Funding for the next ECIU University phase announced: Building a higher education system of tomorrow

With a grant of 7.2 million euros received, ECIU University, a European University Alliance, will begin its next phase in November 2026. 11 universities are set to continue building the digital campus and pursuing innovation in higher education for the next 2 years.

The new strategic phase of ECIU University – ECIUn‑PLUS‑2 – has been secured, set to strengthen key ECIU University processes and continue pursuing an inclusive international community united around innovation, co-creation and sustainability.

One of the first 17 European University Alliances, ECIU University started piloting in 2019, followed by the current phase (2022-2026). The 3^rd ECIU University funding phase will last from 2026 to 2028, guided by the ECIU Long‑Term Mission Strategy (2026–2036) and aligned with the European Erasmus+ Call.

During this time, the project aims to deepen the Alliance’s learner‑centred and research‑informed approach, supported by automatic recognition, inclusive guidance and rich mobility opportunities. It will also further support the Flexible Learning Pathways education model, strengthen the Digital eXperience Platform (DXP), and reinforce institutional transformation through alignment across institutions, stakeholders and learner representatives.

By embedding shared tools, harmonised processes, expanded mobility schemes and long‑term strategic commitments, ECIU University will accelerate Europe‑wide impact and support the evolution of the Alliance into a fully integrated European University. The new phase will deepen institutional cooperation, upscale joint educational activities, and mainstream innovative pedagogies across partner curricula, substantially increasing the quality, attractiveness, and international competitiveness of European higher education.

‘ECIU University is a very ambitious undertaking. The upcoming phase will really impact how our member universities jointly design and deliver advanced training, with flexibility built into curricula and co-creation of studies alongside our regional stakeholders, equipping students with the relevant skills they need as we move into an increasingly more sophisticated environment of life and work,’ says Niall Power, director of ECIU University. ‘As graduate-entry employment opportunities are facing decline in several domains, students need constant access to learning, while course directors need models of flexibility and co-creation they can work with, which ECIU University can provide.’

Some of the other objectives include supporting lifelong learning through reskilling and upskilling, fostering more intensive mobility for community members, offering increased training for staff, and strengthening community-building activities.

‘By the end of the new phase, ECIU University will be working much more closely with students, staff, researchers and external partners to co-create opportunities for further learning, and future research and innovation,’ says Niall Power. ‘We will empower private companies and public-sector entities by offering continuous education and training and by connecting them with their European counterparts, to work alongside ECIU University for a better future for all.’

Founded by ECIU (European Consortium of Innovative Universities) members in 2019 and co-funded by the EU, ECIU University is one of the first alliances to join the prestigious European University Alliances initiative, which now unites over 570 institutions.

ECIU University connects students with businesses, teachers, researchers, organisations and communities to address real-life problems and contribute to real change – all while developing the European university of tomorrow, built around joint values like innovation, co-creation, inclusivity and sustainability.