On 21 May 2024 the Silesian University of Technology was admitted to the European University Foundation (EUF). Membership in this prestigious organization opens up new opportunities for our University. EUF members are public universities that share a culture of academic excellence.

The European University Foundation (EUF) is one of the most prestigious and influential university networks in Europe. The main mission is to create a modern, strong, and competitive European Higher Education Area and to promote a significant increase in the number and quality of student mobility.

The EUF was initiated in the late nineties, when Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of Germany, proposed to create a European space for deep academic cooperation. In the years 2004-2014 the organization was under the patronage of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Since 2014, the network has been directly funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program.

The organization has significant experience in policy innovation and a rich history of contributing to the development of Erasmus+. The EUF activities are organized under five pillars, which aim to contribute to the development and internationalization of our members and the knowledge-based society.

These five pillars are:

(1) High-quality mobility
From the very beginning, the EUF network has advocated high-quality student mobility, aiming to strengthen the competences acquired during study abroad and to increase understanding between European cultures. Since then, most of the quality mobility features pioneered by the network have been integrated into the Erasmus+ program.
Projects:
- NORM
- Teach with Erasmus+
- DocMob
- EQuaTIC

(2) Employability and entrepreneurship of graduates
Young graduates sometimes have a hard time finding a job after graduating from higher education. Therefore, it is necessary to provide students with an appropriate education and a suitable set of skills. EUF has developed knowledge alliances that aim to provide practical training to students and academics and build closer ties with potential employers.
Projects:
- Erasmus Jobs
- PhD Hub, Knowledge Alliance
- Power, Knowledge Alliance

(3) Digital higher education in both learning/teaching and management
The digital revolution has a profound impact on learning and teaching, as well as on university management. EUF is committed to accelerating the development and expansion of digital tools that can help European universities fulfil their core tasks.
Projects:
- Erasmus+ App.
- paperless Erasmus
- European digital student
Digital services infrastructure for students
- MyAcademicID
- Agreement on the program of online classes

(4) Political innovation
EUF is the leading European think/do tank in the field of higher education. We place a strong emphasis on innovation and policy experimentation based on continuous dialog with members and other stakeholders. The network also has a long-term,
multi-annual framework agreement with the European Commission to carry out such activities.
Achievements:
- Review of the Erasmus program
- Position of European universities
- A document on automatic recognition

(5) Active citizenship
Human rights and active citizenship are fundamental values that cannot be taken for granted. The EUF provides a platform to discuss and exchange good practices on these key issues.
Projects:
- SIEM
- GreenErasmus
- Erasmus Skills
- SocialErasmus+
- Coop4Edu.

More from https://uni-foundation.eu/