At the Guild’s General Assembly, convened on 8 June 2021, Presidents discussed how to strengthen universities through the European Research Area with Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
The Guild, together with European Science, Technology and Innovation organisations, calls for a full association of Switzerland to Horizon Europe.
The Guild launched its third Insight Paper on 4 June 2021, bringing together representatives from academia, the European Commission, and university associations to discuss how higher education can embrace the digital transformation that is sweeping through the sector.
Higher education across Europe needs to cut red tape, engage with lifelong learning, and accelerate pedagogic innovation in a sustainable way to enable students to receive strong research-led education and develop relevant skills for the 21st century, according to the new Insight Paper published by The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities.
The Guild joins other groups of research-intensive universities in Europe in voicing its concern regarding proposals to restrict the UK’s, Switzerland’s and potentially other countries’ access to parts of Horizon Europe.
In 2021, Universitat Pompeu Fabra joined The Guild as its twenty-first member. The Guild interviewed Rector Casals about the university, its vision for the future, and its passion for strengthening the pursuit of knowledge.
The Guild’s Vice-Presidents gathered on 8 January to discuss priorities for the new European Research Area (ERA) whilst welcoming the network’s 21st member: Pompeu Fabra University. Alongside academia-industry collaboration and promoting the diversity of university staff, topics such as Brexit and foreign interference were also part of the highly-attended meeting.
Just three decades old, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) has swiftly conquered a notable position among the best universities in Europe and the world. By welcoming UPF as its twenty-first member, The Guild reiterates a commitment to representing some of Europe’s leading academic institutions, its students and researchers, in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner.
This year The Guild office prepared a special virtual message to wish you a happy holiday season!
The Guild welcomes the EU institutions’ agreement on Horizon Europe and Erasmus+
The Guild calls for an urgent funding boost to the Excellence Science Pillar of Horizon Europe, which covers the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) supporting the mobility of Europe’s best research talent, the European Research Council (ERC) as well as research infrastructures, in order to achieve a balanced resourcing of the three pillars of the programme.
The Guild welcomes the Commission Communication on the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe as an essential step towards the creation of a European Health Union.
After two months of intense negotiations, the European Parliament and the German Presidency of the Council give green light to a budget increase1 of €4bn to Horizon Europe, €2.2bn to Erasmus+ and €3.4bn to EU4Health, if unanimously approved by European leaders. The Guild calls the additional €4bn to be used for increasing the share of Horizon Europe’s Excellent Science Pillar.
The Guild voices its concern that ending ERDF support to universities’ research capacities undermines the goal of reducing the research and innovation divide in Europe.
On 23 October, Presidents of The Guild met for the second General Assembly of 2020. The participants had the opportunity to exchange views with Jean-Eric Paquet (Director-General, DG RTD) and Jean-Pierre Bourguignon (Interim President of the ERC) on Horizon Europe and on the role of research post-pandemic, as negotiations on the budget of Europe’s flagship programme resume between the European Parliament and the Council.
Responding to the European Commission’s Communications on the European Research and Education Areas, presidents of The Guild’s universities set out a vision for Europe’s universities over the next ten years.
The visions for European Research and Education Areas published yesterday represent an important opening for a dialogue on common priorities and their implementation.
In response to the European Commission consultation, The Guild’s Health Deans advocate for the development of a framework that would facilitate the pursuit of multinational clinical studies within the EU.
As a world-leading mathematician, and through his deep understanding of subjects right across the disciplinary spectrum, Prof. Bourguignon enjoys the deep trust of the scientific community. As ERC President, Prof. Bourguignon has been an outstanding leader of Europe’s pre-eminent research council, recognised as Europe’s spokesperson on behalf of frontier-led science.
The Guild welcomes the European Council compromise on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and Next Generation EU. It now calls on the European Parliament to focus on improvements in spending on Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, which are critical in ensuring that the EU can become more resilient in addressing its future challenges.
As negotiations between the EU and the UK continue, The Guild has joined over 100 other organisations and researchers calling for science to be at the core of the future relationship. Signatories include the Wellcome Trust, the Russell Group, the Directors of 48 Max Planck Institutes, Carlos Moedas, former European Commissioner for Research, Science & Innovation and the Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse.