On the 27th of July 2022, the European Commission announced that CHARM-EU’s new proposal titled CHARM-EIGHT∞ received a grant under the 2022 Erasmus+ European Universities Call. The continued EU support means that CHARM-EU will be able to carry on its innovative mission that contributes to reconciling Humanity with the planet by providing a transformative European educational experience. As Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth highlighted in her written address to the CHARM-EU Inclusion Conference, the new grant is a “proof of the progress and achievements CHARM-EU has made so far”. These achievements include the design of several innovative educational tools, models, programmes and practices such as the first accredited Master’s degree programme under the criteria of the European Universities Initiative; the setup of Knowledge Creating Teams engaging both academia and external stakeholders; a new governance model supported by CHARM-EU core values as well as the foundation of CHARM-EU’s Research and Innovation dimension through the TORCH project.

The new grant is a “proof of the progress and achievements CHARM-EU has made so far”

Mariya Gabriel, EC Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Cuture, Education and Youth

Following this first stage focusing on creating, designing and testing, the alliance will engage in expanding and increasing its impact during the next 4 years within the framework of the recently approved CHARM-EIGHT∞ project. While keeping in mind and practice the transversal principles of sustainability, inclusivity, mobility and multilingualism, CHARM-EU will continue its work along the following five strategic lines.

1 – Strengthening governance and cooperation

The first objective is to strengthen governance and cooperation with implementing the governance and management model of the alliance covering education, research, innovation and service to society. The Governance model will also include strategic planning, and the integration of the new partners that recently joined the Alliance: Åbo Akademi University, Würzburg University and Hochschule Ruhr West. This objective also involves the design and implementation of career paths and the recognition system for the staff participating in CHARM-EU. And last but not least, our alliance will ensure that inclusivity dimension of CHARM-EU is everywhere.

2 – Challenge-based learning lab and educational portfolio

The second objective is to consolidate and extend the innovative educational model of CHARM-EU by maintaining a challenge-based learning lab with a visible link to research, business and society. The Alliance will also work on expanding its educational portfolio with a joint transdisciplinary Doctorate Programme in Sustainability, transversal trainings linked to TORCH principles, micro-credentials covering different levels as well as lifelong learning.

3 – Inter-institutional, intercultural, transdisciplinary, inclusive campus

The third objective covers the buildup of an inter-institutional, intercultural, transdisciplinary, inclusive and sustainable campus in order to promote long-term cooperation in a multicultural environment. This area will focus on digital infrastructures, the development of campus services as well as mobility options for both students and staff members while keeping multilingualism, inclusivity and sustainability as transversal principles.

4 – Internal transformation in partner Universities

The fourth objective focuses on the mainstreaming of successful innovations from CHARM-EU to its partner institutions. Within this central goal, the Alliance will support networking, community building at all levels, and  “charmification” of existing activities, while disseminating CHARM-EU best practices and activities within partners. Professional development plan from a comprehensive perspective using the result of the previous projects will be an outmost tool.

5 – Communication, dissemination, transferability and partnerships

The final, fifth objective is connected to the communication and dissemination of results, the transferability of tools and models and the strengthening of external cooperation as well as building partnerships at local, national, European levels and outside Europe (including the Global South). The Alliance will keep up its work to contribute to the European Educational Area as well as its forward-looking cooperation with other European University Alliances.

To summarize the main goals for the following four years, CHARM-EU will aim to be an influential icebreaker that inspires both academic and external stakeholders to the direct benefit of its students, university staff members and society as whole. The alliance will consolidate and strengthen governance and cooperation, develop its challenge-based learning lab and its educational portfolio while creating an inter-institutional, intercultural, transdisciplinary and inclusive campus that contributes to the European mindset. CHARM-EU will mainstream successful innovation and best practices for the benefit of its partner institutions and will continue to develop, implement, evaluate and disseminate innovative tools and models as well as build new partnerships at all levels. At the end, each partner community and ecosystem can “jump into” the campus to network, contribute and learn for the benefit of CHARM-EU objectives and bring back the outcomes for the benefit of the partner institutions.

The 2022 CHARM-EU Annual Conference titled “Looking back and looking forward: the European Universities’ multi-level effect” wishes to reflect on both the past achievements of CHARM-EU and the possibilities for the next stage of cooperation within an alliance working to be a game changer in European Higher Education and beyond and sharing other alliances learning experiences. The conference, organized on the 13th and 14th of December 2022, will provide a great opportunity to reflect what has been learned and achieved during the past years and to look forward and continue to design next steps towards a strong European Education Area based in a collaborative, inclusive, and multi-level long term strategy.

Register to the conference, join the CHARM-EU Community and help us to shape the future of Higher Education together!