News | International

The Université de Lyon participates in the ARQUS European University Alliance with 5 other renowned European universities

On The November 27, 2018

On the morning of November 27 in Brussels, the representatives of the Universities of Granada (Spain), Graz (Austria), Leipzig (Germany), Padova (Italy) and Vilnius (Lithuania), and Lyon signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the ARQUS European University Alliance, an initiative designed to promote deep integration of the six institutions in their teaching and learning, research, outreach and civic engagement missions.

The six universities share a long experience in joint projects in many fields, and a common profile as leading international research universities with deep regional engagement. Based on this, the ARQUS consortium will participate in the pilot call for funding of “European Universities” launched in October by the European Commission in the framework of the Erasmus+ Program.

The Université de Lyon (UdL) supports a large number of scientific (H2020) and academic collaborations (ERASMUS+), and it is taking a further step in joining this Alliance, which reinforces its policies and European ambitions maintains Khaled Bouabdallah, President of the Université de Lyon.

In line with the recent European Commission call for projects, the ARQUS consortium will:

  • Promote innovative teaching and learning;
  • Respond to the grand global societal challenges of the UN’s sustainable development goals through research, education and outreach;
  • Strive to promote multilingualism in the university community and beyond;
  • Further foster the already strong regional engagement of the partner institutions situating people clearly at the center of their plans.

Khaled Bouabdallah added We aim to involve all university stakeholders in this project, including our students and doctoral students, our professors and researchers, our students who have resumed their studies and our staff members. What we have most to gain from the Alliance is clearly fostering European values by providing equal opportunity for individual mobility in a multi-lingual context. We believe that the Alliance will be an idea incubator and address the major European educational issues of tomorrow!

The Université de Lyon was represented at the signing ceremony by Michèle Cottier, President of the Université Jean Monnet and Vice President of policies in documentation, publishing and student life at the Université de Lyon.

This ceremony was attended by representatives of the universities, ministries, embassies, permanent representations of the six regions and EU member states involved, the national rectors’ conferences of the six countries and other university networks and associations.