Brief overview : The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the development of international partnerships, including restrictions on international travel and people having to work remotely. Nevertheless, now more than ever, we believe in the power of international partnerships to tackle global challenges such as climate change, public health and wellbeing, and many others which cannot be solved in isolation. In this symposium, researchers from the University of Tokyo and University of Cambridge will discuss a wide range of topics including how the pandemic has affected universities; how partnerships have continued with new ways of working, technology and remote collaboration; the importance of innovation in driving economic recovery and how universities are a key driving force for this, and what makes international partnerships work. We would like to invite you to join this essential conversation among leading experts which will inform the development of international partnerships during and after the pandemic.