EU-CONEXUS European University joined 13 other Alliances in Towards a Stronger Europe: Franco-German-Irish Perspectives on the Future of European University Alliances, a conference on the future of European University Alliances. Hosted by the French and German Embassies in Ireland at Europe House, Dublin, it took place on Tuesday, May 27.
The conference involved universities from Ireland, France and Germany, highlighting the strategic benefit of transnational collaboration within formal Alliances under the European Universities Initiative. All three countries have shown strong commitment in this regard, facilitating such collaboration through institutional participation and financial support.
The 65 funded European Universities Alliances are integrated inter-university campuses where students, staff, and researchers can move seamlessly—physically, virtually, or in blended formats—across partner institutions to study, train, teach, conduct research, work, and share services. Hosted by the French and German Embassies in Ireland with the support of the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the Technological Universities Association (TUA), the event provided a stage for strategic dialogue on the evolving role and added value of European University Alliances in fostering cooperation, democratic resilience, and deeper European integration.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, commented: “I am delighted to join my Irish and international colleagues today to highlight and celebrate the work of the European University Alliances. These are networks which, by their nature, drive creativity, collaboration, and innovation, strengthening the fabric of higher education across Europe. At their heart, they represent the true spirit of the European project: not just economic cooperation but a shared commitment to peace, understanding, and people. Research, innovation, education, and skills are central to that project, and as Minister, I will continue to lead and invest in these areas, particularly as we prepare to assume the EU Presidency in 2026.”
H.E. Céline Place, French Ambassador to Ireland, said: “As President Macron recalled in the speech that he gave at the Sorbonne in September 2017, universities are at the heart of Europe’s ambition to be stronger, more sovereign, and more united. 8 years on, this trilateral dialogue between France, Ireland, and Germany is a concrete step towards that vision of universities as political forces towards the construction of a Europe of knowledge, cooperation, and shared values.”
H.E. David Gill, German Ambassador to Ireland, remarked, “European University Alliances are not just an academic initiative – they are more: a bold vision for the future of knowledge, collaboration, and identity in the European Union. Germany has embraced this vision wholeheartedly.”
In the lead-up to Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, the conference will explore pivotal questions about the long-term future and sustainability of these Alliances beyond 2027, including how these Alliances can support strategic European priorities such as competitiveness, sovereignty, technological preparedness, etc. Key elements for these will also be discussed, including joint degree development, funding strategies, mobility, skills and innovation ecosystems, and the added value for students in engaging in these European University Alliances.
