Part of 24 new networks

European Universities 'are transnational alliances of higher education institutions from across the EU that come together for the benefit of students, teachers and society. On 9 July, the European Commission has unveiled the additional 24 European Universities that will join the first 17 alliances of higher education institutions selected already in 2019. With financial support from the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes, they enhance the quality, inclusion, digitalisation and attractiveness of European higher education'.

UC Leuven-Limburg will be one of the new partners in this exciting experiment in higher education. It joins the EUDRES network together with partners from Austria, Hungary, Romania, Latvia and Portugal. UCLL is, together with LUCA School of Arts, the first Flemish university of applied sciences to join such a network.

EUDRES to focus on small, smart and sustainable regions

E³UDRES² – the Engaged European Entrepreneurial University as a Driver for European Smart and Sustainable Regions - supports small and medium-sized cities and their rural surroundings areas and addresses their specific needs and challenges along a complex path towards a prosperous future European society. It follows the idea "From Europe – For Europe" by developing European solutions to regional problems in a globally connected world. Therefore, E³UDRES² pools knowledge, core competences and skills and shares resources of the following six higher education institutions:

• St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (Austria)
• Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (Portugal)
• Polytechnical University Timisoara (Romania)
• Szent Istvan University Gödöllö (Hungary)
• UC Leuven Limburg (Belgium)
• Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia)

Focus of the partnership

These E³UDRES² members stand strong in their:

• Existing strategic commitment and acknowledged expertise for the further development of smart and sustainable regions
• National and/or international recognition for their authentic and innovative Open Learning methods
• Recognised activities and innovative projects towards future universities
• High-quality, mission-oriented and participatory Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) methods

Looking to the future

The EUDRES partnership will focus on the development of learning needs in the European regions where it is active. The current shift in learning methods under pressure of the Covid-19 crisis creates a momentum in which experiments with new solutions are of utmost importance. New learning strategies are the only way forward to vitalise our regions and its learners. EUDRES is proud to contribute to this challenge.

Source: LinkedIn (Klaas Vansteenhuyse)