News from Circle U. 2021

The framework for recognition marks a major milestone for Circle U. – and particularly its students – on the path towards seamless mobility.

Climate Chair Professor Marcel Robischon explains how to save the climate around the globe and at the dinner table. Set a reminder for this live stream from Humboldt-University zu Berlin at 6 pm on 10 December!

In preparation for the upcoming French Presidency of the European Union, French Minister for higher education, research and innovation, Frédérique Vidal, met the 41 alliances on 15 November to discuss their ongoing developments and the future of the European Universities initiative.

On November 19, the Circle U. Chair Academy held its inaugural meeting. Academic Chairs from across the Circle U. alliance convened to discuss their vision and priorities for the Academy and share the innovative projects and collaborations which are underway or in the planning stages.

CUSU's second physical meeting took place in Aarhus in November. Representative from Oslo, Erlend Aag, gives us an update.

In October, Oslo, Louvain and Paris came together to organize the first international Circle U. hackathon. The objective was to come up with solutions to tackle the issue of burnout in the healthcare system. It was three intense days of brainstorming, learning, collaborating and exchanging of ideas.

39 professors from Circle U. member universities have been appointed in the framework of the Academic Chair Programme. Seven of them in the Knowledge Hub on Global Health. Who are they, and what are their main tasks?

39 professors from Circle U. member universities have been appointed in the framework of the Academic Chair Programme. Nine of them in the Knowledge Hub on Democracy. Who are they, and what are their main tasks?

What are the future roles of universities in creating social and regional integration in Europe, in a shifting global context? Join Circle U. colleagues at The Keystone Conference European Universities – Critical Futures. 

We are pleased to announce the broadening of the alliance with two new members, the University of Vienna and the University of Pisa. The excellence of these research-intensive universities and their regional, European and global engagement will open new opportunities for students and staff in Circle U.

39 professors from Circle U. member universities have been appointed in the framework of the Academic Chair Programme. Seven of them in the Knowledge Hub on Climate. Who are they, and what are their main tasks?

On 1st September 2021, the project Circle U. ERIA (Empowering Research and Innovation Actions) was officially launched. ERIA will strengthen the Research and Innovation dimensions of Circle U. by supporting pilot activities in its Knowledge Hubs and empowering its early-career researchers.

At the end of October, we are launching an online directory where researchers and professors from the Circle U. Alliance who are willing to collaborate or just eager to show their belonging to Circle U. will be presented. With this solution, reaching out to your colleagues from other Circle U. universities will be easy.

Students from across European University Networks have joined together to highlight an important cause ahead of the European Commission’s launch of the next Erasmus+ funding programme for the European Universities Initiative.

On 2 September, the Knowledge hub on Democracy kicked off its seminar series “Evidence and Democracy in Times of Crises.” Three speakers from Circle U. institutions spoke on the role of evidence during a crisis. Thank you to the more than 350 people who stopped by digitally to watch the webinar! See the recording here.

Applications have now closed for the Academic Chair programme and 38 Chairs have been appointed across the 7 Circle U partners.

Save the date! On September 2, Circle U. will host the first seminar of its Knowledge Hub on Democracy. The topic is "What evidence?" (in the context of crises), and the seminar is the first in a Circle U. seminar series on "Evidence and Democracy in Times of Crises".

37 year old Belgian Kevin Guillaume is the new Secretary General of Circle U. In this first interview, he shares his ambitions for Circle U. and reveals that his deep interest in music goes further than just playing drums and guitar.

Helping young researchers with their current objectives is important in Circle U. International exchange in this phase of the academic qualification is of vital importance to careers, but also necessary to ensure research that is cutting-edge.

By mid-August 2021, thanks to a mapping currently going on in all partner universities, the Circle U. alliance will know more about the gender balance among student entrepreneurs.

The Berlin University Alliance (BUA) has opened calls for proposals for several junior research groups in the areas of "Research Quality in and across Disciplines", "Digital Methods and Research Quality", and "Diversity and Gender Equality".

The contribution of students will be key to the implementation and launch of the Think and Do Tank later in the fall of 2021. A seminar on June 25th is an important step on the way.

PhD students and senior researchers of the Circle U. alliance are invited to join this virtual workshop on the future of European universities. The workshop is held via Zoom on 28-30 June.

Student participation, the European Commission’s plans for further rollout of the European Universities Initiative, Brexit and a global Circle U. strategy were among the topics discussed in the first Circle U. General Assembly on Monday 7 June.

Circle U. kickstarts a series of seminars on "Evidence in Times of Crises". The overall ambition of the seminar series is to introduce innovative ways of addressing real-life solutions to pressing global challenges. The first seminar, "Evidence and Democracy in Times of Crises", will be a webinar in September 2021.