The BAUHAUS4EU University Alliance had submitted its proposal to the EU initiative »European Universities« (Erasmus+) in January 2023. The »Seal of Excellence« award now bestowed by the European Commission attests to the outstanding quality of the proposal going beyond the eligibility to receive funding. Exclusively due to a lack of sufficient funding, the BAUHAUS4EU University Alliance must persevere without financial support from the EU for the time being.

»Naturally we had hoped to receive the funding, but as a University Alliance we have also prepared ourselves for this eventuality. Work within the Alliance will, of course, continue. Existing working groups and exchange formats will be continued and broadened, the partnerships between the individual regions will be expanded and deepened, and new cooperation formats in research, teaching and transfer will be continuously created. And we will of course compete again in the next funding round«, says Dr. Christian Kästner, Head of the International Office, outlining plans for the future on behalf of the University Alliance proposal team.

In addition to the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, the BAUHAUS4EU University Alliance is composed of the Blekinge Institute of Technology (Sweden), the University of Bergamo (Italy), the Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France), the University of Economics in Katowice (Poland), the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (Bulgaria) and the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (Portugal).

The seven partner universities have set themselves the goal of supporting the sustainable and inclusive development of their regions through international and multilateral cooperation. To this end, current regional challenges are shared within the network and are jointly addressed through innovative teaching, research and exchange formats. The working basis is the complementary expertise of the universities and their regional partners, as well as the themes and values of the European initiative on the »New European Bauhaus« (»Beautiful, Sustainable, Together«) as a leading international movement for sustainability transformation.

In this context, the University Alliance will also promote international mobility for its students, lecturers, researchers and staff. Numerous low-threshold formats will be offered for this purpose to enable as many university members as possible to enjoy experiences tailored to their interests whilst abroad in Europe.

»We want to give a strong boost to the internationalisation of our university and, together with our university partners, make a European contribution to education, research and transfer. Many parties have contributed to this fantastic result. The process has helped us to better get to know each other's institutions, to identify areas of overlap and to define goals as well as methods of achieving them«, says Prof. Peter Benz, President of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

From 26 to 28 September 2023, the BAUHAUS4EU Forum will be held in Weimar with the participation of all seven university rectors and numerous regional partners. The thematic focus of the Forum concerns what contribution universities, with their international networks, can make to the sustainable and inclusive development of their regions within Europe.

Further information on the »European Universities« initiative can be found at: education.ec.europa.eu/de/education-levels/higher-education/european-universities-initiative   

Contact person:
Eva Léchelle
Referentin Aufbau Europäisches Partnernetzwerk
E-mail: eva.lechelle[at]uni-weimar.de