Boundary organizations are those that bridge spaces between clearly defined sectors or practices. Networks of academic institutions and researchers are among the most productive boundary organizations, holding key potential in addressing power imbalances, breaking institutional silos, and building and sustaining partnerships for impact. From the experience of almost two decades of building an academic network work in the Hindu Kush Himalaya – the Himalayan University Consortium – the authors reflect on the paradigmatic shift in the partnership landscape. The talk highlights the key moments of transformation from an instrument or apparatus of change to an agent of change. The authors reflect on the recent governance challenges and chalk out future pathways for the sustainability of a valuable network that serves as a pollinator for transformative change in the Himalayas.