An Alliance of 9 European Universities

Launched in 2019, EPICUR, the European University Alliance, belongs to the first generation of European Alliances to pilot a new way of intensifying collaboration among Higher Education institutions through the creation of a European University.

Intensifying collaborations among Higher Education & Research Institutions

An alliance designed to overcome key structural challenges

The EPICUR federal governance architecture has been designed to address three key challenges and achieve the very ambition of the European University initiative:

The EPICUR core governance structure must thrive beyond any specifically funded projects.
Integrate EPICUR governance into each members’ internal governance.
Facilitate community participation and institutional engagement by developing a whole-of-institution approaches.

A community-driven ambition

EPICUR strives to foster closer collaborations among its academics, students and administrative staff to become a full-fledged federation of universities offering a European learning and academic training experience to all. To support this ambition, the key elements are:

An efficient and inclusive governance supported by joint services, integrated training offers and shared infrastructures
A thriving community bringing together faculties, students and staff around European values and a shared sense of belonging.

The EPICUR governance architecture relies on a set 5 key principles

Agility, through lean decision-making processes and clear division of labour for strategic and operational decisions
Inclusiveness, entrusting decision-making competences for all relevant stakeholders (students, academics and staff) to able to engage and provide significant input
Efficiency, with regular evaluations of implemented measures, tasks and management to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are met

Transparency, to ensure that decision process is clear and information is accessible to relevant stakeholders
Consent, with efficient coordination processes to ensure that decision-making bodies agree by consent

Assembly of the first Executive Board, 2021

Credits: Romana Rochinsky

Full members:

9 Rectors / Presidents or Vice-Rectors / Vice- Presidents
Strategic Coordinator

Advisory members:

2 students representatives elected by the Student Board
2 ECR representatives elected by the ECR  Board
2 staff representatives elected by the Staff  Council

Observer

Alliance Manager

Missions

Alliance strategic directions and oversight
High-level representation of the alliance
Liaison with the Advisory Board

Decisions

Validation of alliance policies
Validation of alliance concepts
Final deliverable validation

This picture’s purpose is only to illustrate and does not exactly represent the Management Board and its members

Members

9 Vice-rectors / vicepresidents
EPICUR or a
senior director of
international relations
Strategic Coordinator
Advisory members:
2 students
Alliance Manager

Decisions

Validation of preparatory documents and strategic
papers for the Executive Board and the Advisory
Board
Strategic alliance management decisions,
e.g. on external communication
Validation of milestones
Validation of communication strategy

Missions

Ensure the strategic full participation and
involvement of faculties, departments, and services
within EPICUR
Discussion of strategic alliance management
Discussion of governance issues and cross-cutting policies and issues
Monitoring of milestones
Representation of the alliance
Preparation of new projects and funding applications

Members

2 external academics
2 business / industry actors
2 civil society actors
2 public sector actors
9 Rectors / Presidents

Observers:

Strategic Coordinator
Alliance Manager
Governance policy officer
member of the
Coordination Office

Mission

Discussion of alliance
policies
Discussion of alliance
concepts
Discussion of milestones
and deliverables

Decisions

Validation of preparatory
documents and strategic
papers for the Executive
Board and the Advisory
Board
Strategic alliance
management decisions,
e.g. on external
communication
Validation of milestones
Validation of
communication strategy

The Student Board members as of November 2024.

Missions

The EPICUR Student Board was created in March 2020. Since the pilot phase, the Student Board fulfill the following tasks:

Take part in all working group meetings of the alliance incl. voting rights in thematical coomittees
Liaise with students and enhance EPICUR’s student-to-student dissemination
Provide feedback on EPICUR’s working documents and meetings
Update its internal charter as according to their needs.

The Student Board’s Executive Board consists of a Chair, a Deputy Chair, a Secretary and a Communication Officer. It should represent at least 3 universities and at least 2 genders.

The Student Board meets 3x a year on-site to assure fruitful cooperation between its members.

Get involved!

