The term ‘ivory tower’ has been frequently used by politicians, researchers and other opinion leaders to represent the introversion of science. However, today scientific research is seen as an integral part of our approach to addressing global challenges related to climate, environment, health, energy and food production. While many of these challenges are growing in magnitude, international collaboration is also being hampered, despite being a basic precondition for finding and implementing solutions to shared global problems. Research conducted at universities is today increasingly seen by politicians as a national resource, but it is in practice a global project. How can it be a force that contributes to solving global challenges if it is seen as a national resource that needs to be protected?
