The European University EUNICE welcomes three new members

The rectors and presidents of EUNICE European University for Customised Education signed on Tuesday, September 27, the statutes of their own legal entity and the expansion agreement that brings the alliance to ten members with three new universities: the University of the Peloponnese (Greece), the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal) and the University of Karlstad (Sweden). This means that the student community of the EUNICE alliance grows to 150,000 people.

The signing took place at the EUNICE Consortium General Assembly in Santander, Spain, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the University of Cantabria.

"The synergy arising from cooperation with the new members will strengthen the already existing links between our institutions," says Rector Teofil Jesionowsky of EUNICE's coordinating institution, the University of Technology of Poznań (Poland). "The great geographical balance will benefit local companies and regional development, as well as students who will have the chance to travel all over Europe. Indeed, the extension guarantees diversity in teaching, research and mobility activities. Undoubtedly, it brings incomparable opportunities for current and new members of the EUNICE European University, in terms of wider recognition in Europe but also on a global scale," he said.

The rectors, presidents and other senior EUNICE representatives gathered to inform about the milestones achieved so far, such as the international internship portal, global skills training, the first online language courses, the cultural and sports activities of the "EUNICE Weeks" that will start in October, or the online course catalog via the EUNICE shared virtual campus.

These are initiatives that allow students to access educational offerings - subjects taught in English by member universities - interact with European students and faculty, and have a multicultural experience without having to travel.

In the same vein, among other activities, EUNICE is creating entirely new joint degrees - bachelor's, master's, and doctoral - that will be part of the academic offerings of all ten EUNICE universities: the Programs of Excellence.

During the opening ceremony, some student volunteers addressed the rectors in a question-and-answer session. Also present were representatives of the strategic partners of the EUNICE European University in Cantabria: the Government of Cantabria, the Santander City Council, the Cantabrian NGO Coordinator, the Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Solvay, the Menéndez Pelayo International University and the Santander Bank.

EUNICE, the European University for Customised Education, is funded by the European Commission (Eramus+ and Horizon 2020). It was born in 2020 with the ambitious goal of responding to global and local challenges, increasing the competitiveness of its institutions, and offering common services to its members. Since then, the lines of strategic cooperation of the EUNICE international alliance, have focused on promoting mobility and multilingualism, collaboration with industry and with research groups, as well as the creation of new joint study programs that will expand the range in English offered by the universities.

Currently, ten universities are part of the EUNICE European University: the Poznań University of Technology (Poland), the Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany), the University of Cantabria (Spain), the Université de Mons (Belgium), the University of Catania (Italy), the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (France), the University of Vaasa (Finland), the Viseu Polytechnic Institute (Portugal), the University of the Peloponnese (Greece), and the University of Karlstad (Sweden).