University Alliances for Europe

The development from 2017 to today

In a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris 7 years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the creation of European Universities – places where European values could be put into practice through collaborative research, teaching and exchange. The EU Commission and European Council embraced this vision and began to develop it further. There was a consensus that these institutions should not be newly established entities but alliances of existing universities that would cooperate in a completely new and intensive way. 

This vision is now becoming a reality. Since 2019, the EU Commission has been funding university alliances throughout Europe. In the current budgetary period (2021−2027), Erasmus+ will assign around 1.1 billion euros to the initiative. The EU’s initial goal of establishing 60 university alliances with 500 universities (around 10 percent of universities in Europe) has already been surpassed. Today, 64 alliances and over 560 universities are working hard to bring their strategic collaboration to life. 

Germany’s involvement

The European Universities initiative has struck a nerve in Germany, and the EU calls for proposals have attracted considerable attention. 66 German universities are represented in 58 of the 64 existing alliances, including 17 universities of applied sciences.

The alliances consist of an average of 9 partner universities, each alliance receiving up to 14.5 million euros for an initial 4-year period. 23 countries access additional funding through national schemes. In Germany, DAAD supports German universities as part of the support programme «European University Networks (EUN) – national initiative», which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education. 

Current implementation

The 2024 call was probably the final one in the current Erasmus+ programme, but the European Commission is already working with member states on an investment plan for the period beyond 2028. For now, the focus is on implementing the planned activities and sharing outcomes with interested universities that are not yet part of the initiative. 

The alliance universities pool resources and individual strengths to create joint European campuses. They establish joint governance structures, develop integrated study programmes, micro-credentials and creative projects with society and, most notably, they set up new mobility formats and structures to facilitate mobility experiences (whether in-person, virtual or hybrid) for at least 50 percent of their students. The ultimate goal is to enable students, researchers and administrative staff to move seamlessly between partner institutions. The alliances are intensive cross-border collaborations that symbolise Europe’s cohesion, shared values and strengths. 

However, the path to creating truly European Universities is sometimes a challenging one. Issues such as the smooth recognition of academic credits, differing enrolment requirements and varying national regulations complicate the process awarding of joint degrees. To address these challenges, the alliances are testing approaches designed to benefit the entire higher education sector. In doing so, the university alliances serve as a driving force that bring together universities across Europe, allowing new generations of students and researchers to embrace their European identity and deepen their sense of belonging in Europe. 

Pioneering role

To ensure these alliances have a knock-on effect in the European Higher Education Area, the European Commission supports a joint community of practice among the European Universities alliances as part of the 2024 call, which will bring greater benefits to the entire higher education sector. The «FOR-EU4ALL − FORum of European Universities for All» project aims not only to enhance peer learning between the alliances, but also to disseminate outcomes throughout the higher education sector. All 64 existing alliances are now involved in the project.

Coordinated by the NA DAAD, the new project «Spreading innovative results from European University Alliances (EUI) to other Higher Education Institutions» also aims to share best practices and experiences more broadly. This 3-year long-term initiative, conducted in partnership with the National Agencies from Norway, Austria and Hungary, specifically targets the 90 percent of universities in Europe that are not currently part of any university alliance. 

Elisabeth Tauch

Practical examples

Circle U.: interdisciplinary «Knowledge Hubs» and summer schools

One of the core objectives of Circle U. is to advance research and teaching on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities of our time: climate, democracy, global health and, in future, artificial intelligence. To achieve this, the alliance has established Knowledge Hubs – cross-university, interdisciplinary centres of exchange led by academic directors and coordinated by academic chairs. These hubs are responsible for developing collaborative study programmes, hosting summer schools and launching multilateral research projects.

One notable success in the area of teaching is the Circle U. summer school, 15 of which have taken place to date. These schools have enabled hundreds of students from 9 countries to gain access to innovative learning experiences together. The interdisciplinary short-term programmes, developed and managed by academic chairs, focus primarily on the core topics of the Knowledge Hubs. Reflecting on her participation in the 2023 Climate Summer School in Berlin, Adrijana Prodanić, a Bachelor’s student at the University of Belgrade, says: «The interdisciplinary knowledge, which is often hard to find in traditional university settings, was incredibly enriching. I also formed invaluable friendships with like-minded people from across Europe that I hope will last a lifetime.»

NeurotechEU internship programme: researching in Bonn laboratories

Since 2024, students of Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in the NeurotechEU alliance have had the opportunity to complete 8 to 10-week internships in laboratories in Bonn. Guided by experienced scientists, they work on ongoing research projects, gaining practical experience and building their professional networks. 

Alongside the University of Bonn or the University Hospital Bonn, associated partners, such as the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Max Planck Institute, are involved in the programme, strengthening institutional collaboration in Bonn. Coordinated by the NTEU project office, the programme also works closely with other projects, such as TRA Life and Health and the ImmunoSensation² Cluster of Excellence, helping to establish NeurotechEU as a long-term, transdisciplinary programme. 

ECIU: the joint awarding of micro-credentials

At the end of 2023, ECIU became the first European Universities alliance to award digital micro-credentials to students as credits for its challenges and micromodules using the Europass digital wallet. ECIU carries out this task for all 13 partners. Issuing credits through a centralised process significantly reduces the technical and organisational effort involved. 

Responsibility for course content lies with the university offering the programme, while quality assurance is managed within the alliance. Students at Hamburg University of Technology can take the ECIU courses as part of their elective programme and enjoy all the benefits of the digital credentials.

EURECA-PRO science slam: building bridges between science and society

Mittweida University of Applied Sciences belongs to the alliance of European Universities on Responsible Consumption and Production, EURECA-PRO. As institutions with a strong focus on practical application, universities of applied sciences (UASs) play a crucial role in developing skills essential for Europe’s digital and green transformation and thus increasing students’ employability.

EURECA-PRO offers Mittweida University of Applied Sciences opportunities to experiment with innovative and creative formats designed to foster civic engagement and to share knowledge with society, such as through science slams or project weeks. The science slam «Kurze Rede, Nachhaltiger Sinn» [Short Speech, Sustainable Impact], for example, was held in a repurposed building with a new utilisation plan. This approach successfully engaged the local community with a programme tailored specifically to this audience, thus building a bridge between science and the local population.