The 4EU+ Alliance participated in the EAIE 2024 Conference, held from 17–20 September in Toulouse, engaging in discussions and activities to promote deeper collaboration and innovation in European higher education.
Over 20 European University Alliances, including 4EU+, gathered at the exibition in a unified space near the European Commission’s stand. This joint presence highlighted the importance of collaboration across alliances to shape the future of higher education in Europe.
The conference provided a valuable platform to share lessons learned and best practices across a wide range of areas in which European University Alliances are involved. Discussions spanned topics such as fostering communities, connecting education with research, and promoting student co-creation. A highlight for 4EU+ was the session "Meaningful Mobility: Innovative Approaches from European University Alliances" led by colleagues from the 4EU+ Working Group Mobility—Daniel Stokke (University of Copenhagen), Alex Braye (Heidelberg University), and Karolina Ignatiuk (University of Warsaw)—alongside Sacha Beck from the European Commission. The Working Group Mobility is dedicated to expanding a range of mobility options within 4EU+, including long-term, short-term, and blended formats.
The session also highlighted practical strategies to overcome challenges to student and staff mobility, showcasing examples from across the alliance. It focused on three core initiatives, aligned with the mobility support examples highlighted by the European Commission:
shared courses and the 4EU+ student portal to create a sustainable educational offer and allow student access to the alliance’s learning portfolio,
curriculum comparison workshops to develop innovative forms of student mobility and foster collaboration in teaching,
mini-grants as a seed funding project scheme encouraging international collaboration.
The side event “Internationalisation of European Universities Alliances: The New Frontiers” held on 17 September, focused on how alliances like 4EU+ are expanding partnerships beyond Europe. Organised in collaboration with Université de Toulouse and La Région Occitanie, the event explored cooperation opportunities with regions such as Africa, Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and Latin America. Karolina Ignatiuk moderated a panel on cooperation with Ukrainian universities, highlighting the role of European universities in supporting institutions in conflict-affected regions. She also discussed the ‘4EU+ for Ukraine’ project, through which 4EU+ has been actively promoting academic cooperation, capacity building, and flexible educational paths for Ukrainian students and staff.
EAIE 2024 highlighted the collective efforts of alliances in advancing the goals of the European Universities Initiative. With the FOR-EU4All project launching in November to create a community of practice for European Alliances, 4EU+ will continue working with other alliances to strengthen integration and address the challenges of transnational cooperation in higher education.
Press release: European Universities Alliances present at the EAIE conference 2024: Pioneering journey to transform higher education