Dr Cecily Pepper, Research Fellow at the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy, reflects on how the recent report produced in collaboration with Universitas 21 illustrates the importance of international collaboration for the technical community.
I recently had the fantastic opportunity to co-lead on the collaborative report: Global Insights: Technical Professionals in Higher Education and Research with Dr Kelly Vere MBE. Despite their essential contributions to research, teaching, and knowledge exchange, technical staff remain an under-recognised and under-researched workforce. There is limited global data on their roles, career pathways, or strategic development. As such, the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy, in collaboration with Universitas 21, launched a new international initiative to better understand and support technical professionals in higher education. research opened my eyes further to the wonderful world of technicians – this time, on a global scale!
Gathering data from institutions across the world highlighted the many differences and similarities in how technical professionals are defined, supported, and developed – which are explored in depth in the report. One instance showed significant variation in how technical professionals are defined and categorised, both within and across institutions. Interestingly, these definitions also have a direct impact on technical roles, responsibilities and opportunities. A prime example of this was teaching responsibilities. Due to blurred boundaries, technical staff often taught “on behalf” of academics, so did not receive any formal credit or recognition for their teaching contributions.
On the other hand, the report illuminated positive similarities too, such as nearly all institutions outlining how they are either introducing, advocating for, or developing technical career pathways, with the aim of improving consistency and creating more accurate job descriptions.
The report also spotlights international examples of best practice we can all learn from. For example, University of Melbourne’s unique ‘academic specialist’ categorisation is widely regarded as exemplary within the Australian context for the progression, leadership, and recognition opportunities it enables for some technical professionals. Including this example in an international report helps raise awareness of the model and its benefits beyond Australia, while supporting shared learning across borders.
International collaboration
As part of the research process, I engaged with participating institutions across the global Universitas 21 network. Throughout this involvement, it became very clear that there is interest in international collaboration. Although this was an unexplored concept for many – mostly due to time restraints – the participating individuals were excited to take part in the research because it was itself a prime example of international collaboration.
Reflecting on both the research findings and the panel discussion about the report which I recently co-hosted for UK ITSS SpringFest 2026, the unique and critical value of international collaboration are very apparent.
The report illustrates the impact of collaboration across international borders in strengthening the technical workforce by enabling shared learning, innovation, and recognition.
In the SpringFest session, individuals who took part in the research explained how beneficial it was to hear that technical professionals were facing the same struggles worldwide. It was fascinating to discuss how international contexts varied. We also discussed how useful it is to share best practice so that everybody can learn from each other and explore new ways to do things.
When asked about final takeaways, several panellists mentioned the importance of networking and collaboration. These activities are not only essential to strengthening the technical workforce but can also bring powerful benefits on a personal level. They can make people feel less alone and provide a platform to share struggles with visibility, recognition, and career development.
Moving forward – Community of Practice
So, how can we ensure international collaboration keeps moving forward now the report has been published?
Dr Kelly Vere MBE has created a dedicated Universitas 21 Community of Practice for Technical Skills & Strategy. This Community of Practice provides a platform to facilitate and improve international collaboration to build on the momentum created by the report and maximise the benefits for the technical community.
The benefits of this Community of Practice include:
- International knowledge exchange, peer support, shared learning, and networking. This may include webinars, online meetings, and potential ‘buddying’ between institutions.
- Support with barriers and strategic priorities related to development and leadership among the technical workforce.
- Exploring the growing global interest in adapting and applying the Technician Commitment
- A platform for collaborative opportunities such as joint activities, pilot projects and future events.
Overall, the development and launch of this Community of Practice will encourage international collaboration with the fundamental aim of strengthening the technical workforce.