2023 Erasmus+ Call: Seven New European University Alliances Join

The European Commission has released the results of the 2023 Erasmus+ call for the European Universities initiative, which fosters cooperation between higher education institutions, announcing that seven new alliances have joined.

According to a press release issued by the EU Commission on July 3, 2023, with the new European institutions added, the number totals 50 alliances involving more than 430 higher education institutions in 35 different countries, Erudera.com reports.

For the first time, higher education institutions from the Western Balkan countries not associated with the Erasmus+ program had the chance to apply as full partners in the call.

Western Balkans countries participating as full-time partners in this call are:

• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia and
• Serbia

The Commission notes that a university from Bosnia and Herzegovina has been included in the prestigious initiative for the first time.

Commenting on the results, Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, said that learners and educators gain new abilities through the “innovative and challenge-based pedagogy and from embedded mobility.”

“European Universities fundamentally revolutionise higher education and promote European values and identity. They can help us pave the way towards a joint European degree, reinforcing a strong sense of European belonging among graduates,” he said, congratulating all the institutions that have successfully joined the 2023 Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative.

According to the EU Commission statement, these alliances enable students to earn degrees by combining their studies in several countries across Europe, which also contributes to the global competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe.

Each alliance will receive an amount of €14.4 million for four years, allocated from the overall budget of €402.2 million from the Erasmus+ program for the 2023 call. The new alliances will have the chance to collaborate with nearly 1,700 associated partners among NGOs, businesses, and local and regional authorities.

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, has previously said that European universities are important for quality jobs across the region, among other things.

Last year, about 30 Ukrainian higher education institutions joined the alliances. The budget for the call last year was €384 million.

The next Erasmus+ call for proposals will be opened in the fall of this year, aiming to expand to 60 European Universities alliances and more than 500 higher education institutions by mid-2024.

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