The University of Hawaii at Manoa is now a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities — a consortium of highly ranked research universities in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The association represents 45 research universities — representing 2 million students and 120,000 faculty members total — in 16 countries in regions ranging from East Asia and Oceania to Eurasia and Latin America. To be eligible for APRU, universities must be ranked as a leading university in their respective countries or regions and have a strong international presence. 

Member universities in the U.S. include various University of California schools, Stanford and the University of Washington. 

APRU aims to provide a forum where research-oriented institutions can collaborate, bolster the Pacific Rim economy and promote Asia-Pacific science and culture, among other objectives. 

Its strategic framework, according to its website, includes efforts to shape Asia-Pacific higher education and research, create global leaders and forge partnerships that will help solve challenges faced by the region. 

A press release touts UH Manoa’s growth as a research university, noting that the Carnegie Foundation classifies the campus as an institution that has “very high” research activity, with an annual average of $333 million in outside funding such as research grants from the National Science Foundation. 

Photo: Map of pacific rim countries. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

— Alia Wong