Charting the course of European Universities Alliances in 2024

A journey to transform the higher education landscape in Europe has begun with the launch of the European Universities Initiative (EUI). Inspired by En Route!, the theme for the 2024 EAIE Conference and Exhibition taking place in Toulouse, over 20 European Universities Alliances will meet to showcase their achievements to date and put forward a new paradigm for the internationalisation of higher education. So, what’s the latest on these quickly evolving alliances and what’s next on their agendas? There is much to share. 

Innovations galore 

There are many benefits to being part of, or interacting with, a European Universities Alliance. EUAs promote inclusive, flexible and innovative joint international learning experiences. Their experimentation with new forms of mobility is in line with current needs and objectives of students. A range of different mobilities are offered to their students, including short-term and long-term; physical, blended and virtual; and mobilities designed for studies or training. The Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes have become very attractive to alliances as a means of curricular innovation and ensuring an international learning experience for more students. Some alliances have even developed new mobility programmes catering to their own needs. One such example is the UNITA Rural Mobility programme, that offers international training mobilities for students in rural areas. Other alliances, such as RUN-EU, have invested in setting up a European Mobility Innovation Centre in order to find solutions to the challenges encountered when developing transnational education and cooperation.  

In terms of curricula, EUAs are developing various innovative approaches, including joint courses and study programmes, thematic schools (aimed at complementing students’ professional development and satisfying their thirst for knowledge on niche topics), and microcredentials that can contribute towards a degree or facilitate flexible study paths. Unique joint study programmes are offered by these ‘universities of the future’. Examples include Una Europa’s Joint Bachelor of Arts in European Studies, developed by 8 partner universities, EU-CONEXUS’s Joint Master in Marine Biotechnology, FilmEU’s multiple Erasmus Mundus master programmes, or UNIVERSEH’s first pan-European high level teaching and research programme for space. Piloting study programmes that will culminate in a European Degree, jointly awarded by a group of universities and automatically recognised across the European Union, has been high on the agenda of several alliances. Projects advancing this goal include: 

•  ED-AFFICHE European Degree - Advancing, Facilitating and Fostering International Collaboration in Higher Education (Una Europa, 4EU+, CHARM-EU, EC2U, EU-CONEXUS, Unite!),  

• EDLab European Degree Label institutional laboratory (Arqus, EUTOPIA, SEA-EU, ENLIGHT),  

• ETIKETA FilmEU Degree label (FilmEU),  

• FOCI Future-proof Criteria for Innovative European Education (ECIU, EPICUR, YUFE),  

• JEDI Joint European Degree label in engineering - Toward a European framework for engineering education (EELISA, ENHANCE, EUt+),  

• SMARTT Screening, mapping, analysing, recommending, transferring and transforming HE international programmes (CIVIS, EUTOPIA, NeurotechEU, UNITA). 

An important dimension of curricular and institutional transformation for EUAs is their focus on connecting the UN SDGs to European and national objectives concerning the green transition, as well as to more specific local and regional needs. EUAs’ approach to research substantially relates to the principles of science with and for society. As platforms for education and innovation that facilitate dialogue and collaboration at European level, European Universities are key actors for solid strategic partnerships oriented towards achieving these goals. Some actions focus on the alliance’s ecosystems, including for instance, EDUC’s Youth Integration Lab enabling young people to become active citizens; the school competitions on the topic “Think smart, create green” organised by EU-CONEXUS; or EUPeace’s interdisciplinary Research Hub “Climate Science and Just Transition”. Other alliances are addressing the UN SDGs through the curricula they develop, such as EC2U’s three joint programmes based on UN SDGs, focusing on wellbeing and healthy ageing, culture and society, sustainable cities and communities; Charm-EU’s Masters programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability; and Aurora’s joint microcredential module on Sustainability and Climate Change. Last, but not least, many EUA events aim to underline the role they play in reaching the SDGs and showcase their contributions in this sense. For example, EELISA’s first European Alliance International Conference where the plenary session addressed “The role of European Universities Alliances in the orchestration of the systemic changes needed to tackle climate change”. 

EUAs offer a substantial contribution to the objective of a united Europe, with more students welcoming a common and sustainable future and contributing to the consolidation of transnational citizenship.

Through experiences of international learning and training, abroad and at home, EUAs offer a substantial contribution to the objective of a united Europe, with more students welcoming a common and sustainable future and contributing to the consolidation of transnational citizenship. Moreover, these processes and connections across Europe are taking place in transnational physical and virtual campuses, and digital ecosystems developed by engaging blockchain technology where access is facilitated by a European Student Card and digital credentials. Thus, community building processes in academia are reaching a new level. But this is true not only for students. Staff are also more mobile within alliances and joint projects, as education and research are easier to set up in these ready-made and strongly connected consortia. Additionally, some European Alliances, including UNITA, ECIU and EUt+, have also experimented with various institutionalised cooperation instruments under the form of a legal statute. This intends to serve the purpose of supporting deeper institutional integration, as well as unlocking new capacity-building opportunities and ensuring financial sustainability. 

Engaging beyond Europe 

 European Universities Alliances, particularly their unique approach to internationalisation, are reshaping how we understand international cooperation in Europe and beyond. In an effort to drive cooperation and transfer good practices, ensuring a spillover transformational effect on higher education ecosystems in Europe, alliances relate and connect to other alliances, stakeholders and institutions at national, European and global levels. They are doing so through common actions during pre-existing landmark calendar events for the field of transnational cooperation, or through new platforms and actions. In September of this year, for example, the University of Toulouse and the Occitanie region will host a dedicated event that will explore the connections between alliances and other stakeholders around the world, which will be streamed online for anyone interested: "Internationalisation of European Universities Alliances: The New Frontier". Highlighting the vital role of international collaboration in enhancing European higher education's attractiveness and competitiveness, the event will stress the importance of building strategic partnerships of EUAs beyond the EU. Participants and speakers across the entire spectrum of the EUAs will share their cooperation strategies, present case studies and discuss how global connections have been strengthened through alliances’ experimentations with integration and collaboration. Two sessions will examine partnerships with Ukrainian institutions amidst conflict and reconstruction, as well as cooperation with African partners.  

Shaping the future of internationalisation and sharing lessons learned 

The transformative impact of EUAs is connected directly to their commitment to transparent experimentation in education and research. While some experiments fail and others succeed, they nonetheless have the potential to rethink and reshape internationalisation. Thus, EUAs are probing an increased relevance of deeper processes for transnational integration for increasing institutional capacity. Their models can be adapted to other contexts and there is a commitment to good practice transfers. Anyone interested can engage with and learn from the European Alliances. They are actively working to share their experiences through a variety of channels, from a joint presence at the 2024 EAIE Annual Conference and Exhibition in Toulouse, including specific EAIE sessions, to specific events hosted periodically by the member universities of each Alliance. You can discover the different EUAs currently active throughout Europe by accessing the websites of the alliances.  

With 64 alliances having been selected between 2019 and 2024 by the European Commission to build the European Universities of the future, we are beginning to see preliminary results. Collaboration across borders is not an exceptional result of the work of alliances, but a prerequisite for embarking upon a road for common transnational institutional development, for joint capacity building and for being stronger together amidst challenging times overall.