Belgium (Brussels Morning newspaper), The EU Commission is launching the 5th Erasmus + call for proposals to support the further rollout of the European universities initiative.
The aim is to expand the scheme to at least 60 European Universities alliances, bringing together more than 500 universities by mid-2024.
The call will close on 6 February 2024.
This call, says the EC, will support deeper institutional transnational cooperation between higher education institutions.
New alliances are eligible to apply.
One important novelty foreseen for this year is the opportunity to set up a Community of Practice of European Universities to support closer cooperation.
It is expected to trigger an impact on the sharing of results and good practices of the alliances amongst themselves and beyond.
Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for the European way of life said: “With their European transnational campuses, European Universities alliances are what makes Europe a reality for the young generations.
“They are instrumental in developing a strong sense of European belonging and developing future-proof skills, both for young students as well as for life-long learners, through up- and reskilling. Their students can benefit from an international, multi-disciplinary, and civic-minded higher education, with innovative teaching and learning to acquire the skills they need to meet the challenges of our time and become engaged citizens. It also means they are getting a joint European degree recognized across Europe as a symbol of these skills of the future.”
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Our commitment to European Universities is strong. This 2024 Erasmus+ call will help us achieve the objective of fostering deeper higher education cooperation between more than 500 universities by mid-2024.
“It offers opportunities to set up alliances with open, green, and connected inter-university campuses, where mobility and cooperation experiences are an integral part of every higher education program. And where students can work across borders with professors, researchers, companies, and innovators on transdisciplinary international projects.”
The European Universities alliances support transnational cooperation among diverse higher education institutions across Europe, covering all their missions: education, research, innovation, and service to society. Following the previous editions, Erasmus+ calls, 50 European Universities alliances now gather more than 430 higher education institutions across Europe.
