The European Universities initiative is driving systemic change through deeper cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe, and is implemented under Erasmus+ through a series of calls for proposals. The latest call for proposals closed on January 31, 2023, and the results are expected in the summer of 2023.

The 2023 call attracted a total of 65 proposals for the two topics, involving around 500 higher education institutions as full partners. These proposals bring us closer to reaching the European strategy for universities objective of 60 European Universities alliances established by mid-2024, involving around 500 higher education institutions across Europe.

Topic 1, “Intensification of prior deep institutional transnational cooperation,” received 26 applications with 224 higher education institutions involved as full partners. Topic 2, “Development of new deep institutional transnational cooperation,” received 39 applications with 278 higher education institutions involved as full partners.

The call covers 26 EU member states, 5 third countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme, and 4 countries from the Western Balkans. These figures show the continued commitment and interest of the higher education community in the roll-out of the European Universities initiative to support systemic, structural and sustainable transnational cooperation among diverse higher education institutions across Europe.

The European Universities initiative aims to achieve greater quality, performance, attractiveness, and international competitiveness in higher education institutions. It promotes common European values and a strengthened European identity through innovative and diverse models of long-term institutionalized cooperation between higher education institutions across Europe.

The initiative supports the European strategy for universities objective of creating 60 European Universities alliances by mid-2024, involving around 500 higher education institutions across Europe. The 2023 call for proposals brings us closer to achieving this goal, and the continued commitment and interest of the higher education community will ensure the success of the European Universities initiative.