European Universities alliances: From Pilots to Transformative Forces – News – CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance [Skip to content](#main) ![](https://civis.eu/build/assets/circle-01-CEiLnzkH.svg) ![](https://civis.eu/build/assets/circle-09-B3BMjMVU.svg) ![](https://civis.eu/build/assets/circle-08-Bbt_UM7-.svg) [ ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg)](https://civis.eu/en) - [ Discover ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance) - [ What is CIVIS? ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/what-is-civis) - [ Our work ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/our-work) - [ Mission, Vision & Values ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/mission-vision-values) - [ Governance & Management ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/governance-andamp-management) - [ Who's Who ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/who-is-who) - [ CIVIS Association ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/civis-association) [Open Labs & Civic engagement ](https://civis.eu/en/discover-civis-alliance/our-work/open-labs-civic-engagement) - 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[The CIVIS Newsroom ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) 2. European Universities alliances: From Pilots to Transformative Forces European Universities alliances: From Pilots to Transformative Forces ======================================================================= Communication and Dissemination 12 May 2026 Since the launch of the European Universities initiative in 2019, alliances such as CIVIS have moved well beyond experimentation and are already transforming higher education. That was the clear message from the keynote panel held on 28 April in Brussels as part of the CIVIS Units Summit, which brought together representatives from EU institutions, researchers and alliance leaders to take stock of achievements and challenges ahead and discuss with over 70 CIVIS Staff members about the future of alliances. Moderated by **François Heinderyckx,** Professor at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Advisor to the Rector on CIVIS, the discussion gathered four speakers with complementary perspectives: **Yann‑Maël Bideau** (European Commission), **Ieva Grumbinaitė** (PPMI), **Sophia Karner** (Secretary‑General of Una Europa and FOREU4ALL Policy Lead) and **Mattia Bellotti** (Secretary‑General of the EUTOPIA Alliance). The panel took place in the context of the CIVIS Units Summit is an annual gathering of all CIVIS professional staff working on the Education, Mobility, Digital Campus, Research and Communication Units, as well as the officers for Quality, Global Partnerships and Innovative Pedagogies. Over 70 members of staff from our 11 European Universities comme together to exchange, coordinate and work on transversal actions. The [first Units Summit ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/civis-unit-summit-a-community-in-action)took place in Bucharest, in 2025 and this time it was Brussel’s turn. From political ambition to concrete cooperation ------------------------------------------------ Looking back to the origins of the initiative, **Yann‑Maël Bideau** recalled that European Universities were conceived at a moment of strong political momentum, with the aim of encouraging universities to cooperate far more deeply across borders. The ambition was not limited to mobility or credit recognition, but to use international cooperation strategically across education, research and innovation. That ambition, he noted, has largely been realised. Alliances are no longer questioned as a concept, and their added value is now widely recognised. ![Yann‑Mael Bideau, European Commission](https://civis.eu/storage/files/yannmael-bideau-ec.jpg) > With what you’re doing every day and what the other alliances are doing every day, bit by bit, I think you won the battle of showing, well, that it makes sense Yann‑Mael Bideau, European Commission Evidence of impact across Europe --------------------------------- Concrete evidence of this progress was highlighted by **Ieva Grumbinaitė**, who coordinated a comprehensive study on the outcomes and transformational potential of the initiative. Since 2019, the number of participating institutions has grown rapidly, and alliances have developed a wide range of joint activities. ![Ieva Grumbinaitė, EU policy analyst at PPMI.](https://civis.eu/storage/files/ieva-grumbinaite.jpg) > What you don’t see when you look only at your own alliance is the bigger picture. When you put the information together, you really see how far the initiative has gone Ieva Grumbinaitė, EU policy analyst at PPMI. Her analysis showed that alliances collectively have already created more than 150 joint programmes at different levels, expanded blended intensive programmes and significantly increased mobility opportunities — not only for students, but also for academic and professional staff. 73 ### alliances and seal of excellence insitutions 650 ### universities in an alliance 150+ ### joint programmes Changing universities from the inside -------------------------------------- Beyond numbers, the panel emphasised the deeper institutional changes driven by alliances. **Sophia Karner**, Secretart General of Una Europa, underlined how alliances are pushing regulatory and institutional boundaries that individual universities would struggle to address alone. *“Our joint bachelor programmes really tried to do things that weren’t possible before”,* she said, pointing to new degrees in areas such as European Studies and Sustainability that required overcoming legal and administrative barriers at national level. **Mattia Bellotti** stressed that long‑term success depends on how deeply alliances are embedded in everyday university life. Describing how EUTOPIA has built bottom‑up academic communities and new forms of joint course design, he said: ![Mattia Bellotti, EUROPIA](https://civis.eu/storage/files/mattia-bellotti-eutopia.jpg) > An alliance can be really successful only if we manage to bring the daily activities of the alliance into the daily life of the staff, of course the students and the academics Mattia Bellotti, EUROPIA For **Sophia Karner**, there is a promising future for alliances, but staff needs to feel recognised and valued. Una Europa’s Secretary General believes academic institutions must start considering work in the context of the alliance as an integral part of the university, and not as a side-project. ![Sophia Karner, Una Europa.](https://civis.eu/storage/files/sophia-karner-una-europa.jpg) > Alliances began as a leadership‑driven initiative, quickly met by strong bottom‑up enthusiasm. But motivation alone is no longer enough: engagement must now be institutionally recognised — in career progression for academics and in job descriptions for professional staff — so that people feel visible, valued and supported in their daily work Sophia Karner, Una Europa. CIVIS: from perceived burden to part of the solution ----------------------------------------------------- Speaking from a CIVIS perspective, **François Heinderyckx** highlighted a challenge familiar to many alliances: how they are perceived inside institutions, particularly by already overstretched staff. *“To