European University alliance including the University of Würzburg awarded €7.2 million to continue its pan-European collaboration until 2028
The European University alliance CHARM-EU (Challenge-Driven, Accessible, Research-Based and Mobile European University), of which Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) is a member, has secured funding under the European Commission’s 2026 Erasmus+ call. The alliance will receive €7.2 million to further strengthen its transnational cooperation until 2028.
The 2026 Erasmus+ call had a total budget of €145.6 million. Through this two-year funding scheme, the European Commission supports existing European University alliances that have already established deep institutional cooperation. The funding serves as bridge financing until the start of the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), enabling successful collaborations to expand, become more sustainable and extend their activities into new areas.
Driving innovation in higher education
During the new funding period, CHARM-EU will build on milestones already achieved. These include joint international master’s programmes, professional development opportunities for early-career researchers, and the expansion of so-called micro-credentials – short, flexible learning opportunities that can be combined to create tailored learning pathways.
The funding will also help increase student and staff mobility, accelerate the digital and green transformation of higher education, deepen collaboration between the alliance’s nine partner universities, and make innovative approaches available to other higher education institutions across Europe.
Joan Guàrdia Olmos, Rector of the University of Barcelona and representative of the coordinating institution, emphasises the significance of the funding for the future of the European Higher Education Area:
“Globalisation has fundamentally changed universities. They are no longer conceived solely within a local context, but increasingly within European and international frameworks. Education, research and innovation thrive on the exchange of talent, expertise and resources across borders. Initiatives such as CHARM-EU are therefore indispensable for fostering excellence. The alliance plays a key role in transforming the European higher education and research landscape, and the European Commission’s support is crucial to this process.”
Guàrdia adds:
“The success of CHARM-EU demonstrates that we must continue to advance the internationalisation of higher education. This is the only way to remain internationally competitive, attract outstanding talent and offer our students attractive opportunities around the world.”
Importance for the University of Würzburg
JMU President Paul Pauli welcomes the positive news for the alliance:
„To receive funding for our alliance’s progress in the coming years is fantastic news. At the University of Würzburg, we look forward to furthering the close collaboration with our CHARM-EU partners. Within our alliance, we innovate cooperation in education, research and transfer. Incidentally, we are also making Europe fruitful and vibrant for the staff and students of our universities!”
As JMU Vice President for Internationalisation, Professor Doris Fischer is closely involved in CHARM-EU. She sees the continuation of CHARM-UP funding as “an important signal for the future of European university cooperation and for the continued internationalisation of the University of Würzburg.”
Alongside the new momentum for education, research and innovation created together with the partner universities, Fischer also expects the alliance to continue strengthening collaboration across JMU itself.
Another key pillar is European cooperation at city and regional level. “Projects such as the IMPACT DAYS Würzburg, involving 60 students from the CHARM master’s programme, demonstrate how international teams work together with regional businesses, public institutions and civil society organisations to develop practical solutions to global challenges,” says Fischer.
Priorities for the next two years
Over the next two years, CHARM-EU aims to deliver tangible and lasting benefits for the wider higher education community. Its key priorities include:
- aligning the alliance with changing geopolitical circumstances to address societal, political and democratic challenges more effectively;
- expanding digital teaching and learning while further integrating artificial intelligence and the principles of digital sovereignty;
- contributing to the development of national higher education systems and education policy reforms;
- further developing a flexible, competence-based and student-centred educational model in close cooperation with external partners;
- expanding modular lifelong learning opportunities and stackable micro-credentials, particularly to support professionals and other non-traditional learners and help address skills shortages across Europe.
By securing this funding, CHARM-EU reinforces its ambition to play an active role in shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area. The alliance works closely with other European University alliances, the FOREU4ALL network, the European Commission and additional partners to help develop the university of the future.
Martin Kufferath-Sieberin, CHARM-EU Manager at JMU, is convinced that:
“CHARM-UP will enable us to continue our strategic development throughout 2027 and 2028, launch new initiatives and firmly embed the European dimension within JMU’s institutional profile. In doing so, we are not only bringing Europe to Würzburg, but also contributing the strengths and spirit of our university to the European higher education landscape.”
About CHARM-EU
CHARM-EU is a European University alliance funded through the Erasmus+ programme. Its members are the University of Barcelona (coordinator), Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Åbo Akademi University, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bergen.
Together, the nine partner institutions are developing a sustainable, inclusive and socially engaged model of higher education that equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to address global challenges.
