Why UNIC ?

Europe and the world are at a significant turning point, confronted with serious challenges. Digital transformation, security threats and major political developments will be among major drivers of change in coming years. Universities within UNIC are faced with the pressure to respond to challenges of growing complexity. Against this backdrop, UNIC aims to become a selfsustaining university within the next decade – characterised both by deeply inter-connected services across the alliance as well as by locally-embedded individual partners.

Our mission

Our ten universities operate in cities in postindustrial transition; our staff, researchers and students play a key role in the changing environment. We are connected by a commitment to foster transformative modes of teaching, research and learning that respond to the challenges faced by our cities. Increasingly superdiverse populations requires attention to inclusion and accessibility across this work.

Together, we strive to promote common European values and strengthen European identity while working on institutional transformation of European higher education institutions.

UNIC STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY STAFF WILL ENJOY A TRULY EUROPEAN LEARNING, TEACHING, RESEARCH AND WORKING EXPERIENCE, WITHOUT ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLES.

Our vision

We will take inclusion to the next level, using our current expertise in superdiversity to broaden educational opportunities for non-traditional students, including members of new migrant communities and people living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.

We will engage students in real-world urban challenges with our city partners through initiatives such as City Labs, bringing ‘science to the city’ and contributing to the resilience and renaissance of Europe’s post-industrial urban centres. Our students and staff will study, teach and work throughout Europe, becoming change agents who will contribute to the ongoing transformation of our cities, ultimately building out a future for Europe.

Our goals

- Contributing to an inclusive global learning society with a readiness to act upon change and societal challenges, placing inclusion and mobility at the core of a new European University and developing models of best practice for teaching and learning in superdiverse settings;

- Equipping the next generation of global citizens with the 21st century skills and knowledge to address the challenges of superdiverse societies;

- Preparing students with a readiness to act when facing the demands of changing urban contexts in Europe and beyond, through the practice of engaged learning and engaged research;

- Developing institutional culture, engagement instruments and academic governance within our Alliance.