University of Helsinki

An Association of Leading European Universities

 

The members

The members in the Europaeum are University of Oxford, Universiteit Leiden, The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Università degli studi di Bologna , Institut Universitaire des Hautes Etudes Internationales, Genéve , Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Univerzity Karlovy v Praze, Helsingin yliopisto and Uniwersytet Jagiellónski W Krakowie

 

The history

The Europaeum was launched in 1992 to give future young leaders a real ‘sense of Europe’ by meeting, discussing and working together by linking the brightest academic minds and young scholars, to promote collaboration and academic activities. Key figures at the launch were George Weidenfeld, Ronald Grierson, Roy Jenkins, Peter Pulzer and Claus Moser.

Core partnerships were quickly established with Leiden and Bologna and gradually other universities joined over the years. Annual conferences and summer schools, were launched, a Founders’ Council of key benefactors, friends and supporters, was created, with a ‘supervisory’ Europaeum Committee.

In the 1990s, events and research groups were added along with a newsletter was created, and a database of academics working in European Studies was added, While Bonn, Paris I, Geneva and Prague joined. In 2000, the appointment of a Secretary-General, helped to steer the association into a fresh period of innovation and extension, within a changing European higher education landscape. A new international research project examining the Future of European Universities was launched along with three small grant schemes, to promote new Initiatives. 

The programme activities continued to expand with Visiting Professors and Research Groups. More student involvement was developed, alongside symposia and policy forum events. More recently initiatives include setting up a policy institute and jointly – delivered Europaeum MAs, with two new programmes focussing on US-Europe and Islam-in–Europe.

 

The mission

The Europaeum was founded in 1992 as an association of European universities, with a mission to:

• promote excellence in academic links in research and teaching collaboration between the Europaeum partners;
• act as an open academic network linking the Europaeum partners and other bodies in the   pursuit of study;
• serve as a resource for the general support and promotion of European studies;
• function independently in the search for new ideas;
• provide opportunities for the joint pursuit of new pan-European initiatives;
• serve as a high level ‘think-tank’ exploring new ideas and new roles for universities in the new Learning Age;
• provide a ‘pool of talent’ to carry out research and inquiry into problems and questions confronting Europe today and tomorrow;
• help train and educate future leaders for a new Europe

 

The vision

As the pace of European integration accelerates, decision-makers and opinion-formers in European countries increasingly need to ‘think European’, to transcend national perspectives and empathise with a variety of national and international cultures.

To meet that challenge, 10 leading European university institutions have created an association designed as a ‘university without walls’, in which the future leaders of Europe will have an opportunity to share common learning and experiences at a formative age.

The Europaeum fosters collaborative research and teaching, provides opportunities for academics and students to hold themed conferences, summer schools, colloquia and research projects, and enables leading figures from the worlds of business, politics and culture to take part in transnational and inter-disciplinary dialogue with the world of scholarship.

t is governed by an international council of the Rectors, Presidents and Vice-Chancellors, from the 10 partners. An Academic Committee is responsible for academic policy and development, and a Management Liaison Committee takes care of the day-to-day activities, linked to local groups or committees within partner institutions. A Founders’ Council, under the chairmanship of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Rt. Hon. Chris Patten, allows major benefactors of the association to participate in its development.

 

The local committee

At the University of Helsinki the local group consists of the Executive Group of the Network for European Studies aka Professor Seppo Hentilä, Professor, Director Pia Letto-Vanamo, Director Lars-Folke Landgrén, Docent Anne Birgitta Pessi, Director Sami Pihlström, Professor Marketta Sipi and Director Juhana Aunesluoma. Decisions are carried out by the Rector Thomas Wilhelmsson and the Vice Rector Jukka Kola.