4EU+Building Bridges for a Common European Future

The consolidation of the 4EU+ European University Alliance into a cross-campus European University with joint activities in research, teaching, and transfer is the focus of the 4EU+ Annual Meeting being hosted by the University of Milan in Italy in early November. Representatives of the eight partner universities – apart from Milan, they are Prague, Heidelberg, Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Sorbonne/Paris, Copenhagen, Geneva and Warsaw – will gather to reflect on successes and, in particular, discuss future challenges and opportunities. The Annual Meeting, with the theme #BuildingBridges – Becoming One European University, is taking place from 7 to 9 November 2023.

Besides meetings of the Governing Board, the Vice-Rectors and Vice-Presidents for Research and Teaching, as well as of various committees, working groups and flagships of the alliance, there will also be plenary lectures and panel discussions. During the General Assembly, on 8 November, Isabelle Kratz, Secretary General of the 4EU+ European University Alliance, will update participants on funding opportunities offered, for example, through SEED4EU+, 4EU+ visiting professorships, 1CORE and TRAIN4EU+. Prof. Dr Henrik C. Wegener, who last year took over the office of Chair of the 4EU+ Governing Board from Prof. Dr Bernhard Eitel, Rector Emeritus of Heidelberg University, will, in turn, pass the office on to Prof. Dr Elio Franzini, Rector of the University of Milan. Before that, Prof. Wegener, together with Prof. Dr Kristian Cedervall Lauta, Prorector for Education at the University of Copenhagen, will present the alliance’s strategy for continuing development from 2025 to 2035.

A live-streamed open session will bring the development of the 4EU+ European University Alliance to a wider audience. After greetings by representatives of the University and the City of Milan, the alliance and spokespersons for Italian university policy, Isabelle Kratz, along with Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, representing the European Commission, and student delegates, will share insights into the development of the 4EU+ European University Alliance in the context of the Erasmus+ European Universities call. A keynote lecture will follow from Milan political scientist Prof. Dr Maurizio Ferrera on the key role of European universities in shaping a common European future. The event will conclude with two discussion rounds on the topics “Building a European interuniversity campus” and “Bridging education and research”. The open session on 8 November begins at 9 am and will be accessible by streaming from the Great Hall of the University of Milan.

The 4EU+ European University Alliance brings together the eight universities of Prague, Heidelberg, Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Sorbonne/Paris, Copenhagen, Geneva, Milan and Warsaw. The group of partner universities is one of the university alliances receiving funding in the context of the Erasmus+ European Universities call. After the 4EU+ Alliance was successful in the pilot call, the European Union in July 2022 approved funding for another four years. By supporting strategic higher education partnerships and building up an integrated university system, the European Commission pursues the goal of clustering research, teaching and innovation in Europe in new structures, and thereby modernising and strengthening the European Education Area.