University Alliance ’COLOURS’ becomes a ’European University’

The European Commission grants 14 million euro in funding

Since 2021, Paderborn University has been coordinating the "COLOURS" alliance (COLlaborative innOvative sUstainable Regional univerSities), consisting of nine universities from across Europe. Recently, the European Commission has announced that it will be funding the alliance with about 14 million euros over the next four years as part of the "European Universities Initiative". The partners’ long-term goal is to strengthen their cooperation on all levels, increase their international visibility, and promote mobility within Europe. In the years to come, they aim to develop an interdisciplinary approach to address global societal challenges together.

In addition to Paderborn University, the alliance includes Le Mans University (France), the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), the University of Ferrara (Italy), Kristianstad University (Sweden), Jan Dlugosz University (Poland) and Josip Jurai Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia). As of last year, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (Latvia) and the University St. Kliment Ohridski Bitola (Northern Macedonia) have also become members of the COLOURS alliance. Together, they represent approximately 126,000 students and over 12,000 employees.

The partner universities are all characterised by their strong regional ties. Therefore, the alliance will focus on networking and cooperation between the respective regions and their regional stakeholders. In addition, cooperation in teaching, research, and knowledge and technology transfer is to be intensified through open, innovative approaches. "The development of opportunities for new, attractive virtual and physical mobility and the design of joint study programmes are just two examples of planned activities in this context" explains Torsten Meier, Vice-President for International Relations at Paderborn University. Students will be actively involved in shaping these offers.

The "European Universities Initiative"

"COLOURS" is now one of the 50 "European Universities" funded by the European Commission. These alliances aim to improve the quality of European higher education and to promote cooperation between institutions, their students, as well as their employees. It was the French President Emmanuel Macron’s keynote speech "Initiative for Europe" in 2017 that inspired to the idea of "European Universities".

In his speech, Macron set the goal of creating at least 20 "European Universities" by 2024. These universities are intended to promote a European identity, support a united and strong Europe, and improve the performance and competitiveness of the European higher education system.