YUFE Alliance secures funding for further four years

We are delighted to announce that our YUFE Alliance has been awarded a European Commission grant worth €14.4million.

The funding for YUFE – Young Universities for the Future of Europe – is a major milestone for the Alliance, enabling it to continue its important work over the next four years.

YUFE is part of the European Universities initiative - transnational alliances that will lead the way towards the universities of the future, promoting European values and identity, and revolutionising the quality and competitiveness of European higher education.

As one of ten academic YUFE Alliance partners, Essex undergraduate and postgraduate students can undertake additional study alongside their Essex degree, by compiling their own curriculum from courses offered across the YUFE universities.

YUFE’s unique strength lies in its shared values, history of effective collaboration and the concrete progress the Alliance is making, which has given it the reputation of being one of the most successful and impactful models among European Universities initiatives.

The grant will fund the second phase of the YUFE initiative (December 2022 – November 2026) and will focus on upscaling, remodelling and further developing its activities and services.

Essex Deputy Dean of Partnerships (Europe) Dr Nadine Rossol said: "At Essex we are thrilled about this news, as a founding member of YUFE we are delighted to see it growing from strength to strength. We are looking forward to deepen and intensify the work with our YUFE partners and to move to even closer cooperation in education, research and innovation."

Professor Rianne Letschert, Chair of the YUFE Alliance and President of Maastricht University, coordinating institution of the YUFE Alliance, said: “We are very proud that YUFE’s model of a young, student-centred, non-elitist, open and inclusive European University has established itself as a frontrunner and role model for European education. We are strongly committed to building the future of higher education and will continue to deliver concrete programmes and organise impactful and accessible activities for our communities of European students, researchers, innovators, citizens and professionals.”

Dr Daniela Trani, Director of the YUFE Alliance at Maastricht University said: “This new grant from the European Commission will give the YUFE Alliance a boost, enabling us to take another major step in our pioneering work, which is translating our dream of a true European University into an institutional reality that crosses borders, cultures, disciplines and sectors. We are grateful for the commitment of all our partners.

“We acknowledge the efforts of all students and staff who show every day that they believe in our joint European vision. Looking ahead to the coming years, YUFE seeks to continue to inspire other institutions and alliances, as we believe that building capacity beyond our European University will be key to systematic impact.”