Nine universities are working on the European campus

A group photo, many discussions and one big question for the future: how can nine universities in nine European countries come together to form a campus that transcends borders? In Oradea, Romania, the leaders of the EU GREEN university alliance gathered for their annual meeting in the first week of October. Among those present were the Magdeburg university management, the alliance’s coordinators and students. Together, they looked back on the first phase of the project and set the course for further collaboration.

The idea behind EU GREEN is as simple as it is ambitious: in future, anyone studying, teaching or conducting research in Europe should be able to move more easily between partner universities and take advantage of joint programmes. The first teaching formats and exchange programmes are already in place. The focus now is on expanding these and creating new study opportunities. Three proposals for international study programs have made it onto the shortlist. These include a study program on green energy involving Magdeburg. In another, which focuses on sustainable economics, politics and corporate social responsibility, Otto von Guericke University is taking the lead.

However, the European Campus is not intended to end at the university gates. The cities and regions of the partner universities are also set to benefit from the collaboration. For example, when researchers jointly develop solutions to environmental and climate problems, or when learning programmes and online courses are open not only to university members but also to interested members of the public.

It is a fundamental principle of the Alliance that discussions take place not only about students, but also with them. Representatives of the Students’ Council sit at the table in Oradea as equal members. They present a joint statement from the students setting out their expectations of EU GREEN and their opportunities to have a say. After all, it is precisely those who will be using the European campus in future who should have a say in the decision-making process.

Amidst all this optimism, one crucial task remains: individual projects and time-limited funding programmes must evolve into a collaboration that functions on a long-term basis. To achieve this, the universities must better coordinate their study programmes, create pathways to joint degrees and firmly embed the Alliance within their structures.

The meeting in Oradea is therefore more than just a mid-term review. The question is how a European higher education initiative can become a natural part of everyday university life – for students, researchers and the people in the nine partner regions. The group photo captures a moment of this collaboration. The real work on this continues.