The University of Trento was founded in 1962 and in 1982 became a public institution with ample self-government powers. The Milan Agreement, signed in 2009 between the Italian Government and the Autonomous Province of Trento (together with the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the Regional Authority) modified the special Statute of autonomy and gave the Province of Trento new authority over the University. This change has guaranteed a steady flow of financial resources which allows the University of Trento to continuously invest and develop. Today it counts more than 16,000 students, about 600 professors and researchers and the same number of technical and administrative staff. The University is located in three areas. In the city centre are the Departments of Sociology and Social Research, of Economics and Management, of Philosophy and Humanities, the Faculty of Law and the School of International Studies, all very close to each other. On the hills surrounding Trento are the Departments of Physics, of Mathematics, of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, of Industrial Engineering, and of Information Engineering and Computer Science. In Rovereto, there is the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences which was founded in 2004 and is the only such structure in Italy to focus on neuroscience, an innovative field of study and terrain for ground-breaking research. Within the 10 Departments and 5 Centres, the University of Trento offers 57 BA and MA degree courses, numerous first- and second-level Master’s programmes, 15 PhD programmes degrees and advanced and continuing-education programmes. Cutting-edge research is carried out in the Departments and in numerous research centres, among them the Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), the Interdepartmental Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), the interdepartmental Centre for Biomedical Studies (BIOtech), the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environment (C3A), the University Centre for Advanced Studies on Hydro-geological Risk in Mountain Areas (CUDAM), and the University Centre of Meteorology (CUM).

The University of Bologna is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students by the late 12th century, it is the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, and the first degree-awarding institution of higher learning.

The University of Florence stands as one of the largest institutions for research and higher education in Italy, with over 1,800 faculty members and researchers. The Department of Political and Social Sciences (DSPS), established in 2013, comprises around 60 members dedicated to research, teaching, and outreach, focusing on contemporary social and political phenomena and their historical and interdependent roots.

The Autonomous University of Barcelona is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. As of 2012, the university consists of 57 departments in the experimental, life, social and human sciences, spread among 13 faculties/schools

The Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern is one of the leading political science departments in Switzerland. Research and teaching focus on the following main areas: the Swiss political system, comparative politics, European and environmental policy, and political sociology. The institute is embedded in the Department of Social Sciences. In addition, there are close links within the University of Bern with the World Trade Institute, the Center for Public Management, the Center for Development and Environment, and the Oeschger Center of Climate Change Research.

Founded in 1971, the University of Bremen in northwest Germany was established for the purpose of training teachers. Today, with around 20,000 students, it offers a broad spectrum of academic programmes while claiming particular subject strength in natural and engineering sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Bremen is regarded as a major centre for science. In 2005 it was designated ‘City of Science’ status and the University of Bremen, in 2012, was classified as a ‘University of Excellence’ – one of only 11 German institutions to be recognised as such.

The University of Barcelona is a public research university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was established in 1450. With 76,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities in Spain and has also been ranked 1st in the country in most of the 2024 rankings.

The University of Hamburg is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System, the Hamburg Colonial Institute, and the Academic College.

Leibniz University Hannover is a public research university located in Hanover, Germany. Founded on 2 May 1831 as Higher Vocational School, the university has undergone six periods of renaming, its most recent in 2006.

The Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz is one of the largest social science institutes in Germany. The department provides research and teaching at the highest level in the four focus areas (i) Democracy and Public Policy, (ii) International Studies, (iii) Management and Public Administration, and (iv) Data and Methods. The department's degree programmes offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary education that covers political science and public administration topics across the board and provides sound methodological skills. We ensure excellent student support, small seminar groups, compulsory internships, as well as exchange programmes and double master's programmes with leading universities worldwide. Our goal is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and networking access that will prepare them for successful careers in the public, private or non-profit sectors. Our graduates take on diverse leadership roles in politics, administration, business and academia - in Germany, Europe and around the world. The department's research is oriented towards theory- and evidence-based social science methods. Cooperation with researchers from leading academic institutions worldwide and a publication culture that targets the best journals and publishers ensure the department's high international visibility. Our research subjects include political, administrative and organisational structures, processes, and policies, which are studied from national, international and comparative perspectives. Our interdisciplinary commitment manifests itself in the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality: Perceptions, Participation and Policies", which has been funded since 2019 as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.

The University of Mannheim, abbreviated UMA, is a public research university in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1967, the university has its origins in the Palatine Academy of Sciences, which was established by Elector Carl Theodor at Mannheim Palace in 1763, as well as the Handelshochschule (Commercial College Mannheim), which was founded in 1907.

The Open University of Catalonia is a private open university based in Barcelona, Spain. The UOC offers graduate and postgraduate programs in Catalan, Spanish and English in fields such as Psychology, Computer Science, Education sciences, Information and Knowledge Society, and Economics.