The AcrossEU Consortium brings together nine universities from eight different countries. The consortium forms a transnational network of universities that share a common ground, but are at the same time diverse enough to provide potential for mutual development and collaboration. With different strengths in various academic disciplines and sciences, AcrossEU universities are well spread across Europe, ensuring geographical (Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western regions) as well as linguistic and cultural diversity within the consortium.

United by the conviction that complex challenges require a robust, collaborative approach,we aim to foresee tomorrow’s challenges from a holistic, multifaceted perspective. Universities have evolved over time in symbiosis with their cities and territories, from their mediaeval roots as centres for the preservation and transmission of knowledge in cities such as Valladolid, Siena or Fribourg to their contemporary role driving progress through teaching, research, technological transfer and societal outreach. In some cases, their creation has been directly linked to the consolidation of a territorial or national identity such as in Caen for Normandy, Skopje for North Macedonia and, more recently, Rovaniemi for Finnish Lapland.

In non-metropolitan areas where the campuses of AcrossEU are located, universities serve as both markers of identity and catalysts for progress. Their presence has favoured the transformation of our towns into cities. This is clearly demonstrated in instances like Pardubice, where the university was created at the demand of the local industry in 1950, or Umeå, where the foundation of the university in 1965 boosted economic growth in the surrounding society and led to the population doubling in 50 years.

As crucial local actors, we are proud of our role in educating the next generation, upskilling our communities, producing cutting-edge research and enabling the smart specialisation strategies of our regions.

As a collective, AcrossEU embodies the archetype of European universities: strategicallypositioned in medium-sized cities and facing similar regional issues. Our institutions boast complementary strengths in both education and research. Together, we amplify our potentialand impact on global and local levels.