EUROPE

As an alumna of the School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, my passion for the concept of Europe and the shared values of its diverse yet unified states has always been profound. The presentation of the Initiative for Europe by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Sorbonne in 2017 sparked my enthusiasm as he introduced the concept of European Universities.

One might ask: why is this significant? But first, let us address the question: what is Europe? My response diverges from the conventional, as I attempt to encapsulate Europe figuratively.

Envision a garden, composed of unique flowers, each delicately and distinctively beautiful, collectively forming a collage of vibrant colours accompanied by a magical fragrance. While strolling through this garden, one is simultaneously captivated by the colours and fragrances emanating from the uniqueness of each flower, yet puzzled by how all this coexists, pondering the delicacy of this spectacle.

This is how I see Europe, with its array of different states, peoples, cultures, histories and arts. The fundamental question is: what is the adhesive, the glue, that binds all these seemingly disparate states and peoples together as part of one European family?

At this point, it’s important to recall the crucial function the Council of Europe plays in paving the path towards a unity of values and principles by bringing all European states together and educating them about the fundamental European values: the rule of law, democracy and human rights.

However, for all this to be formalised, we have the European Union as the entity legitimising membership in this family and further building a European identity (as its unique mission).

For the EU to realise its mission, transformative tools are necessary, with their implementation directly impacting the construction of better societies, irrespective of whether they are in southern, western, eastern or northern Europe, and with education at the centre of everything.

The university of the future

The European University Alliances (EUAs) are crucial transformative tools in realising the strategic goals that lead to a better and higher quality life for all in that ‘garden’.

Therefore, the finely tailored objective of the EUAs is to shape the university of the future through a long-term joint strategy for excellence in education and research, involving universities from all parts of Europe.

Their aim is the promotion of European values and identity; innovative teaching methods through the exchange of best practices and an interdisciplinary approach; the promotion of multilingualism; and partnering with society to address the major challenges of our time.

Undoubtedly, a key question arises: will the EUAs achieve this goal? The importance of forming European Universities is also seen in the European Strategy for Universities, where the European Commission will designate that universities are a “distinctive feature of our European way of life”.

It views universities as agents of change, as “drivers of the EU’s global role and leadership”, with its final conclusion being: “Europe needs thriving universities to contribute to implementing the European Union political agenda.”

In this way all processes in society are interconnected and begin and end with education and science. The concern of the secretary-general of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities is justified when he emphasises that “European University alliances must not become a political plaything” because the idea behind them is much greater and transcends politics.

Are alliances fully understood?

But have universities understood the mission of the alliances? Is this just another EU project for them to boast about and use to promote their brand, or has the commission succeeded in conveying the strategic and transformative importance of the alliances, that they are more than just projects?

The development of a specialised discipline for researching the alliances is more than welcome and enables researchers to delve deep into the functioning of the alliances, their results and the fulfilment of the fundamental goal for which they were formed.

The commission should closely follow and collaborate with this group of researchers as it acts as a check and balance on the project and can suggest timely interventions where change may be needed to realise the commission’s strategy. The researchers can act as a reminder of the markers for success through tangible results.

Strategy for the future

Finally, I come to my point: the alliances, as set out above, act as catalysts in the development of the geopolitical aspect of Europe. By connecting students, professors, administrators and management, they create a strong sense of belonging and unity for the unique entity that is Europe.

In his Sorbonne speech, Macron emphasised that these initiatives are not acts of resistance, but acts of conquest for future generations.

EUAs are much more than a project; they are a strategy for a future through which Europe can transform its societies and play its role as a leader on the global stage.

Katerina Klimoska is an EU researcher and international higher education accreditation expert. She is also a PhD candidate in international relations and conflict management and alumna of the Council of Europe’s Schools of Political Studies.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.