The pros and cons of collaborations and mergers in Higher Education (HE) are widely discussed. The Leadership Foundation, London, have launched a series of Stimulus Papers, a new publication initiative. One of the first Stimulus Papers provides new background to this topic and is entitled ‘Collaborations and mergers in Higher Education – lessons learned and future prospects’. The Stimulus Paper examines what might happen in the context of collaborations and mergers in HE in the United Kingdom (UK) over the next few years, including an examination of the drivers for change. However, the international debate surrounding HE might also take some useful thoughts from the paper.