If you are a student at one of the partner universities and want to be involved in the Student Board, or if you just want more information about the Student led activities, please feel free to contact us!

The Early-Career Research Board members as of November 2024.

Missions

Provide constructive input and feedback on planned and implemented EPICUR activities
Propose new activities for the Alliance
Assist in project visibility at the local level (external communication and dissemination)
Represent the interests of early career researchers across EPICUR

Within the EPICUR alliance, they form a quality network and strengthen links on a personal and professional level, thus achieving greater cohesion and understanding, regardless of borders.

Check out the ECR Board page for more info.

EPICUR alliance is made up of 9 partners in the higher education field in Europe

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Adam Mickiewiz University, Poland

Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany

University of Amsterdam, Nederland

BOKU, Austria

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany

University of Haute-Alsace, France

University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

University of Strasbourg, France

Click on a university

University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

The University of Amsterdam (UvA), founded in 1632, is the Netherlands’ largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 40,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity. The UvA is a modern institution with a long and rich history and strong international orientation, which is reflected in the curricula of the various degree programmes, the University’s research activities and its organisational culture.

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University of Strasbourg, France

The University of Strasbourg welcomes 51,000 students, of which 20% are international, covering 150 nationalities. Located at the heart of one of European capitals as home of key European institutions, the international and European dimension of Strasbourg is therefore second nature for UNISTRA and fully embedded in its culture and values. The university also benefits from over 1,500 agreements and conventions with more than 750 universities in 75 countries. The UNISTRA is involved in more than 60 European projects and coordinates 38 of them.

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University of Upper Alsace, France

A very innovative & comprehensive university, the University of Haute-Alsace welcomes 10,000 students enrolled in over 170 training tracks in Mulhouse and Colmar. It also hosts 15 research laboratories carrying out basic and applied research. Offering a pleasant studying and working environment for its community (Quality of Life at work being one of its priorities), UHA is the winner of several calls focusing on student’s success and excellence in research.

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University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

SDU was founded in 1966 and have more than 27.000 students enrolled in our five campuses around the southern part of Denmark. Our 4000 staff offer more than 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and engineering. At SDU Interdisciplinarity is a part of our DNA, we are regionally anchored and have an international mindset.

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Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland

Adam Mickiewicz University was founded in 1919 and it is the major academic institution in Poznań and one of the top 3 Polish universities. The structure of the University consists of five specialized schools with twenty faculties, five doctoral schools and four branches in Słubice, Gniezno, Piła and Kalisz. More than 37,000 students study in 80 available fields of study and more than 200 specialties. Since 2019, it is one of ten Polish universities with the status of research university (Initiative of Excellence – Research University).

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Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany

“The Research University in the Helmholtz Association” and one of the German universities of excellence, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology creates and imparts knowledge for society and the environment. Over 9,700 employees cooperate to make significant contributions in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. The roots of the academic institution extend back to 1825. KIT prepares its 25,000 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programmes.

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University of Freiburg, Germany

Founded in 1457, the University of Freiburg welcomes some 24,000 students from over 100 nations in 180 degree programs at 11 faculties. Characterised by a diverse mix of disciplines and 29 programs taught exclusively in English, the University of Freiburg provides an ideal environment for innovative interdisciplinary studies. At the intersection of the German, the French and the Swiss educational landscape, transnational networking makes one of the universities cornerstones.

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BOKU University, Austria

The BOKU University was founded in 1872 and currently has around 10.374 students. Research and teaching at BOKU are characterized by a holistic approach. BOKU has 15 departments carrying out scientific work in six fields of expertise in a highly interdisciplinary manner. 360 partner universities and 18 international networks guarantee that BOKU is part of the international discourse on all topics regarding life sciences.

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Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) accomplishes the highest level of its academic excellence, a century since its establishment (1925), through the provision of premium quality programs of study, top rated innovative research and thus contributing to the improvement of the local society. Currently AUTh consists of 41 Faculties/Departments, providing a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and research programs followed by over 70,000 students. AUTh is the largest and most multithematic university at national level but further one of the greatest in Europe.

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