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For Eric Tschirhart, the European Universities Initiative is at a pivotal juncture after five years. Here, he presents three forecasts for the future funding of alliances, with special attention for universities in Europe’s transnational zones.
Launched in 2019, the European Universities Initiative has established 65 European Universities across 35 countries. After several years of activities, securing long-term financial sustainability is now crucial for the continued success of these alliances.
To achieve this, strategic planning, diversified funding sources and innovative financial models are essential. Effective governance poses a significant challenge, as it relies on sustained commitment from the leaders of partner universities. Additionally, local political and personal dynamics must be carefully navigated.
Indeed, success largely hinges on the determination and collaboration of the institutions involved: the development of a funding model supporting the growth of alliances is directly connected to the chosen governance structure. The goal, ultimately, is to catalyze the achievement of the ‘fifth freedom’ – the free movement of knowledge
The success of the European Universities Initiative is closely tied to European Union policies and the involvement of member states, including regional and local governments. However, three significant uncertainties remain:
Will new national policy instruments support the institutionalization and long-term organization of the European Universities Initiative? Achieving this within a reasonable period may require co-governance between the European Commission and member states, operating within the principle of subsidiarity.
Crucially, will the European Commission have adequate authority to define and implement higher education policies within the constraints of existing treaties?
Will the Bologna Process further advance the integration of the European Higher Education Area? While it has established milestones such as the three-tier education system (bachelor's, master's, doctorate) and the mutual recognition of qualifications, challenges like ensuring academic governance and freedom persist. These two last factors are crucial for the successful integration of higher education institutions, yet no provisions have been put in place so far within the Bologna Process per se.
However the European Universities Initiative develops, alliances must establish, implement and operate a regulatory framework with accompanying funding conditions to support teaching, learning, students and staff. When it comes to funding, three scenarios can be identified: oblivion, transformation and full integration.
According to the ‘oblivion’ forecast, international collaboration would fall off the supranational or national political agenda. As such, further strengthening collaboration would then depend on the capacity and willingness of the institutions and their ecosystems.
Here, the threat is that national and local political buy-in becomes limited. The inevitable consequence is a marginalization of the European Universities Initiative, which may then fade away within just a couple of years due to lack of interest and commitment from academic, political and societal actors.
On the other hand, the ‘transformation’ forecast envisions a two-tier system where alliances act as federal-style institutions with intensified national and supranational political and financial support.
In this scenario, the sharing of staff, students, research data and infrastructure would become standard for institutions that are guided by a common strategic vision and streamlined processes to reduce financial burdens. National and European fundraising would focus on highlight the achievements of each alliance, while reduced bureaucracy would foster student and staff mobility and societal impact.
Building upon the transformation forecast, the third forecast presents the most comprehensive and ambitious scenario, namely ‘full integration’.
A key feature of this scenario is the diversification of funding sources, leveraging opportunities from programmes such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, the Innovation Fund and the European Universities Initiative to fully support the ‘knowledge square’ comprised of education, research, innovation and service to society. While demanding significant effort from all stakeholders, this scenario has the potential to establish world-class European Universities as heavyweights within the European Higher Education Area.
Key policies and actions to diversify funding sources include:
This scenario also envisions the creation of a legal entity to support each European Universities alliance, ensuring effective governance and long-term strategic planning. It emphasizes shared and adaptive governance structures to establish these alliances as independent and influential leaders in higher education, paving the way for a sustainable and impactful future for European Universities.
Finally, there is an additional element to take into account when considering both the transformative impact of European Universities and their financial viability, that is, the concept of interlacing alliances in Europe’s many border regions.
For example, the Greater Region (Grande Région/Großregion) is a transnational zone that spans parts of Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France. Renowned for its cross-border cooperation, the region boasts deep historical, cultural and economic ties. It is home to the University of the Greater Region (UniGR), a network of seven universities established in 2008. Initially funded by the EU through the Interreg IV ‘A Greater Region’ programme, UniGR now operates with support from its partner institutions and the EU.
UniGR has been a trailblazer for European Universities alliances, shaping governance, shared teaching and student mobility frameworks. Four of its member universities play pivotal roles in European Universities alliances: the University of Saarland (Transform4Europe), the University of Luxembourg (UNIVERSEH), the University of Liège (UNIC) and the University of Lorraine (EURECA-Pro). This remarkable concentration of European Universities within a single cross-border area serves as a model for long-term, multilateral collaboration, rooted in shared historical, cultural and economic connections and supported by European higher education policy.
With the growth of interlacing alliances, it is all the more crucial that funders, including national governments and the European Union, streamline the conditions and requirements of their funding programmes, reducing the complexity of rules and disproportionate reporting, and adopting an approach based on full costs. We can then imagine super-alliances that take strategic cross-border cooperation even further.
Note: This article is based on Eric Tschirhart’s remarks during a session on the ‘Sense & sustainability of university alliances’ at the 2024 EUA Funding Forum, where speakers explored funding scenarios based on EUA’s ‘What if? Exploring possible futures of transnational cooperation for Europe’s universities’ foresight report.
