Förderung 4EU+ Applies for Funding in the First Call for Proposals for “European Universities”
28 February 2019
Prague, Heidelberg, Sorbonne/Paris, Warsaw, Copenhagen and Milan form strategic network
The 4EU+ European University Alliance – a transnational association of six universities with a strong research focus that includes Heidelberg – is applying for funding within the framework of the first call for proposals of the “European Universities” initiative. Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), Heidelberg University (Germany), Sorbonne University in Paris (France), the University of Warsaw (Poland) and the universities of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Milan (Italy) submitted their application on 28 February 2019. The purpose of the initiative is to support strategic university partnerships within the scope of the Erasmus+ programme, with the aim of creating new infrastructure for research and teaching in Europe and strengthening the European Education Area.
The 4EU+ partnership builds on existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects and wants to intensify and consolidate the collaboration between the six universities in the areas of research, teaching, education, transfer and administration on an advanced level. In their joint mission statement, the alliance partners acknowledge the responsibility of universities to find solutions to global challenges. Their cooperation will focus on fields such as health and demographic change, Europe in a changing world, the transformation of science and society by new information and communication technologies and aspects of biodiversity and sustainable environmental protection.
The European University Alliance, originally called 4EU, was founded in March of last year by the universities of Prague, Heidelberg, the Sorbonne in Paris and Warsaw, and expanded in October of 2018 under the name 4EU+ to include the universities of Copenhagen and Milan. The alliance grew out of the idea of a European university based on academic freedom and autonomy that wants to offer equal access to education and will train the next generations of scientists and decision-makers. The application submitted by the university alliance in the call for proposals for “European Universities” is supported by more than 20 partners that include non-governmental organisations, regional authorities and business partners.