Lift off for the university of the future
The University of Konstanz and four other European universities submit joint application for a transnational university network in the framework of the Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative (EUI) launched by the European Commission. The aim is to promote European values and identity as well as the international competitiveness of European universities. The memorandum of understanding has now been signed.
During a meeting at Roskilde University in Denmark on 9 and 10 February 2020, the rectors of the University of Konstanz, Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Roskilde University Denmark, the New Bulgarian University and the University of the Aegean signed a memorandum of understanding for their joint institutional participation in the European Universities Initiative.
Shaping the future with the concept of reform
With their proposal entitled “European Reform University Alliance” (ERUA), that will be submitted at the end of February 2020, the participating institutions will make a substantial contribution to the European Union’s goal of creating a European educational area. The planned alliance will link the reform university in Konstanz with four other reform universities in Denmark, France, Bulgaria and Greece, that all were founded on the idea of re-thinking university education. The ERUA will work together to offer flexible study programmes that can be completed across Europe, endorsing European values. The programme will promote lively scientific exchange as well as capacity building formats for academic support staff. It will expand the internationalization process to include all areas of the universities, enable physical and virtual mobility at all levels and thus shape the European universities of the future.
About the European Universities Initiative
The initiative aims to strengthen strategic partnerships between universities across the EU and create approximately 40 “European Universities” by 2024. Using the bottom-up principle, university campuses will be created that allow students and researchers to move within different campuses as easily as at their home university. The Erasmus+ initiative thus contributes to the international visibility and competitiveness of European universities.
The initiative will become a regular funding line in the next Erasmus+ programme for 2021-2027. The current programme offers a total of 120 million euros in funding for approximately 24 new "European Universities". Each successful consortium of universities will receive up to five million euros.
Key facts:
- The University of Konstanz participates in joint application, titled “European Reform University Alliance” (ERUA), for a transnational university network in the framework of the Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative (EUI) launched by the European Commission
- Project partners: Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Roskilde University Denmark, the New Bulgarian University and the University of the Aegean
- Project proposal to be submitted by the end of February The aim is to strengthen strategic partnerships between universities in the EU and to establish about 40 "European Universities" by 2024
- Total funding amount for the current programme is 120 million euros, with up to five million euros available for each successful university consortium