European Commission grants �12.8 million for European university alliance Circle U.
On July 3, 2023, the European Commission announced that the “Circle U. 2030” project proposal has been selected for further funding under the "European Universities" initiative. The goal is to revolutionize the quality and competitiveness of research and teaching in Europe through deepened collaboration while instilling European identity and values. The renewed funding recognizes the achievements from the three-year pilot phase (2020 - 2023) - and supports the ambition of the alliance of nine universities to create the European University of tomorrow.
"With Circle U. 2030, we are reaching a new level of cooperation. It will open up entirely new opportunities for study and cooperation in a European context for all members of Humboldt-Universit?t and its partners," says Prof. Dr Julia von Blumenthal, President of Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin. " The trust and close exchange between the universities in Circle U. holds great potential, which must now be implemented with the new funding."
Developing collaboration, testing new concepts
Over the next four years, the nine members of the university alliance will further develop their collaboration and test new concepts in higher education and research cooperation. At the same time, the alliance will provide an expanded range of flexible teaching opportunities for half a million students and other learners: These include summer and winter schools, public discussion events and lectures, open courses, challenge-format learning activities, language and intercultural skills modules, and joint seminars and degree programs. The "Open Campus" will create a one-stop shop for all educational opportunities in Circle U.
In addition, four cooperation platforms will be created that will enable Circle U. universities, their members and associated partners to promote educational innovations, advance multilingualism, support young scientists and assist students in setting up businesses.
In addition, Circle U.'s backbone, the Academic Chairs Program, will be expanded to include a Fellow Program designed to ensure sustainable and concrete connections between scholars, students, and associated and global partners. In terms of content, the Alliance's range of topics will be expanded.
For integrated European higher education
"The last three years have been a successful preparation for the further development of Circle U. In the new project phase, there will be many new opportunities.," says Dr. Yoan Vilain, Humboldt University's Presidential Representative for International Affairs and Europe. "Circle U. is going broad, so to speak, with the aim of ensuring a truly European higher education and also creating a new work environment for academics." By 2030, Circle U. will become an integrated European university - inclusive, interdisciplinary and research-intensive - where academics, students and staff from across Europe and beyond work seamlessly together through shared infrastructures and processes.
About Circle U.
Circle U. is one of 50 higher education alliances funded under the European Universities Initiative. Its nine members include universities from European countries within and outside the European Union. In addition to Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin, these are Aarhus Universitet (Denmark), King's College London (United Kingdom), UCLouvain (Belgium), Università di Pisa (Italy), University of Vienna (Austria), Université Paris Cité (France), Universitetet i Oslo (Norway) and Univerzitet u Beogradu (Serbia). Through this diversity and shared European democratic values, the alliance helps to shape a multi-faceted identity. Circle U. as a European alliance also has an impact beyond the continent's borders: its unique transformational dynamics will also benefit global partners. The thematic focus is on climate, democracy and global health.?
Further information
Press release of the European Commission on the funding of the University Alliances
Contact
Dr. Anna Br?mmer
Program manager worldwide, International Department,
Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin
Phone:?+49 30 2093 46705
anna.broemmer@hu-berlin.de
?