Today, the Commission announced the results of the 2023 Erasmus+ call for the European Universities initiative, which provides support to alliances of higher education institutions. These European University alliances are bringing together a new generation of Europeans who are able to study and work in different European countries, different languages, and across sectors and academic disciplines. Thanks to these alliances, students can obtain a degree by combining studies in several European countries, which contributes to the international competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe.

With today’s results, adding seven new European Universities alliances, the total of 50 alliances now involve more than 430 higher education institutions in 35 countries. These comprise all EU Member States and Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye.

The students of these institutions can benefit from a unique transnational and innovative educational offer, allowing them to acquire essential skills and competences for the future. Furthermore, by partnering with almost 1 700 associated partners among NGO’s, enterprises, local and regional authorities, the 50 European Universities alliances bring broad-scale innovation to Europe’s regions.

With a record overall budget of €402.2 million from the Erasmus+ programme[1] for this call, each alliance receives a budget of up to €14.4 million for four years.

The 2023 call opened the possibility to higher education institutions from Western Balkans countries, not associated to the Erasmus+ programme to participate as full partners in the call. As a result, higher education institutions from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro have joined the initiative, on top of those from North Macedonia and Serbia.

As last year, the alliances can involve higher education institutions from Bologna Process countries as associated partners. Under the 2023 call, close to 30 higher education institutions from Ukraine have also joined the alliances.