The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities

‼️ Call for action to all presidents of universities across Europe to sign our open letter ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRJp3Ezr ‼️ Today, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and League of European Research Universities (LERU) published an open letter addressed to President Roberta Metsola (European Parliament), President Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission), President António Costa (European Council) and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk (Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union) To boost Europe's competitiveness and build its resilience, we need to safeguard the next framework programme for research and innovation (FP10). 🔬 To realize Europe’s potential, breakthrough R&I must remain central. An ambitious FP10 framework programme with a robust, ring-fenced budget can empower cross-border collaborations that translate groundbreaking ideas into innovation. 🌱 From health to advanced materials, from the Green Deal to democratic resilience—strengthening R&I will unlock solutions to our greatest challenges. 🤝 Finally, international collaboration and science diplomacy are more vital than ever. Let's embrace partnerships beyond borders to secure global leadership, counter isolationism, and leverage shared expertise. 📣 Europe’s future competitiveness demands action. Together, let’s advocate for the policies that will help researchers and innovators thrive. 💪 The letter is supported by European and national networks of universities: CESAER, Coimbra Group, European University Association, German Rectors' Conference (HRK), German U15, ASSOCIATIE KU Leuven, Russell Group of Universities, swissuniversities, TU9 – German Universities of Technology, UNICA - Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe and YERUN - Young European Research Universities Early signatories include Presidents from The Guild and LERU and many more! We invite all Presidents/rectors (as appropriate) sign the open letter by May 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eiwWP5RU Aarhus University Babeș-Bolyai University University of Bern Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna Ghent University The University of Göttingen University of Groningen Jagiellonian University King's College London University of Ljubljana Univ Paris Diderot (Université Paris Cité) Université catholique de Louvain Radboud University PSL Research University Universitat Pompeu Fabra University of Tartu University of Tuebingen Uppsala University Universität Wien Maria Leptin European Research Council (ERC) Mostafa Moonir Shawrav Ekaterina Zaharieva #FP10 #CompetitivenessFund #MSCA #Poland25eu #ResearchMatters

[Mobilisation pour la science 2/4] Université Côte d’Azur figure parmi les premiers signataires de la lettre ouverte adressée aux chefs des institutions politiques de l'Union Européenne initiée par The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities et League of European Research Universities (LERU). Dans un contexte géopolitique menaçant, consciente de ses enjeux en termes de souveraineté technologique et donc stratégique, Université Côte d’Azur se mobilise pour demander un soutien européen inconditionnel en faveur d'une recherche d’excellence et à fort impact. ➡️ Lire la lettre ouverte : https://lnkd.in/ei9ei2dZ European Union Ministère chargé de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche Udice - French Research Universities France Universités Ulysseus European University MED'INNOV 3IA Côte d'Azur #U7+ #StandUpForScience #ResearchMatters #FP10

The Union of Skills: how can it succeed? Today’s launch of the Union of Skills marks a key ambition for the EU, and for Roxana Minzatu, for the next five years: to ensure Europeans are ready for the deep transformations that lie ahead. This is an important strategy, which to my mind must be founded on four pillars:  1️⃣  The Union of Skills cannot succeed without the member states, most of which have tried to address the challenges (e.g. a misalignment of skills with the labour market, the need for lifelong learning, etc) for some time. It needs member states and Commission to come together to address together what is missing, and what we can learn from each other at European level. For universities this requires, in many member states, an acceleration of autonomy: if we want universities to be more responsive to societal change, it is unacceptable that in some member states it takes five years or more to approve a degree! 2️⃣  Europe’s policy-makers must put their money where their mouth is. Investment in the EU in higher education (per student) has declined since 2009 – Universities cannot invest in lifelong learning, for instance, without adequate resourcing. And this is also true for Erasmus+: just to maintain the level of mobility planned for 2027, we need to triple its budget in the next MFF (from 2028).  3️⃣  The Union of Skills’ acknowledgement that Europe’s graduates need skills as well as competences cannot just be rhetorical: Erasmus+ has supported student mobility irrespective of subject domain – that has been its key strength, and that must be maintained.  4️⃣  An absolutely priority, as far as EU funding is concerned, must be to strengthen what already works well. Any new initiatives must be substantial, not rhetorical. For instance, if the EU wants to fund courses that provide skills to 1m learners, that is well and good. But is the EIT the ideal instrument for this? What kinds of skills are meant here, and for whom? And why not invite the EIT and other actors (e.g. universities, university alliances) to compete for the funds that would be made available for this, and see who provides the best value for money? It is essential that, at this time of fundamental economic, societal and geopolitical transformation, the Commission has the skills and competences of Europeans firmly in its sights – at the highest levels. It is critical that the Union of #Skills does not seek to replace the #EuropeanEducationArea (EEA), to which the sector is hugely committed, and which is far from complete. Rather, the Union of Skills must give new impetus to the #EEA! #unionofskills #universities #competitiveness #competitivenesscompass Virginia Richter Coco Norén Univ.-Prof. Dr. Beatrix Busse Edouard Kaminski Laia de Nadal Helena Ramalhinho Dias Lourenco Rachel Sandison OBE (FCIM) Svein Stølen Berit Eika Dag Rune Olsen Tor Grande Margareth Hagen Julia von Blumenthal Mari Moora

