Excellent research needs the best minds from all over the world to work together. It is a strategic priority for the EU. Yet international cooperation in research and innovation is taking place in a transformed global landscape, where geopolitical tensions are rising, and human rights and fundamental values are being challenged. The EU’s response is to lead by example, promoting multilateralism, openness, and reciprocity in its cooperation with the rest of the world. Through its Global Approach to Research and Innovation, the EU is facilitating global responses to global challenges, such as climate change or pandemics, respecting international rules and fundamental EU values, and strengthening its open strategic autonomy.