UCC receives funding to develop European University Alliance

7 Feb 2022

A future pan European university for Cork is a step closer as University College Cork was awarded € 442,000 in funding to continue to develop a new model of European education together with seven cities across Europe.

UCC together with 7 other European universities has been developing a European University – (UNIC) The European University of Post-Industrial Cities since October 2020. This alliance is creating a European inter-university ‘campus’, where students, staff and researchers enjoy seamless mobility (physical, virtual or blended) to study, train, teach, do research, work or share services at cooperating partner institutions.  UCC and Cork city is working with universities and city authorities in Finland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Turkey and Croatia. UNIC represents a community of 230,000 students and 18 million cities and this alliance offers significant potential for regional and national development.

This funding announced Friday by the Higher Education Authority will strengthen these alliances and support student exchanges, researchers, and engagement. One of the flagship initiatives of the European Union’s ambitions is to build a European Education Area. European Universities come together to create a European inter-university ‘campus’, where students, staff and researchers enjoy seamless mobility (physical, virtual or blended) to study, train, teach, do research, work or share services at cooperating partner institutions.  The alliances foster excellence, innovation and inclusion in higher education across Europe, accelerating the transformation of higher education institutions into the universities of the future with structural, systemic and sustainable impact.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, commented:

This announcement signals our Government’s commitment to the ambitious vision of innovative, globally competitive and attractive European Education Area and European Research Area, in full synergy with the European Higher Education Area.

Commenting Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC stated:

These funds are very welcome and will enable UCC and our European partners in UNIC to provide a potential template for deeper engagement to deliver on the European Universities Initiative. Engaging with European Universities remains a core priority for UCC in research and education and is important in securing our future for a sustainable European Research Area.

Dr Jean Van Sinderen-Law, Associate Vice-President, Director of UNIC at UCC stated:

UCC greatly welcomes the support and commitment of the Irish Government in enabling the participation in this game changing future of European Higher Education. It is a tribute to the current Government that the impact of such participation on resources is recognised and we greatly welcome it’s investment in our ability to capacity build to ensure that the Irish higher education system is not left behind.

For more on this story contact:

unic@ucc.ie