48 Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Abstract The new Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research provides key insights to the global diversity of undergradu- ate research (UR) philosophies and practices. This article introduces the Handbook, discusses its structure and key themes, explains how the Handbook was written and explores the lessons that emerged during the writing pro- cess. The article demonstrates how global UR is linked to the educational research literature, to academic disciplinary contexts and to educational systems in different countries. The authors draw attention to cultural and sociopolitical differences between nations and suggest fruitful avenues for UR’s future global development. The variety and com- plexity of worldwide UR implementation frameworks not- withstanding, UR holds significant potential to network community-based research efforts and to support democra- tization of knowledge creation and dissemination. Keywords: undergraduate research, international, diversity, democratization, community-based research, assessment doi: 10.18833/spur/6/3/2 The new Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research (hereafter Handbook, Mieg et al. 2022) provides a sweep- ing overview of worldwide undergraduate research (UR) programs. Representing 29 disciplines and 25 countries, the more than 200 authors and reviewers of the Handbook form a dynamic community of practice. These teachers and researchers are enthusiastic about the ongoing global advancement of UR in its many forms. As this Handbook reaffirms, there is considerable evidence from varied Harald A. Mieg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Elizabeth Ambos, Council on Undergraduate Research, Retired Angela Brew, Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research The Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research: New Global Insights national perspectives that undergraduate engagement in research develops a wide range of professional and per- sonal skills. These include not only the skills of research and inquiry, but also the ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity, preparing students for whatever work they do in their future lives. Furthermore, the authors all care passionately about engaging undergraduates in research because global challenges urgently require an expanded community of researchers to build capacity for and navi- gate more quickly toward solutions. The structure and context, opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned from the process of working on the Hand- book are presented in this article. The greatest opportu- nity is the possibility of ongoing mutual international exchanges on UR, including the networking and relation- ship-building resulting from these exchanges. The biggest challenge remains the implementation of UR; from useful assessment strategies, fluctuations in resource availability, sociopolitical transitions, even to the question of what “counts” as appropriate UR. One future vision is that worldwide UR efforts should foster more community- based research, and accelerate the democratization of knowledge creation and dissemination. Content and Structure of the Handbook: From Theory to Practice To summarize the Handbook’s design: This book presents UR in a thematically comprehensive and structured way and is based on worldwide networking efforts. It spans both theory and practice and is divided in five parts: I. Theory and Research on Undergraduate Research; II. Implementation, Approaches, Methods; III. Disciplines; COMMENTARY