"European Universities" Initiative: EELISA Alliance won European Commission's call for proposals
Coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the European Engineering Learning Innovation & Science Alliance (EELISA), which combines 9 members including Université PSL, is among the 24 alliances that won the second call for its flagship initiative issued by Erasmus+ program: European Universities consortia.
The "European Universities" is among European Commission's flagship programs in the higher education and research. It was launched in 2018, on President Emmanuel Macron's initiative, to strengthen Europe's independance, unity and democracy.
Erasmus+ program launched calls for proposals on agreements between European Universities and selected 41 alliances encompassing 280 higher education institution throughout Europe. Each alliance will be granted up to €5M by Erasmus+ and up to €2M by 2020 Horizon program for three years. The French universities involved in the selected alliances will be granted additional €100M as part of the Investissement d'Avenir scheme (PIA).
EELISA (for European Engineering Learning Innovation & Science Alliance), which won the second call for proposals, includes 9 universities throughout Europe. Université PSL is part of EELISA through two engineering schools: École nationale supérieure de Chimie de Paris – PSL and Mines Paris – PSL
EELISA members will join forces to create a European Engineering Degree and a shared campus. The project is ambitious, as the European Commission appraisal highlights: “The proposal has a very significant level of ambition, as it aims to transform the European engineering education by offering a common European engineering educational model that would allow students to obtain a recognised European diploma developed at multiple sites. The proposed new model will go beyond a traditional double degree scheme. In order to strengthen and expand cooperation in education, the alliance will use different mechanisms, such as the creation of a joint campus, a joint catalogue of activities and the award of joint diplomas and credentials. The establishment of the EELISA communities will permit further incorporation of research and innovation in education.”
From Madrid to Nuremberg, Istanbul, and Paris, EELISA accounts for 170,000 students who will benefit from activities, credits, and dual degrees included in the project for a shared campus. The partners will first focus on Master's program then extend cooperations on Bachelor's and PhD programs.
The training offered to students will strenghten their social involvment and their employability and spur the member Universities to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially around diversity and social inclusion. EELISA will also support multidisciplinarity: students will be offered additional courses in the Humanities and Social sciences.
Within the alliance, mobility will be easier for students as well as instructors, researchers and administrative staff who help with student reception.
In line with the ambitions of the commission, the European University EELISA will support european values and aims to become a model of European and international high education.
Full list of EELISA members
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain),
- Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem (Hungary),
- Universitatea Politehnica din București (Romania),
- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi (Turkey),
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany),
- École des Ponts ParisTech (France),
- Université PSL (through École nationale supérieure de Chimie de Paris - PSL and Mines Paris - PSL),
- Scuola Sant’Anna (Italie),
- Scuola Normale Superiore (Italie).