European University Alliance 4EU+ European University Alliance Goes into Third Funding Period

The 4EU+ European University Alliance has been successful with its follow-up application in the current round of the ERASMUS+ European Universities call. The transnational alliance of strong research universities, including Heidelberg University, has been funded by the European Union since 2019. For the project “Fostering Universities’ Transformation for Upscaling Research-based Education” (4EU+ FUTURE) the university alliance is now receiving funding totaling approximately 3.8 million euros for another two years. The aim is to enhance joint activities in teaching, research, innovation and global outreach.

After the foundation was laid for sustainable cooperation between the partner universities in the first two funding periods, the 4EU+ FUTURE project in the coming two years intends to strengthen research networks, and to scale up joint digital infrastructures and mobility options. In addition, common activities in research-based teaching are to be extended on all qualification levels and enlarged by flexible teaching and study opportunities, as well as joint degree courses, mobility programs and microcredentials in cooperation with external partners. In doing so, the alliance wishes to take the next step on the path towards a comprehensive research and research-intensive European University, in keeping with its strategy for the years 2025 to 2035.

The European Commission selected 20 alliances for funding from a total of 37 applications. The successful consortia will receive financial resources to further develop their modes of cooperation and advance the European Universities project. In the context of the European Universities call, the 4EU+ FUTURE follow-up application by the 4EU+ European University Alliance was supported by 24 partners, including non-governmental organizations, chambers of commerce, regional authorities and business partners.

The 4EU+ European University Alliance brings together the universities of Prague, Heidelberg, Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Sorbonne/Paris, Copenhagen, Milan and Warsaw. The University of Geneva, as the eighth member of the Alliance, will take part in the group’s common activities in the context of 4EU+ FUTURE with funding from the Swiss agency Movetia. With the Erasmus+ European Universities call, the European Commission pursues the goal of clustering research, teaching and innovation in Europe in new structures, and thereby modernizing and strengthening the European Education Area.