Declaration of intent: the creation of a European University Alliance

Following executive discussions, detailed planning by academic groups, and the joint signing of key memoranda, the

University of Warwick (United Kingdom), the University of Paris Seine (France) and Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium) have declared their intention of founding an expanding European alliance of universities in response to the European Commission’s call for the creation of strategic collaborations between higher education institutions.

All three universities are designedly modern and internationalist, socially and regionally impactful, entrepreneurial and challenge-driven. They share a core vision of innovative, creative and inclusive education. Through multilateral collaboration at all levels, they intend to create transformative learning opportunities that extend the horizon of expectations for tomorrow’s graduates and researchers, both in Europe and throughout the world.

Prof. Seán Hand, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Europe) at the University of Warwick, commented: “This dynamic teaching and research partnership between our institutions and nations will help build a robust, exciting, and globally connected future for all our students, researchers and teachers. Such collaborations are one reason why the Times Higher Education recently ranked Warwick once again among the world’s top 100 universities for research and teaching, and additionally among the top 20 most international universities in the world.”

Caroline Pauwels, rector of VUB, said: “This university alliance will build on our existing connections, fashion new joint academic offerings, and propose partnership to other like-minded European universities and centres of learning. It will expand cooperation in research and education in areas of mutual strength, while foregrounding a practice that is creative, responsive and international.”

François Germinet, President of Paris Seine University, added: “We are strongly convinced that UK universities should be core partners in future European university alliances and activities. It is therefore meaningful that Warwick University is part of this new and ongoing process.”

It will foster creativity and complementarity in an active and challenge-based learning environment, and encourage transnational and translational capability in pursuit of major social, cultural, economic and scientific missions.

The alliance will announce additional international partners within the coming months. Supported by a committed leadership, it will champion European higher education responses to questions of global impact. Underpinned by excellence and growing capacity, its programmes will propose collaborative solutions to international challenges, generate synergies between research, education, innovation, and economic contribution, and motivate inter-regional planning and place-making.

This release was first published 5 June 2018 by the University of Warwick.