CU IS JOINING OTHER EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES TO OFFER INTERNATIONAL COURSES AND PROGRAMMES
Bratislava 10 October 2019: In 2018 the European Commission launched the European Universities Initiative in an effort to group European universities into consortia and enable students to complete individual parts of their studies in different countries. Only universities grouped in consortia will be eligible for funding under this initiative.
After months of intensive negotiations, Comenius University in Bratislava is joining a consortium of nine European universities with whom it shall apply for support from the European Commission under the European Universities Initiative. The consortium consists of the following institutions: the University of Ghent, the University of Bordeaux, the University of Uppsala, the University of Groningen, University of the Basque Country, the University of Göttingen, the National University of Ireland in Galway, the University of Tartu, and Comenius University in Bratislava. On 29 October 2019, university representatives will sign a memorandum in Tartu, Estonia, declaring their intention to cooperate on a project under the European Universities programme. The name of the joint project will be the “European University Network to Promote Quality and Global Engagement through Higher Education Transformation”.
This cooperation will significantly strengthen the internationalization of education at Comenius University. Supported universities in the consortium will have the opportunity to prepare joint courses and study programmes over three years, and students and teachers from abroad will participate either on site or virtually. The exchange of knowledge and experience will be stimulated to a much greater extent than before, and the global involvement and influence of universities in solving the major problems of our civilization will increase. In addition to using their own capacities, universities will seek partners for cooperation from outside academia.
“We are entering an era where internationalization is no longer just about student exchanges. European universities are looking for ways to bring diversity into everyday academic life and open up more. Also, it is essential to seek ways to accept and positively respond to the international character of the society within which we operate. I believe that the experiences of our partner universities will help us keep up with these trends,” said Jozef Tancer, Comenius University’s Vice-Rector for International Relations.
“I am proud of the fact that Comenius University is joining this consortium of top European universities. Many of these universities are our long-term partners. I believe that our consortium will become an important player on the European academic scene,” said Marek Števček, the Rector of Comenius University. "It is another of the many steps by Comenius University that can convince the most talented high school students that in many fields they can get a quality education with us which is comparable to the best universities in Europe,” he added.