New funding for EU University Alliances

Posted on: 18 January 2024

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, has announced an additional €2.7 million to support Irish universities in European University Alliance partnerships. Trinity has welcomed an additional €391,300 in funding for CHARM-EU.  

“Through seamless mobility, be it physical or virtual, students, staff and researchers from the EU are able to study, train, teach, do research, work and share services in partner institutions across different countries,” said Minister Simon Harris. “The impact of that access and opportunity cannot be understated. The partnerships will continue to lead the way towards the universities of the future, promoting European values and identity, and revolutionising the quality and competitiveness of European higher education.” 

Professor Pádraig Carmody, CHARM-EU Director at Trinity, said “CHARM-EU brings together teaching, research, innovation and entrepreneurship from across disciplines and between universities. Built on principles of inclusion, diversity, equality, sustainability and transdiciplinarity, the alliance is creating a new model for higher education which will equip students and staff with the skills they need to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This additional funding will enable us to implement our ambitious teaching and research strategies in collaboration with our European partners.” 

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Alan Wall, CEO of the HEA, said “the HEA is delighted to be partnering with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to support Irish higher education institutions’ participation in the European University Alliances for the development of collaborative and mutually beneficial joint initiatives in teaching and research.”  

European University 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. These alliances enable students to obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries. 

Formed in 2019 and part-funded by Erasmus+, CHARM-EU is an alliance of 9 research-intensive European universities creating an inclusive, sustainable and challenge-based model for Higher Education and research. Trinity is a founding member of the alliance which includes the University of Barcelona (Spain), Utrecht University (the Netherlands), Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), the University of Montpellier (France), Åbo Akademi University (Finland), Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (Germany), and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (Germany).  

CHARM-EU offers a Master’s programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability, which has welcomed over 200 students to date. 

Learn more about CHARM-EU.