Strategic Partnership Framework

What is the Strategic Partnership Framework?

The Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) is the University of Groningen's approach to deepening cooperation with a select group of leading universities outside Europe. Its guiding principle is depth over breadth: lasting, structured relationships with institutions where shared ambition translates into joint research, doctoral training, and educational innovation.

The framework runs through 2030 with renewed funding. It connects UG researchers, lecturers, and students to high-quality networks across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.

The SPF is coordinated by the Department of International Strategy & Relations (ISR) and aligns with UG's Institutional Plan.

Three pillars

• Trust: Long-term institutional commitment that goes beyond individual projects.
• Depth: Substantive research and PhD collaboration that grows over time.
• Reach: A global network across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.

Our partners

Institutions across four regions form the SPF network. The framework remains open to selective expansion as it develops.

Six interconnected objectives

The SPF pursues collaboration through six objectives that reinforce one another:

• Sandwich PhDs: jointly supervised doctoral trajectories with shared research output, in most cases leading to a double or joint degree.

• Non-degree mobility: short academic visits, research stays, and exchanges that build relationships and seed longer collaborations.

• Co-funding: shared investment between UG and partner institutions, combining local resources with UG matching to make collaboration sustainable.

• Academic matchmaking: connecting researchers across institutions to develop joint projects, proposals, and supervision arrangements.

• Educational innovation: joint course development, summer schools, and other forms of educational cooperation.

• Visibility: joint events, communication, and shared positioning that strengthen both institutions' presence.

Why these partners

Strategic Partners are selected because they combine three things: a substantive academic match with UG, a clear institutional commitment to long-term collaboration, and a favourable environment for joint doctoral training.

This combination is what makes sustainable collaboration possible. Over the past decade it has produced a steady increase in joint publications and a growing pipeline of double and joint PhDs.

How we support collaboration

ISR works with UG academics, faculties, graduate schools, and partner institutions to make collaboration easier to start and easier to sustain. Depending on what you are looking for, we can:

• Connect you with academics, research groups, and faculty contacts at a partner institution

• Advise on funding routes and how their timelines fit with UG processes

• Coordinate visits, joint activities, joint proposals, and educational collaboration with the partner

• Provide seed funding through dedicated SPF instruments for staff and student mobility

Academic Ambassadors

Each partnership is championed by one or more UG Academic Ambassadors: UG academic staff who act as a scientific bridge between UG and the partner institution. Ambassadors help identify collaboration opportunities, host visits, and connect colleagues across faculties.

If you have a particular affinity with a specific partner or region and would like to support engagement, contact the relevant regional ISR coordinator. They can introduce you to the current ambassador and discuss how you could contribute.

Get in touch

For questions about the SPF or to discuss collaboration with a specific partner, contact the regional ISR coordinator listed above, or email spf rug.nl.