Warwick Academics Lead Insight Paper on the Future of European University Alliances
A new Insight Paper published by The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, co-authored by Professor Jo Angouri and Professor Jan Palmowski from the University of Warwick, offers a critical analysis of the European Universities Initiative (EUI).
Introduced in 2019, the EUI represents a landmark in European higher education policy, aiming to strengthen the European Education Area and enhance global competitiveness through long-term, transnational university alliances. These alliances have been tasked with reimagining collaboration in education, research, and societal engagement, acting as testbeds for innovation across all missions.
Warwick has played a leading role in this transformation as one of only three UK universities to join the EUI in its first phase, forming the EUTOPIA Alliance. This pioneering network has driven new pedagogical models, deepened institutional relationships, and fostered cultures of cooperation that go beyond traditional mobility schemes.
The Insight Paper argues that while alliances have generated significant momentum, they now face a critical crossroads. Sustaining what has been built requires realistic expectations, coherent policy alignment, and governance that moves beyond project-based logic to systemic integration. The authors highlight the need for alliances to articulate their long-term added value in research, innovation, and societal engagement areas, where structural collaboration remains complex but essential.
Professor Jo Angouri, former Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor: Education and Internationalisation and EUTOPIA Curriculum Developer 2019-2025, commented:
“The EUI provides an unprecedented opportunity for innovation and change in European higher education. But for this to be achieved alliances need to be supported and incentivised to work towards embedding the results of the pilot in the permanent offering of our institutions, enriching existing programmes, systems and structures”.
Professor Jan Palmowski, Secretary General of The Guild and Professor of Modern History at Warwick, added:
“Five years on, the EUI stands at a crossroads. What has been achieved is remarkable, but the challenge now is sustainability, based on realistic expectations. Alliances must evolve from pilot projects into enduring structures that focus on their added value to their participating institutions to advance innovative education, as well as research and societal engagement across Europe”.
As the paper notes, the EUI’s success will depend on nurturing transnational communities of practice, embedding education as the foundation of collaboration, and creating frameworks that enable alliances to mature into enduring pillars of European higher education.
Read the full Insight Paper on The Guild’s website.