Vienna's Universities and the EU: Funding for "Circle U." and "ENGAGE.EU" Alliances
The European Commission continues its funding for European university alliances, supporting the efforts of Vienna's universities. Both the Circle U. Alliance and the ENGAGE.EU Alliance receive financial support for their innovative projects under the European University Initiative.
The extension of EU funding for Circle U. and ENGAGE.EU is an important step for the universities in Vienna. / Picture: © Flickr / Dimitar Nikolov / [CC BY-SA 2.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)]
The decision of the European Commission to support the project "Circle U. 2030" for another four years with a funding amount of 12.8 million euros is a recognition of the achievements, efforts, and ambitions of the Circle U. members. The University of Vienna, which joined the Circle U. alliance in 2022, is pleased to receive the funding and sees it as an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration in education and research. Sebastian Schütze, Rector of the University of Vienna, emphasizes the importance of the alliance for the internationalization of the university and the creation of an accessible and inclusive European university.
The Circle U. European University Alliance consists of nine research-intensive universities from across Europe, including the University of Vienna, the University of Aarhus, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Université Paris Cité, University of Belgrade, UCLouvain, University of Oslo, University of Pisa and King's College London. The Circle U. alliance is one of 44 university alliances funded under the European Lighthouse Initiative "European Universities."
WU also funded by the EU
The Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) can also be pleased with positive news. ENGAGE.EU, an alliance of seven leading European universities in the field of economics and social sciences, receives further funding from the European Commission. ENGAGE.EU aims to educate socially engaged European citizens in these fields and to strengthen their impact on society. The alliance has a special focus on topics such as digitalization, sustainability, inequalities, and migration. Thanks to the cooperation with practice partners, concrete solutions for societal challenges can be developed.
WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger is pleased with the successful extension of the ENGAGE.EU initiative. She emphasizes the importance of cooperation with renowned European universities and the opportunity to develop innovative solutions through joint efforts. In addition to WU, the alliance includes the University of Mannheim, the University of Luiss (Italy), the NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Tilburg University (Netherlands), the University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria) and the University of Toulouse 1 Capitole (France). New to the consortium is the Hanken School of Economics (Finland) and Ramon Lull University (Spain). The University of St. Gallen will be included in the alliance as an associate member.
Funding important for European science
These initiatives, Circle U. and ENGAGE.EU, are part of the European Commission's European University Initiative, which aims to promote high-level European university alliances and strengthen European cooperation in higher education. Circle U. is an alliance of nine research-intensive universities from across Europe, including the University of Vienna, that share a commitment to transformative and inclusive education. ENGAGE.EU, in turn, consists of seven leading European universities in the field of economics and social sciences, including the Vienna University of Economics and Business, working together to educate socially engaged European citizens to address the societal challenges of our time.
These alliances not only strengthen collaboration among participating universities, but also create cross-border partnerships and networks that foster the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and best practices. Membership in these alliances gives universities access to a wide range of resources, expertise, and international collaboration opportunities. Close collaboration with other renowned European universities and the involvement of practice partners enable universities to develop interdisciplinary approaches and implement innovative research projects.
Thanks to the financial support of the European Commission, Circle U., and ENGAGE.EU can further expand its activities and initiate new projects that contribute to the promotion of excellence in teaching and research. These initiatives contribute to strengthening the European Higher Education Area, facilitating the mobility of students and researchers, and intensifying cooperation between universities at the European level. They play a crucial role in creating a dynamic and innovative European knowledge society and contribute to addressing global challenges.
The extension of funding for Circle U. and ENGAGE.EU demonstrates the European Commission's commitment to strengthening European universities and cooperation in education and research. Vienna's universities are proud to be part of these alliances and to make innovative contributions to solving societal challenges.