University networks plan seeks ‘quantum leap’ in cooperation

The European Commission has launched a call offering higher education institutions a share of €30 million to form powerful networks.

The call is a pilot for a bigger plan to set up such networks, first proposed by French president Emmanuel Macron in September 2017. The initiative is intended to increase the quality and international competitiveness of Europe’s higher education institutions.

Details of the pilot were announced on 25 October, with the Commission saying the networks would require “a quantum leap in cooperation” among their members. This should manifest “at all levels of the organisation[s], across all areas of activity, from teaching and learning to research and innovation”. The networks should also promote common European values, including human dignity, democracy and equality.