Queen’s and the other U15 institutions commit to working with our international partners to promote a policy environment in which university-based research can thrive.”

The statement articulates 10 characteristics that make a research-intensive university effective, including:

• A major research effort which has both breadth and depth
• A commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching
• The responsible exercise of academic freedom
• A tolerance and recognition of competing views and perspectives
• Open and transparent governance arrangements

In addition to Canada’s U15, the global network of signatories to the Hefei Statement include the Association of American Universities, League of European Research Universities, The Russell Group, the China 9 grouping of leading Chinese universities and the Australian Group of Eight research-intensive universities.

Queen’s is also a partner in the Matariki Network of Universities, which is an international group of leading research-intensive universities with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching.

Read more about the U15 and the Hefei Statement.