me, the alliances will be a success when we shift from being percieved as a burden to being part of the solution”,* he said, stressing that CIVIS has deliberately invested in professional staff and support structures to ensure that alliance activities reinforce — rather than overload — existing university work. He also reminded participants that the real ambition of European Universities cannot be reduced to short‑term outputs or reporting cycles. *“We are aiming for transformation, not deliverables”,* he said, framing alliances as long‑term instruments for change rather than temporary projects. Alliances are not projects — they are built to last ---------------------------------------------------- That message resonated strongly with the European Commission’s position. **Yann‑Mael Bideau** was explicit in rejecting the idea that alliances should be treated as time‑limited initiatives. ![Yann‑Mael Bideau, European Commission](https://civis.eu/storage/files/yannmael-bideau-ec.jpg) > We always refuse to call the alliances projects. A project has an end date. The alliances don’t have an end date. We see them as a transformation of how you cooperate with one another Yann‑Mael Bideau, European Commission This long‑term vision also underpins current policy developments such as the European degree label, which builds directly on the experience of alliances and aims to make joint programmes easier to create, recognise and explain for students, universities and employers alike. Looking ahead -------------- As alliances continue to mature, speakers acknowledged that challenges remain: securing sustainable funding, embedding alliance activities more deeply into institutional structures, and reaching a larger share of Europe’s student population. Yet the overall assessment was clear. Seven years after their launch, European Universities alliances have moved from a bold idea to a lived reality: changing practices, influencing policy and reshaping how universities work together. For CIVIS and its partners, the task ahead is not to prove their relevance, but to continue turning long‑term cooperation into lasting transformation. - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-618x_.jpg?token=cecf84a673bbc9063762296e82b2189f) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=7daceb8b43dd354369f76843d7cc104e) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-9-618x_.jpg?token=5fa0bb21b91f962628516e84149e7932) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-9-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=d91b68bf901315afeda2d98ebce64595) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-7-618x_.jpg?token=66ac8c4ae1d5cb3b3a2c96c78c074b6c) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-7-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=2487e486e4927d3d2cd060bdca6debe8) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-6-618x_.jpg?token=71b9be51ababdb5061f60134ddfa2bba) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-6-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=bcd14fc2e9d7369d8db16bd5beb5be61) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-5-618x_.jpg?token=664e6e34ce13486709a7c297991d1349) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-5-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=7f529618f89effd1f2bdb863e7067688) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-4-618x_.jpg?token=7d2d582e1d808d111394bad5c1bff059) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-4-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=a82de26a025d86f5cae9df5628448146) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-3-618x_.jpg?token=059014f6654b240d539a99027915adc9) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-3-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=de6311e71e733c7b271d4d796b60551b) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-12-618x_.jpg?token=4c2ed78ee98caab142c064c3aa465d04) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-12-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=3e5dc50f75e637114d13b3539c528be8) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb_2-618x_.jpg?token=dd616f106626706f5303603955d6cd48) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb_2-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=085ea44aefb1472e31688dc44e447e71) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-10-618x_.jpg?token=020a12f16f5779a7a1183a066d813a24) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-10-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=fcc09c361114a6947e98821725f92f1a) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-6_1-618x_.jpg?token=591b11f92c6af05c097cfb5406efb9a4) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-6_1-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=9f7a3d8c6dfaa924222ebd2559a414df) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-5_1-618x_.jpg?token=7cad9ad0cd3a4618bc436966cd20d3bd) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-5_1-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=00df30dcecedff62316c15b7fb4a03b6) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-3_1-618x_.jpg?token=2fcba9de6957e1fae3265e0788eb23f3) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-3_1-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=aac25f5693ca18d689b9662e7d140b9c) - [ ![Click to enlarge](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-2_1-618x_.jpg?token=a22151391f3eef62fb57a9929247f9dd) ](https://civis.eu/storage/files/units-summit-coms-team-ulb-2_1-1600x1600-resize.jpg?token=c365f5dca02dab237cb03a286ac5f68c) Related news ------------ - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/martin-knoll1-800x600.jpg?token=2dd28f1c93ba3eaf2cd32b2380fdc009)Martin Knoll: a 'civizen' working to build bridges between science and society People 26 April 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/martin-knoll-a-civizen-working-to-build-bridges-between-science-and-society) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/ernesto-civizen-story-sur-800x600.jpg?token=7112b258c644b8cd0e455ba6fa8e75be)Ernesto’s civizen Journey: becoming a bridge between students and a wider European project People 19 March 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/ernesto-civizen-journey-becoming-bridge-between-students-wider-european-project) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/internationalisation-800x600.png?token=e1b39583bd55dd3a1eea12a2c04d207d)University of Salzburg wins Internationalisation Award for Staff Mobility and Development CIVIS Highlights 17 December 2025 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/university-of-salzburg-wins-internationalisation-award-for-staff-mobility-and-development) [Discover all our stories](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) [ University of Salzburg’s “Veggie Month” campaign nominated for Sustainability Award 2026 ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/university-of-salzburg-s-veggie-month-campaign-nominated-for-sustainability-award-2026 >) ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe’s Civic University Alliance ![Co-funded by the European Union](https://civis.eu/build/assets/co-funded-by-the-european-union-DSKLW1us.png)Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 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