European Universities - Development of new deep institutional transnational cooperation (Topic 2)

Overview

Objectives

The European Universities initiative is pivotal to achieving the ambitious vision of an innovative, globally compatitive and attractive European Education Area by 2025.

European Universities aim at achieving the following main objectives:

• Promote common European values and a strengthened European identity by bringing together a new generation of Europeans;
• Reach a substantial leap in quality, performance, attractiveness and international competitiveness, and enable deep institutional transformation of involved European higher education institutions. This includes strengthening the links of European Universities towards the society and economy.

Activities/actions supported

The call supports applicants implementing a step-by-step approach towards deeper institutionalised transnational cooperation and gradually achieving the long-term ambitious vision for European Universities. Higher education institutions will gradually implement the activities that are necessary to achieve their long-term vision.

The most important steps are:

• agreeing on a joint mission statement;
• establish a full joint strategy outlining the long-term vision;
• establish a joint work plan of activities to reach strategic objectives;
• design a relevant and efficient common management and governance structure.

Anticipated outcomes

The European Universities alliances are expected to benefit all involved higher education institutions and systems, EU Member States and broader society. Among the expected impacts are the following which are relevant for skills:

• Make lifelong learning a reality in higher education, by offering diverse education opportunities and introducing innovative and student-centred pedagogies;
• Trigger a deeper level of cooperation, leading to long-term structural transformation with positive impact on higher education learning and teaching, fostering joint educational activities, and allowing for more inclusive and enhanced flexible learning approaches;
• Improve students', staff, researchers and lifelong learners' skills and employability perspectives, including entrepreneurial, transversal, intercultural, digital and green skills.

Institution providing the funding

European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

Size of funding

€ 38 400 000

Conditions

Overview of eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible, applicants must be legal entities (public or private bodies) established in one of the eligible countries (i.e., EU Member States, third countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme, or Western Balkans third countries not associated to the Programme (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo)).

Moreover, applicants must be Higher Education Institutions holding a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education and entities affiliated to them, or any other organisation consisting of the above referred higher education institutions, specifically set up with the purpose of implementing deep institutional transnational cooperation.

Lastly, proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 3 applicants which complies with the following conditions:

• Min. 3 eligible higher education institutions from 3 different eligible countries.
• One institution may participate as full partner in only one alliance at the same time.
• One institution may participate as full partner in only one application (may participate in other applications as associated partner).

Overview of award criteria

Proposals will be assessed taking into account the following three criteria, for a maximum score of 100 points:

• Relevance (25 points)
• Quality (50 points) 
• Impact (25 points)

Procedures

Application procedures

Proposals must be submitted in 4 parts:

• Part A:  administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator, beneficiaries, affiliated entities and associated partners), to be filled in directly online.
• Part B:  technical content of the proposal. Organisations need to download the mandatory word template, fill it in and upload it as a PDF file.
• Part C contains additional project data.
• Annexes to be uploaded as PDF file. 

Application forms are available in the link of the call (see below).

Application support available

For help related to this call, please contact: EACEA-EUROPEAN-UNIVERSITIESec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EACEA-EUROPEAN-UNIVERSITIES[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Link to funding opportunity

Link to the programme for more info