International Consortium for Research Culture

Project leads:

• University of Warwick: Victoria Strudwick from National Centre for Research Culture
• Monash University: Kris Kathiravel from International Research Partnerships and Programs

In a world that is increasingly recognising that global challenges cannot be solved in isolation, productive transnational research partnerships are essential. Research culture plays a critical role in shaping equitable, productive partnerships across global institutions. However, systemic barriers such as unequal access to resources, governance differences, and cultural misalignment, often hinder collaboration. This project establishes the International Consortium for Research Culture (ICRC), a partnership between Monash University, the University of Warwick, and Stellenbosch University, to address these challenges through shared learning and co-created solutions.

The consortium will convene two action-based workshops: the first (hosted online by Warwick) will map regional priorities and identify systemic challenges, the second (hosted online by Monash) which will explore key research culture challenges in different contexts, and a third in Stellenbosch that will develop a draft sustainability and governance plan and recommendations for improving practice.

These activities will be supported by ongoing virtual meetings and knowledge-sharing outputs, including publications and conference presentations. The project aims to embed equity-informed governance practices, enhance professional development offerings, and create scalable models for sustainable research partnerships.

Benefits to Higher Education Professional Support

For professional services teams, ICRC delivers tangible benefits:

• Enhanced capability: Access to globally informed strategies for research culture reform, improving governance and partnership protocols.
• Professional development: Opportunities to co-create training resources and frameworks that strengthen staff expertise in international collaboration.
• Operational efficiency: Shared tools and best practices streamline processes for onboarding, project management, and compliance in transnational research.
• Sector leadership: Positions Monash and Warwick as thought leaders in research culture innovation, influencing policy and practice across the global higher education landscape.

This initiative empowers professional staff to drive sustainable change, ensuring institutions are equipped to support equitable, high-impact research partnerships worldwide.