U!REKA partnership is one of the first European alliances involving only universities of applied sciences.
The European Commission selected the proposal of the Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance (U!REKA), a partnership of seven European institutions, as a European Universities Initiative (EUI). This means that U!REKA will become an official Erasmus+funded European University Alliance, with an extensive partner network and a common vision on climate neutrality, amongst other things. U!REKA is also one of the few alliances with only universities of applied sciences.
Besides HOGENT, the U!REKA alliance includes Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Politecnico de Lisboa and VSB Technical University of Ostrava, as well as 24 more associate partners.
In January 2023, U!REKA applied for the EUI 2023 call. With the European Universities Initatiative, the European Commission aims to support and fund ambitious collaboration between networks of institutions and external partners. European universities are transnational alliances that, as the European Commission itself defines it, "point the way to the universities of the future, promote European values and identity and bring about a revolution in the quality and competitiveness of higher education in Europe."
SHIFT
On 3 July, the European Commission announced that the U!REKA proposal had been approved. The project, entitled U!REKA SHIFT (Sustainable, Human, Inclusive, Future-proof Transition) aims, through long-term structural cooperation, to integrate the partners' education and research into a European university with a specific focus: contributing to a sustainable, human, inclusive and future-proof transition to climate-neutral and smart cities.
Its feedback is as follows: "The alliance is a consortium of colleges, thus more practice-oriented, and shows a strong connection between education, practice and research. The objectives are entirely in line with the European strategy for universities. Goals of the European Green Deal and the EU-mission for 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities are also embedded in the proposal."
U!REKA's application received 88/100 points. More information on the content of the bid and our U!REKA SHIFT strategy and mission can be found at www.ureka.eu/.
Interaction between education and research
"To be one of the European Universities with our U!REKA SHIFT is truly fantastic news," reacts Kathleen Van Heule, who was closely involved in the preparation of U!REKA SHIFT as an International Office staff member at HOGENT. "It is a confirmation of our focus on creating cross-border knowledge communities in which the interaction between education and research are crucial. We are very eager to get started with this."
Koen Goethals, president of HOGENT, is very proud: "As a founding member of U!REKA, HOGENT belongs now to a very select club of 'European Universities'. Moreover, with U!REKA we form an alliance of only universities of applied sciences'. It shows that Europe fully recognises the major role of this type of higher education institution in the creation, transfer and valorisation of knowledge and skills on a European scale."
U!REKA represents an alliance of only universities of applied sciences. This shows that Europe fully recognises the major role of this type of higher education institution in the creation, transfer and valorisation of knowledge and skills on a European scale.Koen Goethals, president HOGENT