Global Minds

Global Minds enables Flemish higher education institutions to operate as drivers of change for sustainable development by producing and valorising relevant knowledge and expertise through mutually beneficial partnerships with and between (non-)academic actors in Belgium and partner countries, and by creating a conducive environment for their students, staff and alumni to act as critical global citizens. Global Minds (GM) enables Flemish higher education institutions (HEIs) to operate as drivers of change for sustainable development by producing and valorising relevant knowledge and expertise through mutually beneficial partnerships with and between (non-)academic actors in Belgium and partner countries, and by creating a conducive environment for their students, staff and alumni to act as critical global citizens. VLIR-UOS will contribute to the achievement of sustainable and equitable development by promoting knowledge-driven global partnerships, capacitating skilled individuals that can act as global citizens, and facilitating the valorisation and uptake of relevant knowledge. GM represents a pivotal outcome in that regard, because the impact of an SDG-proof model of higher education cooperation stems in large part from the ability of Flemish HEIs to initiate and facilitate partnerships with actors in Belgium and partner countries through which relevant knowledge can be co-created and valorised. GM projects focus to varying degrees on educational, research and organisational capacity strengthening of diverse Flemish HEIs. In general, the GM projects of Flemish HEIs are expected to structure as well as monitor their activities and deliverables around six core domains reflecting the key components of higher education institutional capacity: (i) education programmes and methods, (ii) research programmes and methods, (iii) individual capacity strengthening, (iv) outreach and policy support, (v) networks and partnerships and (vi) systems, policies and infrastructure.