European universities: 10 new projects commit French institutions

The initiative of European universities launched in 2018, funded by the European Union and supported by the France 2030 plan, follows a “long term strategy” to offer new opportunities of learning, research and innovation to all university and research communities.

64 alliances in 35 European countries

The European Commission website adds that European universities alliances aim at improving the international competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe and promote European values and identities, “while fostering a structural, strategic and sustainable cooperation” between higher education institutions.

To reach this aim, each new alliance will receive up to 14.4 million euros over four years. They will start their activity as early as this autumn and join 50 European universities already chosen as part of the Erasmus+ calls in 2022 and 2023. Until today, 64 alliances gather more than 560 higher education institutions of all types in 35 different countries, and “about 2,200 partners from non-governmental organisations, companies, cities, local and regional authorities and other higher education institutions of countries in the Bologna process”.

10 projects including French institutions

The 14 alliances include 10 winner projects committing French institutions. These projects are:

• Pioneer, sustainable development goals (Gustave Eiffel University);
• Across, cross-border issues in building more sustainable and resilient societies (Perpignan University);
• Artemis, regional development and territorial cohesion (Clermont-Auvergne University); 
• Bauhaus4EU, inclusion, social innovation, sustainable development, links with the regions (University of Picardie Jules Verne and Lumière Lyon 2 University); 
• Challenge.EU, smart digitalisation, health and well-being, sustainable development (Ecam LaSalle, school of engineering);
• Emerge, issues of town located far from main cities (University of Bretagne Sud and Rennes 2 University); 
• EUNICoast, coastlines, ports and island regions (Antilles University and Le Havre Normandie University); 
• EUonAIR, interdisciplinarity, cultural openness and student diversity (Essca, School of Management);
• Sunrise, fight against the potential disappearance of “small” universities (Compiègne University of Technology); 
• Uninovis, skills and capacities needed to understand, analyse, manage, use and safeguard data in the EU (University of Sorbonne Paris Nord).

To be noted, the presence of an oversea university (University of the Antilles) for the first time.

A “community of practice”

The European Commission also stresses that the call for 2024 also included “the creation of community of practice for European universities”. This community of practice wants to “improve learning between peers in all existing European universities” by sharing “the best practice” and improving “synergies in the scientific community and beyond”.

17 alliances are member of this project that gathers all 64 alliances. The 17 alliances include 12 with French higher education institution:

• the 4EU+ community (Sorbonne Université); 
• Arqus (Claude Bernard Lyon I University);
• Charm-EU (University of Montpellier);
• Circle U (Paris Cité University);
• EC2U (University of Poitiers);
• ECIU (Groupe Insa, National Institute of Applied Sciences);
• Enlight (University of Bordeaux);
• Epicur (University of Strasbourg);
• Eutopia (CY Cergy Paris University);
• Neurotecheu (University of Lille);
• Una Europa (Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne University);
• Unita (University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour).

To be noted that the project of European degree, still a project under study, could be “a key component for alliances of European universities to offer joint degrees”.