1.1.1: Twin Institutes
Strengthen UNU’s presence in developing and transitional countries and intensify research and teaching interaction with developed
countries
Other Information:
The focus of attention lies — as it does for the UN system as a whole — on the developing world where the development needs
are greatest. Figures 1 and 2 overleaf show that the main focus of UNU’s research and capacity development activities lies
in the developing countries. However, most of UNU’s institutional representations are located in the developed countries,
as shown in figure 3. This dichotomy needs to be addressed in order to make UNU’s operations more effective, efficient, culturally
adapted, and sustainable. A stronger representation of UNU in the developing countries and in the countries in transition
will also create a stronger sense of ownership of its various activities and outputs in the different regions.
Stakeholder(s):
- Twin Institutes: A Twin Institute is an ordinary RTC RTC/P with two (in exceptional cases also 3 or maximally 4) different locations, one of
them being in a developed country, the other one being in a developing country. In both locations there is a group of researchers,
teachers, and students (called a Twin or a Twinning Partner). The two Twins will develop a joint research and teaching agenda:
they will spend more than 50% of their time on joint projects. The students, in the course of a programme, usually spend time
in both locations and the researchers will meet regularly for exchanging ideas and they might want to organize at least one
joint meeting per year. In addition UNU’s e-learning facilities and capacities can be a crucial tool for a resource effective
way to share and build-up educational programmes and curricula. In this way UNU’s capacity development in the developing world
will be strengthened and the scholars in the developed countries will be better versed to respond to very specific local/regional
conditions. It will also strengthen the academic basis of the developing host country. “Brain drain” is an unlikely consequence
since the reputation and scientific quality of the group in the developing country will be equal to that of the twin in the
developed country. For the basic funding of a Twin Institute the cost of the Twin in the developed country has to be covered
by its host country. It is crucial that a certain share of the funding for the Twin in the developing country is derived from
its host country, too (at least 30%): there should be no part of an institute in a country whose government is not interested
in making at least a partial contribution. The remaining financial resources have to come from research and teaching projects
that are formulated by the two groups jointly and that are submitted to funding agencies or other donors in the developed
country or elsewhere. The presently existing UNU Institutes (RTC RTC/Ps) have been invited to present a plan on how to build
up a “Twin Partner” in a developing country (in a developed country, respectively) by the end of November 2009. Good progress
in setting up the partner institute should be achieved by the end of 20111. It is highly desirable that the new Twin Partner
is near an existing university or another academic institution of high reputation with people interested in having the UNU
institute nearby, possibly on the same campus. Probably the most efficient — but not the most direct — approach to twinning
is to capitalize on existing partnerships in order to spawn a new entity that will preliminarily operate as an affiliated
programme/institute. The context of the existing collaboration will set the basis for, but will not limit the scope of, the
affiliated programme to be created. Over time this affiliated programme/institute could gradually become a fully-fledged Twin
of the existing institute with a shared educational curriculum, joint research programmes and tightly linked (or common) budgets.
A more direct route to twinning is the creation of an entirely new Twin Institute without pre-existing links to an implementing
partner such as another university or research facility. This involves the acquisition of one or several funding partners
in the developing country such as a ministry, an endowment fund, private industry etc. In addition, the Twin in the developed
country or its direct donors also needs to commit funding to the other Twinning Partner. In this twinning approach, the primary
liaison is established between donors and the UNU institute in the developed country. However, to ensure sustainability and
a sense of ownership links should also be created with an existing research infrastructure in the developing country. The
implementation of the Twin Institute will be guided by the existing Twin in close collaboration with the donors in the other
country. New institutes that are currently under discussion will have to be conceived as Twin Institutes from the outset.
Indicator(s):
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