Matariki Network of Universities

The Matariki Network of Universities (MNU) is an international group of universities that focuses on strong links between research and undergraduate teaching.^[1] Each member is leading international best practice in research and education based on long academic traditions.^[2] The MNU was established in 2010 to enable universities to enhance diversity, to share ideas and expertise, and to learn international best practice from each other, recognising the shared commitment to an ethos of excellence in research, scholarship and rounded education.^[3]

Name and activities

Matariki is the name in the Māori language for the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. It reflects the seven founding member universities of the MNU.^[4][5]

The Matariki Undergraduate Research Network (MURN) ran in 2012 and 2013 as an attempt to foster international undergraduate research. Assessment of MURN found that it had worked well locally but the international element had been less effective, in particular due to differences in time zones and in academic calendars.^[6]

The academic libraries of the member institutions have collaborated on benchmarking activities to set their performance in an international context and to develop and share best practices.^[7][8] The libraries also collaborated on assessing whether 'flipped subscription' models for open access publishing, where funds previously used for journal subscriptions are flipped to instead pay article publishing costs, were viable for mid-sized research universities.^[9]

The "Oceans and the Blue Economy" theme brought together researchers from the Matariki universities to identify ways in which the marine economy could achieve economic goals while also building environmental resilience.^[10]

Universities

The network was set up by seven universities in 2010.^[11] These were joined by an eighth university, University of the Western Cape in South Africa, in 2024.^[12]

Members	Country	Year established[5]	Year joined
Dartmouth College	United States	1769	2010
Durham University	United Kingdom	1832	2010
Queen's University	Canada	1841	2010
University of Otago	New Zealand	1869	2010
University of Tübingen	Germany	1477	2010
University of Western Australia	Australia	1911	2010
University of the Western Cape	South Africa	1959	2024
Uppsala University	Sweden	1477	2010

Universities of the MNU

• 
  Dartmouth College: view from the Baker Library
• 
  Durham University: University College
• 
  Queen's University: Ontario Hall
• 
  University of Otago: Clocktower Building
• 
  University of Tübingen: the Neue Aula
• 
  University of Western Australia: Winthrop Hall
• 
  University of the Western Cape: entrance to the central campus
• 
  Uppsala University: botanic gardens