Statement on behalf of FOR EU1 and FOR EU2 European Universities alliances

Future funding for the European Universities

• The 41 European Universities alliances selected under the first two calls for proposals are seen as key drivers of an innovative, globally competitive and attractive European Education Area and European Research Area as well as, more recently, being a flagship of the European Strategy for Universities. They are tasked with and are already exploring and testing innovative and structural models of transnational collaborative change to achieve an integrated approach across education, research and innovation with a view to achieving maximum impact on society and on the European Higher Education Area including through joint utilisation of separate Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 grants. 

• The 17 European Universities funded through the first pilot call are currently engaged in developing their proposals for the Erasmus+ Partnerships for Excellence - European Universities call for proposals with the deadline of 22nd March 2022 and the possibility of funding for 4 years, max 14.4 million - to ensure enhanced reach and ambition of their mission and in that context, many are articulating an expanded membership. However, there is currently no certainty of a complimentary call to support the further development of the Research and innovation agenda leaving a disconnect not just for an integrated mission approach but also for the inclusion of new partners.

• In order to achieve the ambitious strategic objectives set out for the European Universities Initiative, it is important that European University Alliances are enabled – both in terms of targeted policy and funding support - to realise their full potential.

• DG RTD is working hard to create a pathway to provide a competitive funding call in Horizon Europe, through the widening agenda of the ‘Widening and Strengthening the European Research Area’ programme. FOR EU1 and FOR EU2 (representing the 41 European Universities funded through the first and second pilot call and encompassing the 39 Swafs funded alliance projects) believes that support for this or any future funding pathway under Horizon Europe dedicated to European University Alliances is to be welcomed and should remain excellence-based and competitive, in line with the very principles of the EUI programme.  However, whilst such a funding channel is to be welcomed, it should be regarded as an interim solution to a more required sustainable programmatic approach combining overarching education and R&I funding programmes.

• It is crucial that European University Alliances are supported with a competitive integrated funding instrument that provides holistic and long-term support across all university missions in the future. This funding instrument should be granted on the basis of quality, excellence and impact and be sufficiently flexible to allow existing alliances to continue to develop in line with their vision and mission thus strengthening the programmatic systemic transformative European cooperation that is at the heart of the European Universities.

• In our view, the development of such an integrated funding instrument for education, research and innovation dedicated to European Universities should be the central focus, as we approach the mid-term review of the current funding period and the start of the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework post-2027. FOR EU1 and FOR EU2 are ready to contribute to the co-development of such an instrument with the European Commission, Member States and the higher education stakeholder community at large.

• Furthermore, the future success of European University Alliances depends on communities of academics and researchers being supported to drive transnational collaboration across our research and research informed educational approaches. The development of targeted instruments to incentivise these bottom-up research collaborations are crucial not only to strengthen the ties between individual academics/researchers/professional support staff across our institutions but to build a joint inter-university community with a strong common sense of belonging and to realise a true European University across all university’s missions.