[1] Each member is leading international best practice in research and education based on long academic traditions.
[2] The MNU was established in 2010 to enable universities to enhance diversity, to share ideas and expertise, and to learn international best practice from each other, recognising the shared commitment to an ethos of excellence in research, scholarship and rounded education.
Assessment of MURN found that it had worked well locally but the international element had been less effective, in particular due to differences in time zones and in academic calendars.
[6] The academic libraries of the member institutions have collaborated on benchmarking activities to set their performance in an international context and to develop and share best practices.
[7][8] The libraries also collaborated on assessing whether 'flipped subscription' models for open access publishing, where funds previously used for journal subscriptions are flipped to instead pay article publishing costs, were viable for mid-sized research universities.