UNSW joins Pacific Rim network

UNSW's standing as one of the region's research universities has been enhanced with its election to the Association of Pacific Rim Universities network.

Membership will enable UNSW to engage with 44 leading research-intensive universities in the Asia-Pacific region including Stanford, UCLA, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Tokyo, the National University of Singapore and Seoul National University.

Vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer said he was delighted with the development. "It will open doors to research forums and workshops and leadership programs focusing on areas of mutual interest."

UNSW was one of three new members elected, along with Yonsei University and the University of Hawaii.

APRU chairman Henry Yang, chancellor of University of California Santa Barbara, said APRU looked forward to engaging with UNSW in the "critical areas of shaping higher education and research, creating global leaders and partnering on solutions to Asia-Pacific challenges".

UNSW said its research strengths meshed with the APRU's key collaborative research themes. They include brain and mind research, global health and climate change.

In June, UNSW was invited to join GlobalTech, the Global Alliance of Technological Universities. UNSW is the only Australian university in the alliance and the first new member admitted since its inception in 2009. Co-members include Caltech, Imperial College London and Shanghai Jiao Tong.

UNSW is also a member of Universitas 21.