EUTOPIA European University Alliance (https://eutopia-university.eu/), where UBB is a member, is one of the 20 winning university alliances declared by the European Commission on Wednesday, 27th July 2022; and so, during the next four years (+2 extra), with an initial budget of over €14mil., the universities within EUTOPIA will be working together to create the EUTOPIA European transnational meta-university, with integrated academic programmes, staff and campuses. Of the 20 winner, 16 alliances, among which EUTOPIA, are in the most advanced stage of building meta-universities at a European level (stage 2), and 4 alliances are new, in their beginning stage (stage 1).
EUTOPIA includes (1) Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca/Romania); (2) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels/Belgium); (3) Ca’Foscari University of Venice (Venice/Italy); (4) CY Cergy Paris Université (Paris/France); (5) University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg/Sweden); (6) University of Ljubljana (Ljubljana/Slovenia); (7) NOVA University Lisbon (Lisbon/Portugal); (8) Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona (Barcelona/Spain); (9) Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden/Germany) and (10) University of Warwick (United Kingdom); its associated partners (e.g., GUILD and EuroNews) and the collaboration with global partners (e.g., institutions in Africa, Asia and Australia) allow the alliance to develop, as they also benefit from the EUTOPIA European leadership.
“I am glad we’re part of EUTOPIA, together with traditional and modern universities, united by the values we jointly hold: Excellence, Inclusion, Sustainability, Cooperation/Openness and Academic Freedom. Without giving up the UBB brand, in the future, in parallel, we shall contribute to the EUTOPIA European meta-university, with integrated academic programmes, staff and campuses. Therefore, it’s not just about the classical academic collaborations, but rather of strong academic integrations. As such, our town will be part of a solid network of academic European cities (Cluj-Napoca/ Brussels/ Venice/ Paris/ Gothenburg/ Ljubljana/ Lisbon/ Barcelona/ Dresden/ Coventry-Warwick); our country will be part of a prestigious academic alliance, well distributed at a European level (Romania/ Belgium/ Italy/ France/ Sweden/ Slovenia/ Portugal/ Spain/ Germany/ UK), and the UBB community will have an academic campus across Europe, which will facilitate brain/knowledge training and dissemination, keeping close to the Sapere Aude spirit”, said the UBB rector, Prof. Daniel David.
The UBB rector also added that “after the UBB adherence to the GUILD, in 2020 (https://www.the-guild.eu/ – the organisation of some of the most important “world-class” European universities), after the 2021 QS audit (QS***** – confirming the five-star “world-class” statute of UBB) and having been granted the European HR for Excellence in Research award, in 2021 (confirming the UBB good European research practices) – all of this amounted to the 2022 adherence of UBB to EUTOPIA, in the building process of a European transnational meta-university together with some of the most powerful universities in Europe. Summing up these achievements – as well as holding the title of first Romanian university in the past 7 years, according to the national meta-ranking (although for us this is a benchmark reference, not an award) -, summing up all this, UBB reaches the highest peak of development in its history since 1581, representing an example through its academic values expressed in the motto Traditio et Excelentia, but also confirming our more complex academic engagement: “Traditio Nostra Unacum Europae Virtutibus Splendet!” It’s important we understand this and we rise to this historical opportunity, for our sake, for the sake of the history of our Alma Mater Universitas Claudiopolitana, for the sake of our town and country, but especially for the sake of future generations who will define this academic community of tradition and excellence. We have come thus far together through our actions and those before us, so let’s continue working together for what must be done!”
EUTOPIA was selected and financed by the European Commission during the first call of this kind in 2019, together with other 16 university alliances, to pilot the possibility of a European transnational meta-university. Beginning with 2021, at the initiative of EUTOPIA, UBB has become a member of the alliance, and the pilot (stage 1) will now turn into a programme path (stage 2). Together with UBB, some other Romanian universities have also reached this advanced stage (2), others are still members of alliances from the pilot (stage 1), while other intend to apply to these calls in the future
Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (BBU) is the university with the oldest academic tradition in Romania (founded 441 years ago – 1581), representing the largest academic community in the country (with over 55,000 students and staff members, in 15 cities and 11 counties). Since its foundation, BBU has been part of the gallery of prestigious and referential universities in Romania, and during the past 7 years it has ranked first in the country, in the University Metaranking, which combines the major international rankings of universities. For several years now, BBU has occupied top positions at national level in the global rankings and in rankings on fields; it has constantly been among the 5% of world universities, with an advanced academic infrastructure (e.g., RDI units integrated into European networks, modernised didactic laboratories integrated with virtual/augmented/mix reality through the BBU-EON-XR Centre etc.). Recently (in 2021), following an international audit by QS STAR, BBU has been confirmed as the first “world-class” (QS*****) university in Romania, and in 2020 it was accepted into the GUILD, the organisation of some of the most prestigious world-class/research-intensive European universities, it has received the HR Award for Excellence, and in 2021/2022 it has become part of the EUTOPIA European university alliance.
