DAAD funds European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) with around 700,000 euros for European University Network

The European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) is receiving around 700,000 euros from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to support its work in the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA). The funding is part of the national support program "European University Networks (EUN) – National Initiative" and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The funding period begins in January 2024 and is set to run for four years. The European University Viadrina will receive these funds in addition to the funding of 2.25 million euros already approved by the European Commission in 2023 for cooperation in the European University Network ERUA.

The funding now approved by the DAAD will finance specific measures until the end of 2027 that promote the integration of the European University Network ERUA into a European university and facilitate international mobility. This includes, for example, strengthening digital learning and teaching formats that enable students and teachers to study together at different partner universities, supporting exchange and network meetings and early career researchers, and systematically translating and explaining administrative processes into English.

Since 1 November 2023, the European University Viadrina has been a member of the ERUA. Since November 1, 2023, the European University Viadrina has been a member of the "European Reform University Alliance" (ERUA) and is funded as a "European University".
The alliance, which extends from France via Poland and Lithuania to Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Gran Canaria, will receive a total of 12.8 million euros from the European Commission until the end of 2027. 2.25 million euros of this will go to the European University Viadrina. The aim of the "European Reform University Alliance" is to innovatively shape the future of universities in Europe and to rethink teaching and learning as well as research and social engagement from a critical, European and inclusive perspective.

In the ERUA alliance, the European University Viadrina is responsible for the area of "Student Engagement", one of a total of eight working areas. These range from organizational university management issues to the development of joint innovative teaching and research formats and the creation of a joint ERUA campus. This is intended to serve the exchange of students, academics and administrative staff from the participating universities.
 

Background of the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA)
The European university alliance has existed since 2019 and initially united five universities: Université Paris 8 (France), Roskilde Universitet (Denmark), the University of Konstanz, the University of the Aegean (Greece) and the New Bulgarian University. In addition to the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, the Universidad de las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius and the University di Macerata Italy initially joined as associate members in November 2022. The association's self-image states: "We share the view of universities as creative places of innovative education and skills development, research cooperation and international and intercultural encounters within the framework of a common long-term vision and shared structures. We see diversity and engagement as a promise and create a fairer, more open and inclusive society." 
Further information: https://erua-eui.eu

About the background to "European Universities":
The "European Universities" are based on an idea put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017. As cross-border university alliances, they are intended to strengthen the European Higher Education Area by pooling the strengths and diversity of research and teaching at universities in Europe. There are currently 50 European universities; 51 universities from Germany are involved in 44 Europe-wide alliances.