Virginia Richter, Rector of the University of Bern, signed an open letter from The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and the League of European Research Universities (LERU).   🤝 Together, we call for an “ambitious framework programme with a substantially increased and ring-fenced budget”. 🎓 Moreover, we say that “the excellence principle must remain at the core of the next framework programme” and argue that “it is critical to expand the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, while maintaining their bottom-up nature and the autonomy of the ERC Scientific Council”. 🇨🇭 Most importantly for us in Switzerland, we urge the EU to “expand the collaborative instruments the EU needs for its global competitiveness through partnership with closely associated countries, including the EEA, Switzerland, the UK, other associated countries”.   Our researchers need a framework programme that stimulates independent research and allows scientific excellence to flourish! Linda Doyle, Anders Hagfeldt, Jan Palmowski, Kurt Deketelaere, swissuniversities

Europe’s University Leaders sign up for FP10 Today, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and League of European Research Universities (LERU) launch an open letter in support of an excellence-based, impactful and self-standing framework programme (FP10), inviting Europe’s university leaders to sign here 👉 https://bit.ly/3QIo4HA. This initiative is strongly supported by key networks including CESAER Coimbra Group European University Association Hochschulrektorenkonferenz German U15 Russell Group of Universities swissuniversities Udice - French Research Universities UNICA - Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe YERUN - Young European Research Universities: This unity sends a strong signal already about our common concern on what is at stake. In this letter, we invite university leaders express their support for an FP10 that can effectively address Europe’s key challenges, including its #competitiveness. FP10 must be distinguished by: ·      scientific excellence across Europe, along the entire research continuum ·       instruments that complement each other ·       instruments that are the envy of the world, including an autonomous European Research Council (ERC), and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions ·       our capacity for international collaboration with strong associated countries, including the EEA, UK and Switzerland, but also partners further afield. As the Draghi report noted, now is the time for Europe to invest in breakthrough research and breakthrough innovation, and to connect the two. We invite Europe’s #university leaders to show their willingness to rise to this opportunity, enabled by a cutting-edge FP10 in the next MFF! #universities #research #innovation Hauke Heekeren Duncan Ivison Virginia Richter Anton Muscatelli Ekaterina Zaharieva Manuel Heitor Manuel Aleixo Christian Ehler Eszter Lakos Ursula von der Leyen Jamie Arrowsmith Vivienne Stern Beth Thompson MBE Martin Smith Jan-Martin Wiarda Nicola Kuhrt Enrico Schleiff Thomas F. Hofmann Anna Fontcuberta-Morral Anders Overgaard Bjarklev Martin Nilsson Jacobi Annika Östman Wernerson Veronika Sexl Philippe Augé Stephan Dabbert Margrethe Jonkman Jan S Hesthaven

📣 Call to universities in Europe! Today, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and League of European Research Universities (LERU) addressed an open letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Council President António Costa, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In a rapidly changing world, Europe needs more than ever an ambitious framework programme for R&I to boost its economic competitiveness, strengthen its societal resilience and cohesion, and protect its democracies. It is therefore critical to get the next framework programme (FP10) right. This implies: 💎 A standing-alone and excellence-focused framework programme 🧠 Building on what the framework programme already excels: the European Research Council (ERC), the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the EIC - European Innovation Council. 🌱 Funding excellent-based collaborative R&I geared towards socio-economic challenges 🌐 Enabling and promoting international R&I collaboration, especially with Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom as well as with closely associated countries and the Global South. The open letter is already supported by European and national networks of universities: ASSOCIATIE KU Leuven, CESAER, Coimbra Group, European University Association, Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, Russell Group of Universities, swissuniversities, TU9 – German Universities of Technology, German U15, UNICA - Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe and YERUN - Young European Research Universities. Early signatories are Presidents of LERU and The Guild, as well as the Presidents of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, University of Belgrade, Charles University, University College Cork, Université Côte d'Azur, Eötvös Loránd University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Luxembourg, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and USI Università della Svizzera italiana. We invite the presidents of all supportive universities to sign the open letter by May ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eHJzAC4M

