European university alliances, or European alliances, are transnational partnerships between higher education institutions that enable long-term collaboration among institutions of all types across Europe. This initiative aims to promote European values and identity while enhancing the quality and competitiveness of European higher education.
Launched in 2017, this ambitious project by the European Commission was designed to strengthen the EU’s strategic role in education by supporting the development of sustainable, student-centered collaborations that address societal challenges. Since then, around sixty alliances of higher education institutions—referred to as European Universities—have been established. These alliances allow students to earn a degree by combining studies in multiple EU countries.
While these alliances are largely funded by Erasmus+, a significant portion of the costs must still be covered by the institutions themselves. That’s why, as early as 2018, Minister Jean-Claude Marcourt and the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) demonstrated strong political commitment to the initiative by allocating substantial funding to support institutions participating in this European effort. In total, five grants amounting to €2.5 million were awarded by the FWB Government, along with structural support of €534,000 per year for the next four years.
Through these grants, three evolving and complementary objectives have guided the deployment of European Universities in the FWB:
- Initial Support: The first grant aimed to assist institutions applying and launching into this pilot project.
- Development and Expansion: Subsequent grants focused on encouraging the development and consolidation of alliances, as well as motivating new institutions to join the initiative.
- Sustainability: The third phase of funding seeks to ensure the long-term sustainability of European alliances in the FWB.
The latest developments in the European Universities initiative aim to structurally and sustainably deepen the deployment of alliances and strengthen ties between partner institutions. This is being done with two main goals:
- To move closer to the creation of interconnected and inclusive European campuses.
- To foster joint reflection and co-construction of solutions to identified societal challenges.
The 6 European University Alliances
En 2023, toutes les universités de la Fédération-Wallonie Bruxelles, ainsi qu’une haute école, font partie d’alliances d’universités européennes : Circle U. avec l'UCLouvain, CIVIS avec l'ULB, EUNICE avec l'UMONS, UNIC avec l'ULiège, UNIgreen avec la HEPL et UniversEH avec l'UNamur.
Between 2019 and 2024, 65 European University Alliances were selected through a dedicated Erasmus+ call, involving nearly half of the European student population.
