European universities call for stronger research cooperation

National university associations from across Europe have joined calls to commit €220 billion to Horizon Europe and €60 billion to Erasmus+ under the next long-term EU budget, from 2028 to 2034.

In a joint statement published on April 7, rectors’ conferences from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Belgium point to “funding cuts and attacks on academic freedom from inside Europe, as well as by pressure from strategic rivals,” which they say are eroding the research, education and innovation foundations behind Europe’s position as a global actor.

In this context, European cooperation in research is more important than ever. “No member state can address today’s scientific, technological and societal challenges alone,” they write.

The university associations join the European Parliament’s lead negotiators, Brussels-based research lobbies and the expert group formed to advise the European Commission on Horizon Europe in backing an increase in the programme’s budget from €93.5 billion to €220 billion.

In its proposal for the future programme, which must now be negotiated between the Parliament and EU governments, the Commission put forward a €175 billion budget. For the Erasmus+ student mobility scheme, the Commission has proposed raising the budget from €26.2 billion to €40.8 billion.

In terms of funding priorities, Horizon Europe should remain autonomous and provide sufficient space for fundamental research in addition to applied and policy-driven activities, the university associations say. Social sciences and humanities should likewise play an integral role in the programme, including in governing and developing innovative technologies such as AI and biotechnology.

As for the programme’s governance, Horizon Europe should be “shaped, governed, and operated by the [research and innovation] community across all its pillars,” they say. The Parliament has suggested setting up expert councils to steer collaborative research, but this idea has received pushback from the Commission.

Related articles

• MEPs push for independent, expert-driven Horizon Europe
• Erasmus+ needs at least €60 billion to meet agreed priorities, universities say

European university alliances are another tool that supports collaboration across national borders. Long-term funding mechanisms are needed for these alliances to deliver on their early promise, according to the rectors’ conferences. “The alliances need perspective and long-term investment to become pioneers and share their knowledge with other European stakeholders,” they write.

At the same time, Europe should not turn away from international collaboration, which “is essential for scientific excellence, economic competitiveness, and for Europe’s credibility as a global actor,” the text says.

The statement was signed by the German Rectors' Conference, France Universités, Universities of the Netherlands, the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, the Flemish Interuniversity Council, the Rectors' Council of the French-speaking Universities of Belgium, and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities.