European Universities are transnational alliances of universities that pursue the ambitious goal of finding European solutions to the major social challenges of our time. The current 44 alliances are funded by the European Commission, partly under the Erasmus+ program. Since 2020, also WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) has been part of a European University alliance, ENGAGE.EU. After the successful completion of the foundation phase, the European Commission has now announced that funding will be continued for ENGAGE.EU.

ENGAGE.EU started in 2020 as an alliance of seven leading European universities in the fields of business, economics, and the social sciences. The aim of the alliance is to train students in the economic and social sciences to become socially engaged European citizens and use their knowledge to have a positive impact on society, thus contributing to urgently needed processes of change. In terms of content, the alliance therefore focuses on the major challenges of our time, including digitalization and artificial intelligence, sustainability and climate change, inequalities, aging societies, and migration. In tackling key issues, the alliance works with numerous partners from the field of practice to ensure that the solutions developed are also feasible for implementation.

Insights from intensive cooperation at the European level

WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger welcomes the successful extension of the initiative, which has involved a great deal of work and commitment: “As part of ENGAGE.EU, we are working with outstanding European universities in the economic and social sciences. In line with the European vision, the aim is to pool our strengths and work together to develop solutions that cannot be achieved alone. Working with so many renowned international universities is an excellent opportunity to further develop the way we teach, conduct research, and engage in discourse with the public – and it allows us to create true innovations. It’s a great success that our initiative has been selected for renewed funding. We’re looking forward to the years ahead.”

Solutions born out of collaboration

Aside from WU, the other founding members of ENGAGE.EU are the University of Mannheim (the coordinating university), Italy’s Luiss University, NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Tilburg University (Netherlands), Bulgaria’s University of National and World Economy, and Toulouse 1 Capitole University (France). Finland’s Hanken School of Economics and Spain’s Ramón Lull University are new additions to the alliance. Switzerland’s University of St. Gallen will contribute to ENGAGE.EU as an associate member. Each university brings specific academic strengths and perspectives to the table, due to the different geographic and economic contexts. Numerous successfully completed projects confirm that the alliance is a success. One example: At the end of May, students from all ENGAGE.EU partner universities came together at WU to work with the City of Vienna and Caritas, exploring innovative solutions for eliminating inequalities. In early June, similar work at NHH focused on sustainability challenges. In July, a summer school entitled “Transformation to Sustainability in Europe: Challenges and Solutions” will be held at WU.

More about ENGAGE.EU and its key fields of activity: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/the-university/about-wu/networks/engage-eu/ and https://www.engageuniversity.eu/