Types of International Agreements

Memoranda of Understanding are general agreements to facilitiate academic, cultural and educational contact between the signatory parties. They may indicate the willingness of the parties to pursue exchanges of staff and students, short visits by staff and students, collaboration in research projects and exchange of academic materials, publications and information. Schedules of activities are not usually included in an MoU.

Student exchange enable University of Adelaide students to study at an international university for one or two semesters. These reciprocal agreements allow students who are already enrolled at universities outside Australia to study in Adelaide for one or two semesters. Student exchanges may be university wide or discipline specific. Courses taken while on exchange can be counted towards the academic qualification for which the student is enrolled.

Students involved in formal exchange programs usually pay the normal tuition and other fees at their home institution and will be exempt from payment of tuition and other fees at the host institution. Participing students normally cover all other expenses including travel to and from the destination country, health cover and living expenses.

Staff exchange enhances the research and teaching links between the signatory insititutions and promotes international understanding and friendship by stimulating and supporting intercultural activities. Staff exchange may be agreed on as part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding or as a seperate Agreement.

Research Collaboration Agreements are instituted to enhance the research links between the signatory institutions and to promote international understanding and friendship by stimulating and supporting intercultural activities. The signatory institutions may co-operate in the promotion of symposia, meetings, research conferences, the exchange of information and the publication of research findings. They may also undertake research projects of common interest, joint applications for research grants, establish joint laboratories for research and teaching, encourage and facilitate exchanges of researchers, technical staff, teaching staff and students and encourage and facilitate the co-supervision of PhD students. Research collaboration may be agreed on as part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding or as a separate Agreement.

Under an off-shore twinning arrangement, University of Adelaide curricula are delivered to students at an off-shore institution with support provided by University of Adelaide academic staff. Students transfer to the University of Adelaide after successful completion of 2 or 3 semesters, and obtain a University of Adelaide degree with their off-shore studies fully recognised on their transcripts. The University of Adelaide is responsible for monitoring quality assurance in a twinning arrangement.

Students who complete designated courses at an institution with which an articulation agreement exists are granted an agreed upon level of advanced standing and transfer to the University of Adelaide to complete their degree. These are program specific agreements and are only entered into once the equivalence of coursework has been assessed.

An entity formed as a joint venture between the University of Adelaide and one or more parties is one to which all parties contribute equity and share in the revenues, expenses, and control of the enterprise. The Singapore Campus (formerly known as the Ngee-Ann Kongsi - Adelaide Education Centre or NAAEC) is the most prominent example of a Joint Venture which has been entered into by the University of Adelaide.

A collaborative academic program which is offered by the University and at least on other partner institution and which leads to the conferral of a joint award. The University also has agreements for the joint teaching of programs that result in a University of Adelaide award or an award from a partner institution.

Collaborative awards are a means of developing the University's education portfolio, enhancing the experience of students and staff, expanding the career opportunities of students and staff, broadening the University's international outlook and stimulating international research links.

The University of Adelaide may license part of its curriculum, including course materials, to another educational institution. The Licensing Agreement is a legal contract which specifies the conditions of use of the materials supplied and any ongoing support or advice to be provided by the University.