How can European university alliances help shape the future of a more competitive Europe?
As a founding member of the European university alliance Charm-EU, the University of Montpellier is actively participating in its annual conference, held on November 12, 2025, in Utrecht and online. This is an opportunity to highlight the structuring role of higher education in strengthening competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusion in Europe in order to respond to major global societal challenges.
The conference in a nutshell
Held in Utrecht (Netherlands), the annual Charm-EU 2025 conference will bring together European leaders and opinion makers, decision makers, university officials, innovation professionals, Professors researchers, and students. Together, they will discuss the role of university alliances in strengthening European leadership in professional skills development, talent attraction, mobility, internationalization, and regional development. Through plenary sessions and interactive workshops, the event will examine the capacity of these alliances to become a strategic lever for European competitiveness.
" European university alliances are much more than just academic partnerships—they are driving forces for innovation, competitiveness, and the promotion of European values. Charm-EU is at the forefront of this transformation, staunchly defending European values in the quest for a sustainable and democratic world. Through collaborative, cross-border educational offerings based on science, research, and academic freedom, Charm-EU is working to redefine the future of higher education," say the heads of all the institutions that are members of the Charm-EU alliance.
Securing Europe's academic future
European university alliances occupy a strategic position in a rapidly changing academic landscape. Supported by the European Commission, the European Universities Initiative now comprises 73 alliances, representing nearly 650 higher education institutions across the continent. They embody an ambitious and transformative vision for the academic future of Europe.
In a context marked by numerous challenges, increased global competition for talent, and the dual digital and ecological transition, the annual Charm-EU 2025 conference sends a clear message: universities are not simply places of learning, but strategic catalysts for a stronger, more competitive, and more resilient Europe. This dynamic highlights the strategic role of the European Universities Initiative: a visionary undertaking that must be sustained to secure Europe's academic future.
Practical information:
- Date: November 12, 2025
- Location: Bar Beton, Pythagoraslaan 101, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Full program: here
- Registration: here
- Press release in English: here
- More information about CHARM-EU: here
About CHARM-EU
Founded in 2019, CHARM-EU is an innovative European university alliance supported by the European Commission's Erasmus+ program. It brings together nine renowned higher education institutions: University of Barcelona (Spain), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Utrecht University (Netherlands), Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), University of Montpellier (France), Åbo Akademi University (Finland), Hochschule Ruhr West (Germany), University of Würzburg (Germany), and University of Bergen (Norway). As a pioneering alliance, CHARM-EU plays a leading role in transnational cooperation in higher education. Its major achievements include the first joint master's degree offered by an alliance of European universities, challenge-based teaching models, and the promotion of open science and inclusive education. CHARM-EU has also actively contributed to the European Diploma Label (ED-AFFICHE) pilot project.