CHARM-European University Alliance is pleased to announce its partnership with Åbo Akademi University, Finland, Julius-Maximilians-University (JMU) Würzburg, Germany, and the inclusion of Hochschule Ruhr West, Germany, a current associate partner. Through this strategic collaboration, CHARM-EU will reinforce its mission of designing and consolidating the university of the future by increasing the quality, international competitiveness, diversity and inclusiveness, and in the end, the attractiveness of the European Higher Education landscape. Together, the CHARM-EU partners will work towards our common goals on the path towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.

The integration of the three new members will contribute to achieving CHARM-EU’s main vision to reconcile humanity with the planet while providing experiences from different educational systems, including curriculum design, teaching and learning and digital transformation. Åbo Akademi University and Würzburg University share with the founder partners of CHARM-EU a similar profile and the membership of Coimbra Group. Hochschule Ruhr West, currently an associate partner, increases the diversity within CHARM-EU’s group of higher education institutions and its community. Due to its different profile and size, Hochschule Ruhr West will join progressively and will participate in a selective set of the CHARM-EU activities.

The three new partnerships will enhance the alliance’s regional, cultural, lingual, economic, and historical perspectives and diversity.

With this expansion, CHARM-EU is not only supporting the aim to expand and diversify existing alliances of European Higher Education Institutions under the European University Initiative. We also embrace the two latest intiatives of the European Union adopted last week: a European strategy for universities and a Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation. During the press conference announcing this strategy, the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel stressed that “European Universities alliances are paving the way; by mid-2024 the European budget will support up to 60 European Universities Alliances with more than 500 universities across Europe.”

Learn more about our partners:

Åbo Akademi University is a Swedish-language multidisciplinary academic university in Finland. They contribute to society through general learning, education and new scientific knowledge. With campuses in Turku and Vaasa, Åbo Akademi University offers internationally renowned research and education. Through cross-border collaboration, they serve as the gateway to Finland for the Nordic countries. Their activities are steered by the values of academic tradition in terms of the freedom of research and education as well as ethical responsibility. They endeavour to enhance diversity, inclusion, equality and sustainability.

Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) is an internationally renowned university with strong roots in Würzburg and the region of Main Franconia. JMU offers a wide range of subjects and its research and teaching activities have led to achievements of global significance.

Established in 1402, JMU is committed to continuing excellence in research and teaching across all branches of science. The University’s ten faculties offer more than 100 subjects in the humanities, social and natural sciences, life sciences, medicine and selected areas of engineering which prepare their students for careers in a wide range of fields and aim to closely coordinate their teaching with current research activities. JMU is committed to strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation and investigating emerging disciplines at the interface between different branches of science. Working towards sustainable development across all subjects, JMU has initiated ongoing quality improvement processes. JMU’s main objective is to gain insights into all scientific disciplines and to share these insights with students, research professionals, and the general public.

Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences is a public university offering high-quality bachelor’s and master’s programmes in computer science, engineering, and business administration.  All of their innovative programmes have a strong emphasis on practice and real-world application, giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience by working with one of their many local and regional industry partners.

With two brand new, state-of-the-art campuses in the cities of Mülheim an der Ruhr and Bottrop, Ruhr West is located in the heart of the Ruhr area, one of the world’s foremost industrial regions with a population of about 5.3 million.  Enrolling more than 6,500 students from all over Germany and international students from around the world, Ruhr West is a regionally based university with an international outlook.