A novel model for extending international co-operation in science and education

In September 1994 the University of Twente, the Netherlands, and Zhejiang University, China, decided to cooperate in the field of science, education and management. After several visits of delegations from both sides it was considered worthwhile to explore further opportunities for mutual cooperation. The directors of international cooperation on each side jointly commissioned a project to investigate the potential in a systematic way and to establish further contacts where appropriate. This paper reports on the results of the research cum matching project. To reveal promising matches between multiple departments of both academic institutions a matching model for universities was designed. The study was carried out along two parallel lines. In the research line the theoretical framework was developed into a model for international university co-operation. Moreover, an analysis was carried out on internal, external and cultural aspects resulting in a set of thirty four influencing factors. In the matching line a total of seventy interviews were held in order to identify promising matches between units at both universities. This line resulted in eleven promising matches for further co-operation. The novel model appeared useful in analyzing the variety of factors and in developing matches between both universities. In the further implementation of the model the issues of "level of co-operation" and "top-down versus bottom-up" need to be addressed in more detail.