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀? We welcome the European Commission’s work on the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 strategy and the roadmap on 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, because it puts skills and competences high on the EU’s strategic agenda. At the same time, The Guild highlights: 🔹 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: To strengthen institutional capacities to deliver, we need better use of institutional-based external quality assurance, supporting self-accreditation and expanding joint study programmes across Europe. This will strengthen trust and flexibility in our higher education systems. 🔹 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: While European Universities alliances play an important role, we must empower the entire higher education sector for pedagogical innovation and lifelong learning. Tackling skills shortages requires investment in all institutions, not just selected alliances or initiatives. 🔹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: The Union of Skills builds on existing initiatives like the Pact for Skills. Before building on these, we must ask if they are delivering real impact? We must ensure these pledges truly support Europe’s strategic sectors.  🔹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: A new Union of Skills governance is proposed, but it is critical this does not deflect from the need to achieve the European Education Area (EEA)? Instead of duplicating structures, let’s accelerate progress within the EEA, leveraging what’s already in motion. The ambition is clear, but execution matters. Let’s ensure the Union of Skills truly drives quality, innovation, and impact across Europe. 🌍💡 Read the full reaction here: https://lnkd.in/e2kqUj-Y Signe Ratso Roxana Minzatu Ursula von der Leyen Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen Susanne Conze Vanessa Debiais-Sainton EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology Ivana Didak Jan Palmowski #FutureofEducation #HigherEducation #R&I #Learning #UnionOfSkills Image credits: © 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 - 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲

🌱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🌱 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨? ✨ Join us at the launch of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿, where we explore how universities can redouble their efforts to tackle the climate and nature crises while driving #research, #innovation, and #education for a just and sustainable future. 📅 𝟭 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 | ⏰ 11:20 - 12:30 CEST | 🌐 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝗜: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Exploring how universities can strengthen sustainability expertise, embed sustainable development in pedagogy, and align skills training with future challenges. Speakers include: 🌱 Susanne Conze, Head of Unit Higher Education, DG EAC, European Commission 🌱 Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning and Vice-Chancellor Designate, Stellenbosch University 🌱 Prof Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla PF HEA, Academic Director for Sustainability, University of Warwick Don’t miss this chance to engage with leading experts on how universities can empower students for a sustainable future! 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/dGvqfBpv #HigherEducation #Sustainability #ClimateAction #NatureCrisis #SustainableFuture

🌍 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲! 🌍 💫 Join us on 𝟵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 (13:30 – 18:30 CEST) for an exclusive 𝗥&𝗜 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 on Africa – 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 360° 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘙&𝘐 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴: 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 📌 Hosted by the 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨 and co-organised by The Guild Universität Bern, and SwissCore, this event will showcase the groundbreaking work of the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE). Experts from across Africa and Europe will share insights on key topics such as 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 and 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. With the 𝗔𝗨-𝗘𝗨 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 paving the way for stronger scientific collaboration, this briefing is a must-attend for those invested in #research, #innovation, and #InternationalCooperation. 📢 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/dfrGChHH 🗣️ Speakers: 🔸 Alexander Renggli, Deputy Head of the Swiss Mission to the European Union 🔸Prof. Dr. Hugues Abriel, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, University of Bern 🔸Prof. Dr. Carmen Faso, PhD, Multidisciplinary Centre for Infectious Diseases (MCID), University of Bern 🔸Prof. Dr. Shahida Moosa, Head of Medical Genetics, Tygerberg hospital (South Africa) 🔸Prof. Dr. Thomas Breu, Director Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern 🔸Jean Claude Makangara Cigolo Phd Candidate, University of Bern 🔸Dr. Djouroukoro Diallo, Head and Coordination, Member of the Executive Board of Initiative Afrique, University of Bern 🔸Prof. Dr. Shahida Moosa, Head of Medical Genetics, Tygerberg hospital (South Africa) 🔸Nienke Buisman, Head of Unit, International Cooperation, DG RTD 🔸Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General, Lead on Africa-Europe CoRe, The Guild (Moderation) #AfricaEuropeCooperation #Innovation #ResearchExcellence #SwissEU #HigherEducation #R&I #AfricaEuropeCoRE