UK Universities Reconnect with Horizon Europe: UEA Champions International Research

UK Universities Reconnect with Horizon Europe: UEA Champions International Research

(IN BRIEF) The University of East Anglia (UEA) welcomes the United Kingdom’s decision to rejoin the Horizon Europe research programme, a significant move given the programme’s £80 billion budget and global prominence in research and innovation funding. UEA emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in achieving world-class research, especially in addressing complex, interdisciplinary challenges like climate change, food security, healthcare, and AI. The reintegration into Horizon Europe enhances UEA’s global academic reputation and provides unique opportunities for arts, humanities, and social sciences. UEA researchers are already preparing to leverage Horizon Europe, with a commitment to work with the government on streamlining regulations for international research collaborations, including mobility and visa rules and facilitating fieldwork for UK-led projects.

(PRESS RELEASE) NORWICH, 21-Nov-2022 — /EuropaWire/ — University of East Anglia, a public research university based in Norwich, England, expresses its jubilation as the United Kingdom rejoins the renowned EU research programme, Horizon Europe. With an impressive budget exceeding £80 billion, Horizon Europe stands as the world’s largest and most successful research framework programme, offering an extensive array of research and innovation funding opportunities.

Collaboration across international borders is deemed indispensable in the pursuit of world-class research, as it thrives on the contributions of individuals working across borders. The essence of exceptional research lies in the diversity of perspectives, complementary expertise, and varied approaches to addressing the multifaceted and interdisciplinary challenges that confront global populations.

These challenges encompass critical areas such as climate change, food security, infectious diseases, sustainable agriculture, healthcare for aging populations, water resource management, energy efficiency, low-carbon initiatives, and the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). These topics significantly intersect with the research and expertise cultivated at UEA and the broader Norwich Research Park, making this announcement a boon for Norwich, the surrounding region, and the United Kingdom at large.

However, these challenges extend far beyond national boundaries, emphasizing the imperative to establish and nurture international consortia capable of devising comprehensive responses and solutions. Such collaborative efforts achieve greater scale and impact, enabling countries to collectively address issues more effectively than through isolated national endeavors.

Active participation in EU research programs elevates UEA’s global academic standing and reputation, as EU-funded initiatives have a far-reaching international influence, extending the reach of our research to a global audience. Notably, UEA’s strength lies in its interdisciplinary approach, and the prospects for arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines within Horizon Europe are unparalleled.

Historically, UEA’s research community has excelled in securing EU funding. Our researchers are already gearing up to capitalize on the opportunities presented by Horizon Europe, and we are committed to working with the government to address broader challenges faced by international research collaborations. These include streamlining mobility and visa regulations for researchers coming to the UK and simplifying travel and fieldwork execution for researchers engaged in UK-led projects.

UEA remains dedicated to fostering a vibrant and globally impactful research environment and looks forward to contributing to the collective advancement of knowledge and solutions through Horizon Europe.

Media contact:

communications@uea.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of East Anglia