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About us

Our world needs new solutions for a sustainable future.

CHARM-EU is the Challenge-driven, Accessible, Research-Based and Mobile European University Alliance.

We’re here to co-create a new, innovative model for European Higher Education in line with the European Values, the European Green Deal and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Made up of 9 partner universities across Europe, CHARM-EU brings together diverse cultures, histories, languages, cultures and economic perspectives. Our students have access to a wide range of Master’s programmes, short and online courses and more to equip them with the skills they need to address the challenges of the 21st century.

CHARM-EU is for everyone: students, researchers, professional and academic staff – and everyone in between! We provide courses, research clusters, networking events and mobility opportunities to help you learn, research and explore new possibilities and create a better world.

THE ALLIANCE – 9 UNIVERSITIES, ONE GOAL 

Founded in 2019 and co-funded by the Erasmus+ project, CHARM-EU is built on principles of inclusivity, diversity, fairness, innovation, sustainability and mobility.

The Alliance comprises the University of Barcelona (coordinator), Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier, Eötvös LorĂĄnd University Budapest, Åbo Akademi University, Julius-Maximilians-University WĂŒrzburg, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bergen.

“We are proud to be part of the CHARM-EU network which strengthens our academic and research-related collaborations with leading European universities and raises the international profile of our location.”

Sabine Foster-Jackson

  • Science Commissioner
  • City of WĂŒrzburg
Stadt WĂŒrzburg

“CHARM-EU, and especially the teachers, have provided me with a wider range of pedagogical tools that are well adapted to the needs of each student, whether cultural or cognitive“

Valérie Borrell

  • Teacher of the Master’s degree
  • CHARM-EU & University of Montpellier
testimonials (2)

“Working together with intercultural perspectives is essential to tackle the complex global challenges”.

Niels Bovenschen

  • Module Coordinator & Professor
  • CHARM-EU & Utrecht University
Niels

“The winter school offered insightful advances and practical tools to enhance our leadership skills within our universities and Alliances. One of the greatest advantageswas the opportunity to collaborate not only with experienced trainers but also with colleagues from diverse management profiles.”

Neringa Narbutiene

  • Institutional Coordinator at Catholic University of Valencia
  • EU-CONEXUS
Neringa Narbutiene (1)

“The challenge-based educational approach is the engine powering CHARM European University”.

Ferenc TakĂł

  • CHARM-EU Director at Eötvös LorĂĄnd University in Budapest
Ferenc

University of Montpellier

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Created in 2015 through the merger of University Montpellier 1 and University Montpellier 2, the University of Montpellier (UM) draws from the excellence and synergy of these two institutions. It is reminiscent of the multi-disciplinary approach taken by the first university established in Montpellier in 1289 as a secular and international university. For eight centuries, renowned scholars and scientists, from François Rabelais and Jacques Curie, to Théophraste Renaudot, Jean-Antoine Chaptal and Alexandre Grothendieck, have been shaping this open university. It is deeply embedded into the life of the city and committed to the key challenges of its time. Today, the University of Montpellier brings together an extensive community of knowledge from science, technology, medicine and environmental sciences to educational sciences, economics, management, law and political science. It is involved in a strategic global initiative aiming at making Montpellier one of the European capitals for Health and Agro-environment.

University of Barcelona

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Since its foundation in 1450, the University of Barcelona (UB) has been a leading center of education, science, and critical thought. The quality of its teaching and research has earned recognition nationally and internationally, complementing the UB’s commitment to serving society. The UB offers a wide range of bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate courses in humanities, health sciences, social sciences, experimental sciences, and engineering. UB’s strong international dimension is reflected in its academic and research activities, including various mobility and exchange programs. As a research institution, UB is among the top European universities in major international rankings and it is the top Spanish university in most of them. Its international leadership is evident in networks like LERU and as the CHARM-EU coordinator. UB plays a predominant role in achieving scientific, technological, intellectual, and cultural progress in Catalonia, and the work of its researchers can be read in the most prestigious publications in the scientific community.

Utrecht University

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Utrecht University is a wide-range, international research university of high standing. We have a strong connection to the city of Utrecht and our roots lie deep in the past (1636). Our interdisciplinary research targets four themes: Life Sciences, Pathways to Sustainability, Dynamics of Youth and Institutions for Open Societies. We are a trailblazer in the field of modernising educational concepts. Our student pass rate is high. The educational model at Utrecht University stands for personal and energising education, flexibility and freedom of choice for students, and continuous professional development for lecturers. Our teaching and research are strongly connected. We work together in tight communities. We believe diversity is important. All this provides us with a solid base from which to work with others around the globe on the societal issues of the future. We do this by researching complex issues beyond the borders of disciplines. We put thinkers in contact with doers, so new insights can be applied.

