Photo © Jana Dünnhaupt/OVGU 

As a member of the EU GREEN university network, the University of Magdeburg will become a “European University” together with eight other universities, also including fellow EUniverCities members, the University of Parma. The European Union is funding the development of joint sustainable university structures and programmes that enable close cooperation in research, teaching and administration with more than 14 million euros.

Over the next four years, the University of Magdeburg will receive 2 million euros to establish transnational study programs and research projects as well as transparent, digital administrative processes. In this way, students, researchers and employees will be able to move between European institutions without hurdles in the future and jointly use the experience, strengths and potential of all as well as developing intercultural skills. The idea of sustainability in teaching and research is profile-defining for the university network EU GREEN.

“This great success of the university network holds enormous potential for the university, the city and the region”, says the rector of Magdeburg University, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Strackeljan. “Our campus will change because the European idea will be much more present.” The task is also a major challenge, he said. True, at first glance it would only be a matter of designing common infrastructures, synchronizing university procedures and academic processes. “But, if we also succeed in actively using these new structures, then a great development potential will open up for Magdeburg University and incredible opportunities for our university members. A European campus will be created and students of Magdeburg University will then become students of a ‘European University’.”

Background

The “European Universities” initiative is an EU initiative to build a European Education Area. By 2024, about twenty “European Universities” are to be created, consisting of university networks that enable students to obtain a degree by combining study opportunities in several EU countries, thus contributing to the international competitiveness of European universities.

The EU GREEN higher education alliance consists of nine universities from Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Romania and Germany. The partner universities commit to common European values and goals for sustainable development, promote measures to combat climate change, and aim to develop a high-performance digital education system through the European Campus.

More information: www.eugreenalliance.eu