University of Gothenburg scoops large Erasmus+ grant
The University of Gothenburg and the Eutopia alliance is one of 17 pilot projects that receive funding from the European Commission’s prestigious European Universities Initiative. The aim is to create strong and strategic cooperation between universities to meet the societal challenges Europe is facing.
“This is a fantastic message. And it’s an honour to be selected as one of the first European alliances to get the opportunity to make a strategic effort in Europe,” says Eva Wiberg, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gothenburg.
The European Commission announced today which higher education consortia that will be part of the first “European Universities” initiative. The initiative is designed to strengthen mobility of students and staff, and foster quality, inclusiveness and competitiveness of European higher education.
“These 17 alliances bring together different kinds of universities from all over EU, and can become role models that can help us to boost higher education in Europe,” says Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
"Great opportunities to increase our internationalisation"
European Universities will become inter-university campuses around which students, teachers and researchers can move seamlessly. The curricula will be very flexible and will allow students to personalise their education. European Universities will also contribute to the sustainable economic development of the regions where the universities are located.
“The fact that Eutopia is selected to become one of the European Universities means that we’ll have great opportunities to increase our internationalisation and facilitate our idea that students, scholars and other employees could move freely between the alliance’s institutions,” says Eva Wiberg, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gothenburg.
Out of 54 applications received, 17 European Universities were selected. In total, a budget of up to €85 million is available for the first 17 “European Universities”. Each alliance will receive up to €5 million in the coming three years.
- Link to European Commission's press release: First 17 “European Universities” selected: a major step towards building a European Education Area
- Link to Eutopia's web page: Eutopia – European university
Fact Eutopia
Eutopia is six European Universities with a joint and long-term vision of creating a strong alliance with free movement of students, researchers, teachers and other staff. By 2050, students should be able to easily move and study at all the participating universities during their education, and within the same degree.
The network currently consists of 165,000 students, 30,000 members of staff and 90,000 international alumni, and has research centres in 760 areas.
The universities that are part of Eutopia are:
- Vrije University, Belgium
- University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- University of Paris Seine, France
- Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
- University of Warwick, England
- University of Gothenburg, Sweden