The European Universities Initiative – Continuing, changing and challenging European cooperation in higher education
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
The European Universities Initiative (EUI) provides support for universities in building long-term strategic transnational alliances for education and research cooperation, and it is highlighted by the European Commission as one of its flagship initiatives. Following a very brief reference to ‘European Universities’ in the September 2017 Sorbonne speech by Emmanuel Macron, the Commission’s idea for the EUI was endorsed by the Council of the EU, and the first call for applications launched already in October 2018. As of July 2024, the initiative provides support for sixty-four university alliances comprising around 560 higher education institutions across Europe.
In the first part of the event, Alina Felder locates the EUI in the wider set of EU action in the field of higher education and assesses how the initiative continues, changes and challenges European cooperation in higher education. The talk concludes with a discussion of the promises of EU funded university alliances which stand in contrast to the projectified organization of the initiative.
In the second part, Francois Bussy will provide feedback on UNIL’s experience within the CIVIS alliance, which is supported within the framework of the European Universities Initiative.
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Dr Alina Felder is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Economics and Political Science at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Her research interests include the making of (EU) public policy and the mechanisms of Europeanisation and her research has appeared in European integration and public policy journals, including Contemporary European Politics and Politics & Governance. Alina Felder is a Steering Group member of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on “Knowledge Politics and Policies”. |
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François Bussy is professor of Igneous Petrology at UNIL. He was Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, then Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations at UNIL until 2021. He is currently advisor to the Rector for CIVIS, the European Civic University Alliance, which UNIL joined in 2022. |
The conference is given in English.
Program:
17:00 Welcome and presentation, Giuliano Bonoli
17:05 The European Universities Initiative, Alina Felder
17:45 UNIL’s experience within the CIVIS Alliance, François Bussy
18:00 General discussion
18:30 Aperitif
Rue de la Mouline 28 - CH-1022 Chavannes-près-Renens
Switzerland
Tel. +41 21 692 68 00
Fax +41 21 692 68 09
Switzerland
Tel. +41 21 692 68 00
Fax +41 21 692 68 09
