University Partnerships
Formal Collaborations
Any formal collaboration such as a Memorandum of Understanding, an Articulation Agreement, or a Contract between UH and a foreign institution requires the endorsement of UH Institute for Global Engagement, the Office of the Provost and, if necessary, the Office of the General Counsel before it can be implemented.
The Process for Establishing International Affiliations assists UH faculty and administrators through the required steps in establishing formal collaborations.
Global University Partnerships are initiatives driven by faculty and colleges, entailing ongoing formal academic cooperation between the University of Houston and educational institutions in other countries. These initiatives may encompass student mobility (reciprocal and/or non-reciprocal), faculty, scholar, and staff exchanges, joint research, or any other type of scholarly and academic collaboration. The Institute for Global Engagement actively supports and facilitates the creation and implementation of these global partnerships.
Types of Partnerships
General Collaboration: Memorandum of Understanding
General collaboration implies joint activities that are non-binding and not legally enforceable. The formal recognition of the willingness to partner takes the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Through an MOU, the involved parties identify and outline the collaboration in its more general stage, setting the groundwork for further development and specific initiatives.
Click here to view the UH MOU approved form.
Collaboration with Specific Outcomes: Articulation Agreement
Partnerships with specific outcomes refer to collaborative efforts where UH and the International partner work towards achieving clear goals and intended results. The Key characteristics of partnerships with specific outcomes are:
- Specific goals and measurable results
- Specialized projects that require regular evaluation and assessment
- Include implementation and execution plans with specific requirements, steps and timelines for each of the steps.
- May imply financial commitments for any or both of the parties.
Some examples of collaboration with specific outcomes include reciprocal student exchange, transferring credits from one institution to UH, affiliation to a program or project on a non-reciprocal basis, etc. The collaboration with specific outcomes requires an Articulation Agreement, additional to an MOU. Obtaining approvals of the Office of the General Counsel and other UH Areas is mandatory.
Creating a Partnership
Any formal collaboration, such as a Memorandum of Understanding or an Articulation Agreement, between UH and a foreign institution requires endorsement from the Office of the General Counsel, the Institute for Global Engagement, and the Office of the Provost before implementation.
The University Partnerships area assists UH faculty and administrators throughout the necessary steps in establishing these formal global collaborations.
For questions or to discuss setting up a global university partnership, please contact Dr. Luis Alcocer, Assistant Director of University Partnerships.