Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, presented the first 17 pilot ‘European universities’ on Wednesday 26 June in Brussels.
“Europe needs these universities to help us built a more united and resilient Europe”, he told the media (see EUROPE 12258/16).
These ‘alliances’, which will eventually become ‘inter-university campuses’, will pool their expertise, platforms and resources to offer joint curricula or modules covering different disciplines. Teacher mobility is also an important element of the programme. The focus on excellence and inclusion will serve as “models for other EU universities”, which will enable students to develop “the skills they need to become engaged European citizens”, according to the Commissioner. At the local level, the ambition of these networks is to “become real drivers of regional and local development, by building strong links with local authorities”.
Universities were first selected on the dual principle of being recognised in their home Member State and having signed the ‘Erasmus Charter’. Finally, it was the vision of the draft alliance they composed that guided the choice of the committee of independent experts mandated by the Commission.
The call, which was a great success, was deployed at a “record speed” and thus motivated an increase in the budget by €85 million (see EUROPE 12210/25), allocating to each of the 17 selected alliances €5 million in budget over 3 years. They represent a total of 114 higher education institutions from 24 Member States.
A second pilot project, as well as concrete elements of the specificities of each of the current alliances, are expected from the beginning of the academic year, before the final integration of the ‘European universities’ within the framework of an Erasmus+ 2021-2027 project, whose funding should be doubled (see EUROPE 12198/27). Universities remain responsible for the use of the budget allocated, which would not mean an automatic increase in Erasmus grants for students. The first expenses would initially be directed towards structuring projects such as the establishment of data exchange platforms, support for mobility, but also teacher training. (Original version in French by Martin Molko – intern)