Europe’s future poses important social challenges that call for concrete answers: digitalization and artificial intelligence, climate change and sustainability, aging societies and migration. Under the umbrella of the ENGAGE.EU alliance, 7 leading European universities, including WU, have joined forces to provide a new generation of Europeans with the skills they need to tackle the big questions surrounding Europe’s future. This initiative was selected as one of 24 new European Universities in 2020.

The overall goal of ENGAGE.EU is to strengthen the social commitment of citizens and, in this way, make a positive contribution to Europe’s social and economic development. To achieve this aim, the alliance is taking a comprehensive approach that follows 3 interconnected paths: engaged learning, engaged research and innovation, and engaging with society. As WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger points out, “ENGAGE.EU is intended to serve as a model for interdisciplinary education and research, a platform for exchanging ideas, and a catalyst for social change. Together with our partner institutions, we are creating synergies and pooling expertise, providing excellent education and training, and carrying out important research. We’re also working to raise awareness of key values such as academic excellence, democracy, open discussion, and diversity. With these activities, we want to help steer the course for Europe’s future.”

7 universities pooling their strengths in teaching/research/third mission

Aside from WU, the alliance also includes Germany’s University of Mannheim (which acts as coordinator), Luiss Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (Italy), NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Tilburg University (Netherlands), the University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria), and Toulouse 1 Capitole University (France). All of these universities will contribute their respective strengths and unique perspectives, based on the geographic and economic contexts in which they operate. Following the European idea, they are joining forces to develop solutions that would be out of reach for one university alone.

In concrete terms, the partner universities intend to develop new, joint educational offers and teaching formats that address current, future-oriented topics and are targeted not only at students but also at interested learners from the general public.
In the field of research, a think tank will be created to strengthen structural collaboration between researchers, learners, and other players within the alliance.

ENGAGE.EU Labs allow universities to enter into a dialog and exchange ideas with stakeholders from civil society and business, opening up new spaces for innovation.

The great potential of the ENGAGE.EU European University lies in the fact that 7 renowned universities are joining forces, pooling their strengths and entering into a comprehensive dialog and exchange of ideas with their environment. “As a responsible university, WU is pleased to be part of this alliance, where we’ll be able to make further valuable contributions to the development of Europe’s economy and society,” says WU Rector Hanappi-Egger.

About the European University Initiative

European Universities are transnational alliances that serve as incubators for the universities of the future. They work to strengthen European values and identity and aim to revolutionize European higher education in terms of quality and competitiveness. Their goal is to bring together a new generation of creative Europeans capable of working together across languages, borders, and disciplines to address social challenges and skill shortages in Europe. Following the first call for applications in 2019, 17 European Universities were selected. Based on the 2020 call, 24 European Universities were selected, 6 of them including Austrian participation.