NUAS internationalisation dialogue: European University Alliances – a strategic view

Background:

The European Universities Initiative (EUI) is the most important programme in the field of education and training launched by the European Commission in recent years; a ‘flagship’ with massive financial investment and strong policy focus. The initiative has been very well received by higher education institutions, not least in the Nordic countries.

In this webinar, we will explore institutional experiences in the Nordics to gain an overview of the reasons for being part of – or not being part of – the EUI. Since the EUI call 2024 has been flagged as perhaps the last one for new alliances, what possible scenarios do we see for the next few years, and what will they mean for HEIs who are not yet part of an alliance?
What does the EUI mean for internationalisation in general, and how do Nordic universities respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by the initiative? To put it differently, if EUI is the answer, what was the question?

In some, typically larger universities, the European Universities Initiative is only a part of their internationalisation efforts, in smaller ones, being involved in a European University Alliance seems to be their ‘whole’ scope of internationalisation. Does this lead to a concentration of our partnerships and efforts towards Europe and European University Alliances and what happens to other options? Does the EUI create inequality and diminish internationalisation opportunities for universities outside the initiative?
How strategic is the EUI? Is it a long-term plan or a “quick fix” to some questions?
What will be the impact of this kind of internationalisation in Europe and beyond?

Learning goals:

• Participants will understand Nordic EUI involvement
• Participants will explore different views and insights on the topic with other Nordic university colleagues

Target group:

• Staff involved or planning to be involved in EUI, International relations managers and practitioners at NUAS member institutions