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2022 call sees expansion of European Universities network

Twenty European Universities alliances, including four new alliances, have been selected under the 2022 Erasmus+ call for the European Universities initiative, according to an announcement by the European Commission on 27 July.

The result brings to 44 the total number of European Universities involved in the initiative, which now involves 340 higher education institutions in 31 countries, including all member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.

European Universities are alliances of higher education institutions from across Europe that cooperate on education, research and innovation for the benefit of students, educators and society.

The European strategy for universities has a target to support 60 European Universities involving more than 500 higher education institutions by mid-2024.

Funding

A total of €1.1 billion (US$1.14 billion) under Erasmus+ is budgeted under the current programming period 2021-27 to support European Universities.

Support for the research dimension of European Universities is to be covered by the European Excellence Initiative under Horizon Europe.

The first call for proposals for the establishment of alliances within the Erasmus+ programme was made in 2019 when 17 alliances were established. At the second call in 2020 another 24 alliances were established.

In the 2022 call, which attracted 31 applications for the establishment of new alliances and 21 applications for extension of existing alliances, 16 alliances have been funded out of the 17 selected in 2019, together with four new alliances.

A total of €272 million is to be distributed, with up to €14.4 million per alliance for four years, a considerable increase compared to the maximum of €5 million for three years under previous Erasmus+ calls.

Associated partners

For the first time, as part of the 2022 Erasmus+ call, alliances can now accept associated partners from Bologna Process countries including Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In autumn 2022, the commission will launch the next Erasmus+ call for European Universities.

The 2022 Erasmus+ European Universities call offered to provide sustainable funding for existing successful alliances of higher education institutions to pursue their long-term vision and support for the creation of new European Universities across Europe.

The following 16 alliances were selected for further funding under Topic 1 (Intensification of prior deep institutional transnational cooperation):

• 1CORE

• ARQUS II (coordinated by the University of Graz)

• CHARM-EIGHT

• CIVICA (with the Central European University located in Austria as a partner)

• CIVIS 2 (with the University of Salzburg as a partner)

• ECIUn+

• EDUC

• EPICUR-SHAPE-IT (with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna as a partner)

• EU CONEXUS Plus

• EUGLOH 2.0 (with the University of Alcalá in Spain, University of Hamburg, University of Novi Sad in Serbia and the Arctic University of Norway as new members)

• EUTOPIA MORE

• FORTHEM

• SEA-EU 2.0

• UNA.Universitas

• Unite (with Graz Technical University as a partner)

• YUFE 2030.

Under Topic 2 (Development of new deep institutional transnational cooperation), the following four new European University alliances were selected for funding:

• EU4DUAL (with nine partner universities, among these a majority of polytechnical universities and university colleges)

• EU GREEN European University alliance for sustainability: responsible GRowth, inclusive Education and ENvironment

• INGENIUM

• UNIgreen.

Vision for higher education sector

Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, said in a statement on 27 July that the new alliances brought the European Commission “closer to achieving our vision for the higher education sector in Europe: campuses that span between universities and cross borders and disciplines, where students, staff and researchers from all parts of Europe can enjoy seamless mobility and create new knowledge together.

“I am proud that we are able to provide higher and more long-term funding for the alliances with the Erasmus+ programme, and also that we have ensured an inclusive approach, giving opportunities to higher education institutions to join existing alliances or to form new ones.”

In a statement, Professor Oliver Günther, president of the University of Potsdam, said the European Digital UniverCity (EDUC) – the alliance of eight universities led by the University of Potsdam – was “eager to live up to the trust the European Commission is putting in us”.

“Over the next 10 years, the current collaborative activities of alliance members are expected to evolve into coherent structures that fundamentally change the way partners fulfil their individual missions of education, research, innovation and service to society.

“The goal of the European Digital UniverCity is to develop into a highly integrated European University,” he said.

Professor Robert Jenssen, director of Visual Intelligence, a centre for research-based innovation at the Arctic University of Norway (UiT), said participation in EUGLOH 2.0 means that “staff and students at the university will have an opportunity to impact upon future health services in Europe through our research and innovation on trusted and secure digital health as a supplement to today’s medicine”.

“We are glad to participate in this alliance and I am sure that the participation of UIT will give us and many others at the university a great leap forward,” Jenssen said.

Expanding impact

Meritxell Chaves, alliance manager for the CHARM European University which secured an extension of the Challenge-Driven, Accessible, Research-based and Mobile European University (CHARM-EIGHT) alliance, told University World News: “After creating and testing innovative practices, tools, methods and approaches during the first years of collaboration, the CHARM-EIGHT will focus on expanding and boosting its impact while continuing living lab activities within CHARM-EIGHT.

“Aiming to be an influential icebreaker that inspires academic and external stakeholders, the alliance will consolidate and strengthen governance and cooperation, develop its challenge-based learning lab and its educational portfolio with a visible link to research, business and society.

“At the same time, it will create an inter-institutional, intercultural, transdisciplinary and inclusive campus that contributes to the European mindset.

“CHARM-EU will mainstream successful innovation and best practices for the direct benefit of its partner institutions while continuing to develop, implement, evaluate and disseminate innovative tools and models as well as build new partnerships at all levels.”

A question of support

Professor Kurt Deketelaere, secretary-general of the League of European Research Universities, was asked by University World News if he was more optimistic about the future of the European Universities now that funding for the programme had been significantly strengthened.

“Well, they were significantly underfunded. Now, most alliances have enlarged their number of universities, so the question is how much better the financial situation will be ...

“We had three claims in the past: more money, more time to deliver on the targets, more support of the member states (through the elimination of national obstacles to cross-border cooperation). Certainly, the last element remains a significant problem,” he said.