Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan today announced the allocation of €2.3 million to support the participation of Irish universities in European Universities alliances (EUA).
The EUA initiative was conceived in response to the EU’s ambition to build a European Education Area and aims to bring together a new generation of creative Europeans with the ability to cooperate across languages, borders and disciplines to address societal challenges and to ensure the continued competitiveness of Europe.
Speaking today, Minister O’Donovan said:
“This funding is the second round of support given by my department to the EUA initiative and will further strengthen the role of Irish universities in these alliances, while also supporting student exchanges, research, innovation and engagement.
“The commitments made by my department and the HEA to support EUA participation are already bearing fruit, evidenced by increased access to high-quality and inclusive education, alignment of research and innovation with the digital and green transitions, and addressing major societal challenges.
“EUA membership allows Irish universities to harness the collective potential of their partners in delivering the objectives of Global Citizens 2030 – Ireland’s International Talent and Innovation Strategy. This ensures Ireland is an effective contributor in the delivery of the EU’s long-term joint strategies.”
Thirteen Irish Higher Education Institutions are EUA members, giving Ireland unparalleled presence and representation within the flagship European initiative for higher education. Among them is the University of Limerick, which leads the EMERGE consortium of nine universities from eight European countries. The University of Limerick recently announced its selection as one of the 14 new EUAs under the 2024 call for proposals.
Dr Alan Wall, CEO of the HEA, added:
“The impact of Ireland’s membership of 13 EUAs places our institutions at the cutting edge of European higher education and increases our global competitiveness.”
| University | Consortium | Funding |
| ATU | EU Green | €391,300 |
| MTU | INGENIUM | €391,300 |
| MU | ARQUS | €391,300 |
| SETU | EU-CONEXUS | €391,300 |
| UCD | Una Europa | €391,300 |
| UL | EMERGE | €391,300 |
| Total | €2,347,800 |
The European Universities alliances are a flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities. This initiative aims to establish alliances between higher institutions from across Europe and to develop long-term structural, strategic and sustainable cooperation between the institutions involved. By developing such co-operation, the initiative ultimately aims to improve the international competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe, and to promote European values and identity.
There are currently 65 European Universities alliances with more than 570 higher education institutions of all types, from all across Europe.
There are currently 13 Irish higher education institutions participating in these alliances as partners. These are:
Higher education institutions that are part of an alliance together form a European University. These can include all types of higher education institutions from all across Europe, such as:
The main source of financial support for European Universities alliances comes through Erasmus+. In addition, they can access:
Erasmus+ supports the set-up and running of the European Universities alliances through calls for proposals, covering education and the link with research and innovation, all at the service of society. Next to these dedicated funding streams for European Universities, they can also access other Erasmus+ funding opportunities, linked to for example student and staff mobility and innovation.