University of Economics – Varna

European universities are transnational alliances of higher education institutions that develop long-term structural and strategic cooperation to achieve an ambitious vision of an innovative, globally competitive and attractive European area for education and research, in full synergy with the European Higher Education Area, promoting gender equality, inclusion and equity, together inspiring and enabling the transformation of higher education.

 

European universities are also a leading initiative of the European strategy for universities, which sets the ambitious goal of supporting 60 European universities, including over 500 higher education institutions, by mid-2024.

 

On July 3, 2023, the approved project applications submitted for funding under the European Universities Initiative under the Erasmus+ program for 2023 were announced. As a result, the number of European universities in action reached 50 alliances, which include more than 430 higher education institutions from 35 countries, including all EU member states, and Iceland, the Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Almost 1,700 are the associated partners of the alliances, including higher schools, local administrations, business companies, non-governmental organizations, etc.

 

University of Economics - Varna joined as an associate partner of the European University INVEST "INnoVations of REgional Sustainability: European UniversiTy Alliance" , approved for funding in 2020, which in 2023 received approval to finance its expansion with new partners and begins phase II with the aim and task of strengthening of transnational university cooperation in all its forms.

 

Coordinator of European University Invest Alliance is the Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia. Full partners from 2020 and 2023 are seven higher education institutions from the following countries:

Finland: Karelia University of Applied Sciences;

Bulgaria: Higher School of Agribusiness and Regional Development;

Greece: University of Thessaly;

Spain: Universidad De Cordoba;

Italy: Universita ' Degli Studi Di Milano-Bicocca;

France: Universite De Reims Champagne-Ardenne;

 

The main ambition of the European University INVEST Alliance is to stimulate transformation in education, research and sustainability practices in partner higher education institutions.

University of Economics - Varna supports and will share the efforts of partners to promote a culture of innovation, interdisciplinary cooperation and community engagement, as well as to develop cutting-edge solutions with the common goal of raising a new generation of leaders in the field of sustainability.

 

The main pillars in the activity of the European University Invest Alliance are three:

Pillar 1. Regional transformation, ecosystems and entrepreneurship

Pillar 2. Flexible education and pedagogy in the workplace

Pillar 3. Development of the center of excellence in RDI.
 

In the autumn of 2024, the Commission will publish the next Erasmus+ call for proposals, with the aim of achieving the European University Strategy target of expanding to 60 European universities by mid-2024.

 

Over time, European university alliances will connect more and more faculties, departments, staff and students, offering more innovative pedagogical methods, based on challenges and transdisciplinary approaches, implementing more joint programs, even more inclusive and engaged in a larger degree with their communities.