The EC2U - European Campus of City-Universities consists of seven long-standing, education- and research-led, locally and globally engaged universities from four diverse regions of the European Union: the University of Coimbra (Portugal), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi (Romania), the University of Jena (Germany), the University of Pavia (Italy), the University of Poitiers (France-Coordinator), the University of Salamanca (Spain) and the University of Turku (Finland).
It represents a community of 160 000 students and 20 000 staff, in direct reach to more than 1 600 000 citizens.
The Alliance’s ambition is to develop an innovative space allowing mobility to flow freely between the seven universities and associated cities. This model of openness will contribute to overcome clichéd views of regional and national identities and achieve a united and stronger Europe.
The Alliance will reach this ambition by creating a pan-European campus, connected by the common European identity, contributing to the creation of a smart higher education eco-system through a new model of quality education for an inclusive civic society. This unique model relies on the double vertical and horizontal integration strategy, producing synergies from education, research and innovation, from formal/non-formal/informal education, and from the involvement of academic communities, municipalities, higher education regulatory bodies, socio-economic entities, citizens.
EC2U will allow a new interdisciplinary approach to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with emphasis on SDGs 3 - Good Health and Well-being, 4 - Quality Education and 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities.
This new approach comprises:
- the creation of the first three Virtual Institutes (VIs) combining education, research and innovation in missions based on the aforementioned SDGs;
- the creation of the first three joint, innovative master's degrees, each focusing on one of the three selected SDGs, offering "à la carte" courses and testing new opportunities for physical / virtual mobility for students and teachers, in full compliance with the Bologna Process and using all the European tools available;
- a unique partnership between academia, cities and external stakeholders, ensuring the transfer of knowledge to all local, national and European actors, in particular to the municipalities - committed to EC2U as Associated Partners -, and, more global, through the EC2U Forum, an event organized by the university communities of the seven universities, involving all partners and citizens;
- development of new activities in "Science with and for Society", which will support students and (young) researchers in their career development and the creation of an Entrepreneurship Academy;
- a reinforced European commitment, through EC2U Think Tanks, where students, researchers and citizens will reflect together on societal challenges;
- an active participation in the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative for the global development of SDGs and a well-structured internationalisation plan.
After 2023, the fully implemented initiatives will be permanently integrated into the Alliance's portfolio and systematically expanded to other areas and challenges, thus reaching and ensuring impact in the academic community and in external partners, stakeholders and citizens. This long-term vision is reflected in the 2030 goal - to achieve the status of a true pan-European campus, with an extension of the Virtual Institute concept to the 17 SDGs, based on the diversification of projects using internal and external funding.
