Discover EC2U

The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) Alliance brings together nine historic and multidisciplinary universities—Coimbra, Iași, Jena, Pavia, Poitiers, Salamanca, Turku, Linz, and Umeå. These universities share a strong international outlook while maintaining a deep local engagement, making them true city universities.

Among the associated partners are the seven municipalities of the partner universities, as well as other socioeconomic stakeholders, including technology hubs, student associations, and chambers of commerce.

The Alliance’s activities are inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), specifically: Good Health and Well-Being (#SDG3), Quality Education (#SDG4), Sustainable Cities and Communities (#SDG11).

The Alliance’s goal is to develop a pan-European campus, an open and innovative space where people, knowledge, and initiatives circulate freely between universities and cities, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries. This new education model, rooted in a shared European identity, aims to foster an open and inclusive society.

The establishment of Virtual Institutes (VIs) and joint master's programs has been a key initiative of the pilot phase (2020–2023) and will continue to be a priority in the consolidation phase (2023–2027).

LEARN MORE

Funded by the European Commission, the European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) project officially started on 1st November 2020, under the "European Universities Initiative" of the Erasmus+ programme (2019 Call – Erasmus+ Key Action 2 – European Universities).

The University of Pavia has been a member of the EC2U Alliance since its inception and is actively engaged in all its activities. However, cooperation between EC2U partners dates back even further, as the member universities are also part of the Coimbra Group, a network of historic, multidisciplinary European universities committed to promote internationalization, academic excellence, and collaboration between universities and European institutions.

KEY FEATURES OF THE ALLIANCE

The EC2U Alliance stands out for:

  • Joint governance with shared resources and a federal budget
  • An interconnected university life across partner universities, including cultural and sports events
  • Tailored joint master’s programs, based on selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs):
    • Good Health and Well-Being
    • Quality Education
    • Sustainable Cities and Communities
    • Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
  • Significantly increased and geographically balanced mobility (physical, virtual, blended) for students and staff
  • Virtual Institutes (VIs) integrating education, research, and innovation, aligned with the above UNSDGs
  • A unique collaboration model between universities, cities, and socioeconomic stakeholders, strengthened by the annual EC2U Forum
  • European degrees and career development plans for staff with embedded/blended mobility
  • A strong European and international impact
MORE INFO

The EC2U Alliance offers numerous short-term mobility opportunities for students, faculty, and administrative staff.

For more information, visit the EC2U Alliance website or contact [email protected].