Institutional University Cooperation (IUC)

Institutional University Cooperation (IUC) programmes are long-term institutional partnerships between a university in the South and the Flemish universities and university colleges in Flanders.

The general objective of Institutional University Cooperation is “Empowering the local university as institution to better fulfil its role as development actor in society”. This means that an IUC envisions not only a contribution to developmental change –linked to different academic priority domains– outside the university but also a change process within the university leading to improved performance of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) in a number of institutional priority domains.

An IUC partner programme is guided by a strong overall programme strategy and logic supported by a coherent set of synergetic/complementary projects involving interdisciplinary approaches. An IUC envisions both institutional and developmental change. This change realised through academic theme-based projects (research and educational strengthening of involved departments) and mandatory transversal (institutional strengthening) projects. These “transversal projects” are expected to focus on institution-wide organisational capacity building in a number of prioritised institutional policy domains (research policy, curricula/accreditation, university management, HRD, international relations, finance department, gender policy); and/or in domains of internal service delivery (ICT, library, language, basic sciences labs, ..); and/or in domains of external service delivery (outreach services, dissemination, extension/ Research and Technology Transfer (RTT) - offices, communication, ...)

The IUC intake process is a multi-stage process with 3 main selection stages, each consisting of several steps in the procedure. The first stage in an IUC selection and intake process is a Call for Concept Notes South open to universities in a limited number of partner countries (as indicated in the call). This first selection stage leads to the shortlist  of potential IUC partner institutions that will move into a next (second) selection stage (institutional assessments, followed by a call for extended concept notes). Result of the Extended Concept Note stage is a selection of partner institutions moving into a Phase in (matchmaking, formulation of final programme proposals). In a final stage, partner programme proposals are selected in view of starting an IUC partner programme on 1 January 2022. More information can be found under the Calls section.

In March 2021, 5 new partner universities entered the IUC Phase In, the last stage in the preparations  to engage in IUC cooperation with Flemish HEIs.

The IUC Phase In is a preparatory stage of a longterm IUC partnership (Phase I) between a local partner university and the Flemish HEIs. During this stage the operational set-up of an IUC partnership is prepared as well as the necessary steps in the formulation process of a Phase 1 project proposal for 2022-2026.
 
Overview IUC 2022 – Selected IUC for Phase In :

General information on the IUC project tool:

IUC 2022_Background document_General IUC Concepts and framework

IUC 2022_Background document_IUC Management structure and adapted procedure for IUC team composition

IUC 2022_Background document_Short Overview IUC Team Leaders

In the fall of 2021, VLIR-UOS - in close cooperation with the involved partner universities - organised connect sessions where the IUC-project proposals were presented to the broader public.

You can find their short introductory videos here, as well the registration of their respective connect sessions.

The new IUC projects have a dedicated sharepoint, the IUC Platform where they can interact with each other, exchange lessons learned and also find all formats and guidelines for formulation.

Each IUC also has a reserved page.