Paving the way forward: 35 German universities’ joint statement on the “Full Roll-out of European Universities”

09/03/2021 | by Eva Laurie | Cologne

The 35 German universities and higher education institutions who are members of the 41 European Universities funded by ERASMUS+ have issued a joint statement on the “Full Roll-out of European Universities”.

The photo shows seven EU flags flying on silver flagpoles in front of a building in the background.
Photo: Guillaume Périgois

With innovative spirit, enthusiasm, and vigour, 35 German universities and higher education institutions are currently engaged in the European Universities Initiative (EUI). Their goal is to bring together a new generation of creative Europeans who will work together across borders and disciplines to become pioneering and diverse models of “European Universities” of the future and help tackle the great societal challenges of our time.

With the upcoming “full roll-out” of the European Universities, the European Commission refers to the guidelines according to which the course will be set for the renewal and extension of the European Universities Initiative. “The European Universities Initiative is clearly remarkable and a joy to participate in. However, the currently discussed modalities of the full roll-out are not without controversy”, explains EUniWell Chief Development Officer, Prof. Beatrix Busse. She clarifies: “One of the key aims of the EUI is to foster deep and unprecedented international cooperation as well as excellence and inclusion in research, education, innovation and transfer. We need reliable framework conditions to realise our ambitious visions and aims, which allow the diverse alliances to unleash their full potential. To stress this is why 35 German Universities who are members of EUI alliances have come together to voice their position on the “full roll-out” of the European Universities.”

United for a sustainable perspective

The 35 German universities and higher education institutions that belong to one of the European University Alliances have joined forces. They wish to add weight to the common objective and to ensure a lasting and sustainable perspective for the European Universities Initiative and the alliances themselves. At the same time, their statement is intended to demonstrate the importance of past and ongoing joint efforts in education, research, innovation and engagement with society, at both national and European level, to be worthwhile investments in pressing societal concerns, the European Education Area and a sustainable European future. Their statement stands alongside other declarations, such as the League of European Research Universities (LERU) or The Guild, and expresses the position of the 35 German universities belonging to one of the European Universities on the long-term cornerstones of the European Universities Initiative.

Background: The University of Cologne as part of EUniWell

EUniWell – the “European University for Well-Being” – was selected as a “European University” in the second call for proposals of the European Commission’s ERASMUS+ programme, the funding phase of which started in autumn 2020. The University of Cologne is one of the seven partner universities of EUniWell and responsible for its management and coordination.

Read the full statement of all 35 German EUI universities here.

 


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