University alliance launches for the East

By Paul Jump. A fifth regional alliance of research universities has been announced by three institutions in the east of England.
The University of East Anglia, the University of Essex and the University of Kent have formed the Eastern Academic Research Consortium (Eastern ARC) with the aim of becoming what the press release describes as a “significant new force in research, and research training”.
Regional alliances have become popular with the government and funders since the N8 group of northern English universities was launched in 2007. The Midlands-based M5 group was formed in August 2012, the south-western GW4 alliance was unveiled in January and the Science and Engineering South Consortium was announced in May. More...