Shaping the future of European Universities Alliances

Together with 150 university Rectors and Presidents, Jan-Ingvar Jönsson (ECIU President and LiU Vice-Chancellor) and Eugenijus Valatka (ECIU Vice-President and KTU Rector) discussed the future of the European Universities Alliances at the high-level Rectors meeting in Brussels on 10 June.

• European Commission Executive Vice President Rozana Minzatu emphasised the success of the Alliances and the importance of the European Universities Initiative for the future of Europe. Investing in European partnerships for education and research is key to Europe's autonomy.
• Jan-Ingvar Jönsson emphasised the fundamental role Alliances play in implementing the fifth freedom as proposed by Enrico Letta, as Alliances produce the capacity to train researchers together, commercialise discoveries across borders, and build scale and trust. There was much interest in ECIU Universities' work to map our key research infrastructures into a shared Alliance-wide catalogue, making them available to researchers across our network.
• Chair of the High-Level Skills Board, Ylva Johansson, shared the ambitions of the board. For example, to strengthen micro-credentials as a bridge between the world of work and the world of education. Here, ECIU University can play a pioneering role with close to 4.000 micro-credentials issued through our Digital Experience Platform.

The Rectors emphasised the need for predictable and holistic funding, which was heard by the European Commission, but also needs national advocacy. The importance of integrating all four university missions (education, research, innovation, and service to society), AI developments, and the importance of global partnerships.

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet 150 Rectors and Presidents from leading Alliances, reflect on the latest political developments, and share the successes and challenges. The strength of Alliances is felt more and more.