A Shared Vision for Tomorrow: Leeds and Coimbra Group Unite for Global Progress

Leeds Enhances Global Research Footprint Through Coimbra Group Membership

The University of Leeds has announced its entry into the Coimbra Group, a renowned European association dedicated to the internationalisation of higher education, academic collaboration, research excellence, and societal engagement.Established in 1985 and formally recognised by Charter in 1987, the Coimbra Group is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025, making it the oldest university network in Europe.With the inclusion of Leeds, alongside Newcastle University and the University of Wroclaw in Poland, the Group’s membership now totals 42 universities.

Professor Shearer West CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leeds, expressed enthusiasm about the development, stating that the Group’s outward-looking ethos and its commitment to creating impact both globally and locally align closely with Leeds’s mission and strategic priorities. At the same time, Professor Ludovic Thilly, who has chaired the Coimbra Group’s Executive Board since 2017, warmly welcomed the new members. He noted that Leeds, Newcastle, and Wroclaw share the Group’s values and demonstrate strong capabilities in research, education, and innovation, adding that he expects them to contribute significantly to the Group’s thematic discussions and policy work.

In addition to this latest affiliation, the University of Leeds is also a member of the European Universities Association and the Worldwide Universities Network, reflecting its broad international engagement. The university is already collaborating with institutions in Norway on key research areas including culture, energy, and health.

Furthermore, in 2024, Leeds joined the North Sea University Partnership (NSUP), which focuses on research into the Arctic, cultural heritage, health, and the North Sea,encompassing areas such as energy, marine science, and the green transition. This partnership, which includes the University of Bergen (also a Coimbra Group member), aims to strengthen UK-Norway academic ties and address global challenges through collaborative research and innovation.Thus, the University of Leeds’s membership in the Coimbra Group marks another step in its strategic pursuit of impactful global engagement.

Editor’s Note:

The University of Leeds’s entry into the distinguished Coimbra Group marks a significant development in the landscape of international higher education. As Leeds joins this distinguished network of research-intensive institutions, the collaboration is poised to deepen the collective pursuit of academic excellence, policy influence, and societal progress. This partnership signals not just a symbolic milestone but a strategic alignment of vision and action. The Coimbra Group, with 40 years of experience, offers a strong platform for knowledge exchange, research, and pedagogical innovation. Leeds can contribute dynamic research and a global agenda to Coimbra's thematic clusters, while gaining access to European higher education dialogue. Leeds's impact-driven initiatives, like NSUP and the Worldwide Universities Network, make this collaboration promising. Within Coimbra, Leeds will contribute to research in energy, health, and culture, and help design inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready educational systems.

As per Skoobuzz, in an age of intricate transformation, this partnership demonstrates how international academic collaborations can redefine education's purpose, shifting it from isolated institutional endeavors to collective global objectives.