Key strategic partners

In 2019, University of Helsinki (UH) and Edinburgh, signed a Memorandum of Agreement, which focuses on Human Genomics and Forestry Science. Both universities have a record of expertise and world-class research in these fields and have successfully recruited eight PhD positions in both disciplines.

The agreement builds upon an existing relationship between researchers from Helsinki and Edinburgh Genomics – one of the leading genomics facilities in Europe.

There is also collaboration between Finnish researchers and Edinburgh’s Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes with the Centre addressing the major challenges in forest sustainability and landscape management. 

Related links

• Building our network of European strategic partners 

In 2020, the Rector of KU Leuven, Professor Luc Sels, committed to working closer with Edinburgh across research and education.

The University of Edinburgh became a partner on KU Leuven's Global PhD Programme. The programme recruits PhD students to work on ten joint projects in Medical & Health Humanities, European Studies and Vascular Biology, with a further ten funded by KU Leuven and offered across its research portfolio.

Thanks to the strong engagement between the two universities, shared membership and frequent dialogue at LERU and U21 meetings, KU Leuven approached the University of Edinburgh to join the Una Europa network, and the institutional partnership has gone from strength to strength since then. 

Through Una Europa membership, KU Leuven is leading a new multilateral joint undergraduate programme in European studies, where Edinburgh is a proud destination for mobility students on this new, innovative degree.

Related links

• Building our network of European strategic partners 
• Stronger together in times of Brexit: why Leuven and Edinburgh are joining forces
• Una Europa's Joint Bachelor of Arts in European Studies
• KU Leuven website

Following years of successful ongoing research collaboration and strong student interest in exchange opportunities, the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and Edinburgh are further developing their bilateral partnership activity.

The universities share PhD students in Regenerative Medicine and Social Data Science, and in 2023, a joint seed fund was launched with 63 projects applying for funding.

Researchers came together at a meeting in June 2023 across One Health, Sustainability, Quantum Computing, Social Data Science, Healthy Ageing and Diabetes to consider grant applications, and exploratory work is underway to consider new joint teaching and education initiatives.

Related links

• Building our network of European strategic partners 
• Copenhagen collaboration invites funding applications 
• Warm reception for Copenhagen delegates 
• University of Copenhagen website

Edinburgh has a strong history of collaborative EU research projects with University College Dublin (UCD) – in terms of the number of projects, project value, and excellent collaborative research outputs.

A modest joint seed fund was launched in 2018 to support projects in Migration Studies and One Health.

A new institutional commitment was confirmed in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between UCD and Edinburgh in 2019, and this agreement deepens an already close partnership.

UCD also joined the Una Europa alliance in 2022, and this gives increased opportunity for closer working and facilitated and supported research.

Related links

• Building our network of European strategic partners 
• University College Dublin website