The University of Massachusetts Amherst has established active partnership agreements with countries worldwide, creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage in meaningful and enriching international educational and research experiences.
The Global Partnerships division supports faculty sponsors and the agreement process to ensure well-stewarded, focused, and comprehensive international agreements that:
- Encourage durable multidisciplinary collaboration
- Build sustainable academic networks that strengthen mobility and knowledge exchanges
- Support strategic University priorities
- Align with institutional goals for research, teaching, and service.
Further support for the agreement process is provided by the Vice Provost for Global Affairs, Export Control, and the Office of General Counsel to ensure partnership proposals, reviews, and renewals and in accordance with established goals and guidelines.
For those requesting an agreement, it is important to note that a formal agreement is not necessary to carry out singular international activities such as faculty mobility or collaboration on joint publications, unless otherwise stipulated by funding requirements or other regulating authority. Please review the required feasibility report before initial pursuit of a new or renewed agreement. Agreements will not be drafted without a comprehensive feasibility report and strategic consensus.
Protocols for Memoranda of Agreement
The Global Partnerships division provides agreement templates which aim to improve research, educational experiences, and training programs between the University and international institutions. To request partnership, a comprehensive feasibility report and strategic consensus is required to provide an account of the rational, objectives, and ensure ongoing support for the agreement.
Faculty or staff sponsors pursuing an agreement should articulate focused objectives and alignment with university priorities. When planning a new agreement, or the renewal of an existing agreement, the following elements are important to include in the proposal.
- Understanding and outline of shared goals
- Clear action plan for the type(s) of engagement
- Leverage of university resources (intellectual capital and/or facilities)
- Alignment with institutional, college, school and/or departmental priorities and objectives
- Accountability for the mitigation of risk
- Listing of responsible parties and the approval of School or College leadership
All proposals and renewals require the support of the sponsor's department head and dean. Reports must include acknowledgement that the proposed partnership has been discussed with academic leadership and that brief statements of support (email will suffice) from the department head and dean will be forwarded to @email.
To request a new or the renewal of an agreement, please prepare a comprehensive feasibility report. The feasibility report will also be used for bench marking the final agreement at both the midpoint and end of its five-year duration.
Sponsor Reporting Obligations
Agreements are generally valid for a duration of five years. Not all agreements will yield definitive outcomes, while others work well and may be renewed. A smaller number can lead to significant research and academic opportunities. All agreements will require follow-up reporting, and therefore should not be entered into without established planning and forethought.