THE GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION Professor John Taplin Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) University of Adelaide, Australia AC21 international Forum, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 19 October 2010

Research inputs and outputs Funding for research and development in the higher education sector has increased substantially in real terms during the past 25 years in both OECD and non-OECD countries. Research publications have also increased significantly during this period. Over and above these increases, there has also been a substantial increase in internationally co-authored research publications.

Percentage of publications with international co-authorship COUNTRY Australia China France Germany Indonesia Japan 9 23 South Africa UK USA 10 27

Further observations on international research collaboration Rate of growth in particular countries varies with the field of research. Steepest increases are for collaborations with universities in the Asia-Pacific region. Papers with international co-authors tend to have higher citations. Potential reasons for increasing international collaboration in research:  Convergent focus on issues of a global nature  Improvements in international communications  More PhD students doing their degrees overseas  Support from governments and other funding agencies.

Australian Government initiatives to promote international research collaboration Australian Research Council (ARC) grants may include international co-principal investigators. ARC grants also permit sharing of specialised equipment with international research collaborators. Bilateral research funding agreements between Australia and several overseas countries. International applicants eligible for PhD scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships. Prestigious fellowship programs open to non- Australian citizens.

Further proposals awaiting Australian Government approval Early career research fellowships that include up to 2 years of supported research experience overseas. Relaxation of restrictions on the expenditure by researchers of grant monies overseas. Streamlining the processing of visa applications by researchers who wish to visit Australia.

Implications The evidence for the increasing internationalisation of research and research collaboration is unmistakeable. A global consortium of research-intensive universities like AC21 should be at the forefront of such collaborations. Members of AC21 need to consider how the level of research collaboration between us can be increased.

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