The Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP) is a collaboration between Minnesota’s most populous county and its only land-grant university. It aims to pair cutting-edge academic research with on- the-ground practitioner expertise to improve the lives of Hennepin County residents. The HUP Office, housed within the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota, is the backbone organization that supports the Partnership.
Five Year Vision
In 2025, the HUP Office finalized our five year vision for the future. This document represents a year-long, level-setting effort that engaged over 60 leaders and doers across the Hennepin-University Partnership to create a shared articulation of where the Partnership has been, where it is now, and emerging opportunities for the future. It aims to reflect the voices and perspectives over 31 individual interviews, four focus group sessions, and hours of robust conversations with and amongst the Partnership’s Leadership Team and Advisory Committee members.
This year of listening, mapping, organizing, showcasing, and collaborating has not only clarified a refreshed vision for HUP—it has also defined five strategic imperatives that will guide our next chapter. To learn more or to explore a potential partnership, contact the HUP Office. We’d be honored to connect.
Our Work
The primary functions of the HUP office are based on current offerings and goals. The HUP office:
- Makes connections | Establish initial connections between faculty and County staff. These connections may lead to a formal collaboration or simply be an opportunity to learn from each other.
- Convenes events | Gather County staff and faculty to work together to identify, propose, and execute collaborative projects.
- Supports research and activities | Work closely with County staff and University faculty, staff, and students to facilitate high-impact research and community-engaged activities that support County priorities.
- Supports student applied research | Assist students conducting applied research while providing professional development opportunities through our ongoing research assistantship programs.
- Serves as a bridge builder | Mitigate “culture clash” when differences in mission, structure, timelines, and reward systems bump up against one another on a particular collaboration or project.
- Offers information exchange | Distribute quarterly and annual reports that highlight impactful projects across the Partnership. Highlight events, projects, student programming, and webinar presentations through monthly newsletters.
- Showcases research | Highlight faculty research at monthly webinars to County staff on relevant topics, such as child well-being, green energy, and housing policy.
Sign up for newsletters. View upcoming Events. Read HUP's Five Year Vision.