European universities: The next level?

In recent decades, the landscape of higher education has undergone constant structural reforms in which higher education institutions have entered into all kinds of collaborations, either voluntarily or as a result of government policy. These partnerships vary from the individual to the institutional level, involve different partners (private and public), relate to different activities (education, research or social services) and take different forms (from one-off collaborations to mergers). Moreover, we find these partnerships at different levels: local, regional, national and cross-border cooperation. The motives and intentions for entering into such strategic arrangements vary widely. In my contribution, the emphasis is on transnational alliances. Although the idea of university alliances on a European scale is not new (Gunn 2020) , it has received a significant boost since 2017 with a speech by French President Macron. His plea for developing European universities was picked up by the European Commission, which subsequently developed concrete plans to create a network of European universities. In 2019 and 2020, the EC published a call where universities are asked to come up with plans to develop transnational partnerships (European universities). For the three-year pilot phase, grants are made available through the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes. In the meantime, 41 alliances have been launched. In March 2022, the first 17 universities (from the 2019 call) applied for the second round , where the actual roll-out of the alliance should take place. Should this European initiative succeed, it will have at least two structural consequences: it will create universities at the supranational level - a new layer in higher education - and it will affect the interrelationships between institutions at the national level. The latter is a serious concern for national governments. Is it desirable? How should it be shaped? In my contribution, I address this last question by looking at the way in which universities participating in a European university are being funded. In principle, European universities can be funded in four ways: with contributions from the EC, national government, own resources and other public or private contributions. I will focus on the contribution of national governments. We know that these national contributions in the initial pilot phase vary widely, both in volume and in form. There is no level playing field. What are the consequences of this for the higher education landscape?