This initiative started with French President Emmanuel Macron's speech at the Sorbonne in September 2017, and was proposed by the European Commission to EU leaders ahead of the Gothenburg Social Summit in November 2017 as part of the overall vision of building a European education area by 2025. 

The initiative was endorsed by the European Council in December 2017, which called for the creation of at least 20 European universities by 2024. The speech by Emmanuel Macron, then 39 years young, at Paris University on Sept. 26, 2017, was about security and innovation. He spoke about dealing with migration, about Europe as an economic power and as a guarantor of sustainable development. 

In implementation, the EU Commission has described the establishment of "world-class European universities that work seamlessly across borders" as a key factor for the further development of the European Community.

EUNICE, the European University for Customised Education, is a transnational network founded in 2020 with a presence in ten European countries. EUNICE stands for European UNIversity for Customised Education.

The ten member universities share a common DNA: all are medium-sized institutions and deeply rooted in their local communities, undergoing structural change, and placing students at the heart of their mission. Many of the universities are located in border regions of Europe and are seeking ways to counteract local population decline by creating attractive new living and income opportunities.

Furthermore, customized courses are developed for students to best prepare them for the European job market.

The EUNICE alliance currently consists of ten universities: the Technical University of Poznań (Poland), the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany), the University of Cantabria (Spain), the University of Mons (Belgium), the University of Catania (Italy), the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (France), the University of Vaasa (Finland), the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal), the University of Peloponnese (Greece) and the University of Karlstad (Sweden).

As an alliance, we aim to fundamentally transform the teaching and learning experiences of students and faculty. We achieve this by:

• enabling individual learning pathways at the European level,
• developing best practices for knowledge sharing among staff,
• interdisciplinary research and new educational approaches that address the global challenges of our time,
• and ensuring that research and innovation address the socio-economic challenges of our regional ecosystems.

All universities in the alliance are located predominantly in rural areas, away from the urban centers of their respective countries. This results in similar challenges for recruiting students and staff.

Furthermore, the regions of some partner universities are also facing the challenges of structural change. Sharing resources and collaborating at both academic and non-academic levels facilitates operational and strategic work for the participating universities.

As an alliance, we aim to fundamentally transform the teaching and learning experiences of students and faculty. We achieve this by:

• enabling individualized learning pathways at the European level,
• developing best practices for knowledge exchange among staff,
• interdisciplinary research and new pedagogical approaches that address the global challenges of our time,
• and ensuring that research and innovation address the socio-economic challenges of our regional ecosystems.

The European Universities Initiative is an ambitious EU initiative aiming to establish alliances between universities across Europe for the benefit of their students, staff, and society. By developing long-term structural, strategic, and sustainable cooperation among the universities in the European University Alliances, the initiative aims to:

• improve the international competitiveness of universities in Europe and
• promote European values ​​and identity.

Through these alliances, students can earn a degree by combining studies in several European countries. The initiative has the potential to bring greater benefits to universities than any previous cooperation projects. It also aims to develop a new multi-center campus from the ten participating alliance members.

Students, researchers, and staff have the opportunity to network and make better use of shared resources, infrastructure such as laboratories, and collective expertise across all disciplines. Through this knowledge exchange and closer collaboration, the universities strive to better address political, economic, and cultural challenges.

EUNICE's mission is to enhance the national and regional appeal of all its partners, as collaboration with regional businesses is crucial for the EUNICE alliance. Through international university partnerships, businesses, which are often highly regionally focused, can become more international and thus more competitive.

The European Universities network encompasses various types of higher education institutions: from universities of applied sciences and technical and art schools specializing in film and media to research-intensive comprehensive universities. As of early 2026, approximately 65 alliances/European Universities with over 550 participating universities were registered, located not only in capital cities but also in peripheral European regions.

Each alliance comprises an average of seven to eight higher education institutions. While some alliances pursue a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, others focus on specific areas such as sustainable development, health and well-being, digitalization and artificial intelligence, art, engineering, or space exploration.

An overview of all currently existing European Universities can be found here.

Erasmus+ supports the establishment and operation of European University Alliances through calls for proposals covering education as well as their link to research and innovation.

In the 2021-2027 budget period, Erasmus+ is providing record funding of approximately €1.2 billion to the European University Initiative. This equates to up to €14.4 million for each European University Alliance over a four-year period. This is almost three times the amount allocated during the 2019-2020 pilot phase.

The alliances may, if necessary, extend this four-year funding period with bridging funding until the next EU budget period starting in 2028.

European Universitiesdevelop and implement an integrated long-term joint strategy for education with, where possible, links to research and innovation, at the service of society. To achieve this, they are using joint management and governance structures and are building on a shared pool of resources, including

• Human resources
• Data and services
• Finances
• Administration
• Infrastructure

The result? Access to high quality and inclusive education, research and innovation which is aligned with the current digital and green transition while responding to the major challenges in today’s society.

The development of European inter-university campuses

The deeper institutional cooperation within the European Universities alliances allows students, doctoral candidates and staff to benefit from seamless mobility opportunities in so-called European inter-university campuses.

What do these offer?

• People can study, train, teach, do research, work, or share services in any of the partner institutions, either physically, online, or both (as blended learning). Alliances aim for such mobility at all levels (bachelor, master and doctoral), with at least 50% of the students within the alliance benefitting.
• Joint, flexible and innovative curricula, based on inter-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches, integrating student-centred learning and innovative pedagogies. Students are encouraged to customise where and when they study. This approach will also set solid ground for exploring the feasibility of a possible joint European degree at all levels, based on co-created European criteria, delivered at national, regional or institutional level, in accordance with the National Qualifications Frameworks.
• Other flexible learning opportunities and pathways for any age group, with some leading to micro-credentials.
• Work-based experience and traineeships with external mentors promote civic engagement, help learners to become more entrepreneurial, and promote the sharing of knowledge, talent and workforce across sectors.
• Student, academic and research bodies which are more diverse, include life-long and part-time learners, as well as under-represented and disadvantaged groups.
• Rewarding stronger and more diverse career paths and open science, open education and open data practices.

EUNICE offers a special range of courses for students at its ten member universities. The courses cover a wide variety of fields in which the participating universities specialize. The topics range from information technology and engineering to health, history, and social sciences.

All EUNICE courses are taught in English, are free of charge for BTU students, and are offered online, in a hybrid format, or in person, depending on the course. The courses are designed for undergraduate and graduate students, academic and administrative staff of the universities, as well as researchers and cooperation partners.

This comprehensive range of courses allows students to tailor their learning path and experience international academic exchange with other students from the partner institutions.

However, the courses offered are not the only way to gain multicultural experience. Students can use the international internship database to find internships in other European countries. The job postings are written in English, and direct contact is possible. The International Relations Offices are happy to assist and answer questions about funding, insurance, and accreditation. In addition to international internships, universities are also seeking students to help spread the EUNICE message.

Beyond the educational content, EUNICE offers all participants a broader perspective through sports and cultural activities. The EUNICE Weeks, which take place across national borders, feature a diverse program of sports, culture, and research.

Become a part of EUNICE and "customize your future".