Trinity College Dublin

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At Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, we provide a liberal environment where independence of thought is highly valued and all are encouraged to achieve their potential. We promote a diverse, interdisciplinary, inclusive environment which nurtures ground-breaking research, innovation, and creativity through engaging with issues of global significance. Located in a beautiful campus in the heart of Dublin’s city centre, Trinity is Ireland’s highest ranked university. It is home to 22,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across all the major disciplines in the arts and humanities, and in business, law, engineering, science, and health sciences. Trinity’s tradition of independent intellectual inquiry has produced some of the world’s finest, most original minds including the writers Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett (Nobel laureate), the scientists William Rowan Hamilton and Ernest Walton (Nobel laureate), the political thinker Edmund Burke, and the former President of Ireland and UNHCR Mary Robinson. This tradition finds expression today in a campus culture of scholarship, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and dedication to societal reform.

Eötvös Lorånd University

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Eötvös LorĂĄnd University (ELTE) – in terms of student and staff number, quality of education and research, and its international relations – is a prestigious institution of public higher education in Hungary, operating continuously since its establishment in 1635. As a top-ranked research university, it is the most popular higher education institution among applicants as well as alma mater of five Nobel laureates and leading figures in technology, public policy, and culture in the country. ELTE has widespread international relations. It holds bilateral agreements for cooperation and exchange with top-ranked higher education institutions worldwide and is an active member of prestigious international university networks.

University of Bergen

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The University of Bergen (UiB) is an international research university with long academic traditions. Since the foundation in 1946, UiB has been a classical knowledge- and culture-bearing institution founded on European university values, anchored in a European university tradition. Long-term and basic research of high international quality and research-based education form the foundation of all the university’s activities. UiB holds national responsibility for hosting and developing a wide range of academic disciplines, ensuring a broad span of academic research, which includes scientific and artistic methods. The broad academic scope provides unique opportunities for mobilisation, specialisation, and collaboration across disciplines in the face of known and unknown future challenges. UiB’s greatest strength is the people; the 19 845 students and 4222 employees who shares a mutual set of values based on trust, participation, and inclusion. Located in the heart of Bergen, UiB is an integrated part of the city, the culture, and the business sector. UiB makes targeted efforts to promote and develop both the city of Bergen and the region as an international centre of gravity for science, art, and culture. The university’s research spans over a wide range of fields and contributes to fundamental understanding and to addressing the challenges of the future.

University of WĂŒrzburg

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Julius-Maximilians-UniversitĂ€t WĂŒrzburg (JMU) was founded in 1402 and today is one of Germany’s largest universities with over 28,000 students in ten faculties. True to its motto ‘Science for Society’, JMU is committed to advancing research and teaching in fields that are relevant for the future. The University offers more than 200 study programs in fields like humanities and social sciences, the natural and life sciences, including English degree programmes. So far, 14 Nobel laureates have conducted their research here. JMU is one of the leading research universities in Germany, fostering a worldwide network of research collaborations and student exchange programs. JMU boasts numerous collaborative and interdisciplinary research centres, graduate schools, and research groups. In 2022 JMU joined the EU-funded European University Alliance “CHARM-EU” to advance its internationalisation and develop with the alliance partners an innovative university model ready to meet society’s challenges.

Åbo Akademi University

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Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU), founded in 1918, is the Swedish-language multidisciplinary academic university in Finland. ÅAU activities are steered by the values of academic tradition in terms of the freedom of research and education as well as ethical responsibility. ÅAU endeavours to enhance diversity, inclusion, equality, and sustainability. There are about 5,900 students at ÅAU, with 1,200 staff, chiefly divided on two campuses in Turku and Vaasa. Åbo Akademi University offers internationally renowned research and education, and through cross-border collaboration, ÅAU serves as the gateway to Finland for the Nordic countries. As a multidisciplinary university ÅAU offers a broad range of programs and degrees, within all major fields of knowledge and scientific disciplines. ÅAU has established four different strategic research profiles, drawing upon the university’s own strengths, traditions, and position. They are Minority Research, Technologies for a Sustainable Future, Solutions for Health, and The Sea.

Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences

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Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (HRW) is a public university offering high-quality bachelor’s and master’s programs in computer science, engineering and business administration. All of their innovative programs 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 three new, state-of-the-art campuses in the cities of Muelheim an der Ruhr and Bottrop, HRW 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. The HRW motto \”Never stop growing!\” reflects the founding mission of the young university to advance structural change in the Ruhr region. In times of a shortage of skilled workers, not least with excellently trained graduates who are optimally prepared for the challenges in the economy of the future. With a practice-oriented education and the ability to set priorities in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams.