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28.06.2024 16:11

OpenEU launched, the first step to a pan-European open university

Anja Wetter Stabsstelle 2 – Kommunikation und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
FernUniversität in Hagen

The OpenEU alliance, coordinated by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), brings together 14 universities and 13 academic, business, rural, municipal and civil society associations from across Europe to create a pan-European open university. OpenEU is one of the 14 new alliances awarded funding as part of the European Commission's latest European Universities initiative call for proposals. The FernUniversität in Hagen is part of the OpenEU Alliance. One of its key goals within the alliance will be the implementation of its vision of “Making Lifelong Learning a Reality.”

OpenEU's objective as the first pan-European open university is to strengthen the digital, green and social dimension of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by offering access to high-quality higher education and lifelong learning to all, providing accessible and sustainable international experiences for all students, and contributing to the digital transformation of institutions.

The European Commission has decided to back the OpenEU project as part of its European Universities initiative, selecting it from among 56 proposals submitted by European alliances. OpenEU can now forge ahead thanks to the 14,4 million euros it has been awarded. The alliance brings together Europe's leading open and distance universities alongside five on-campus universities that are committed to pushing forward with their digital transformation. Together they promote education that is student-centred, inclusive, digital and green, strengthening the EHEA and ensuring no one is left behind.

The UOC will take charge of leading the project over the next four years. In the words of the UOC rector and president of the alliance, Àngels Fitó, "OpenEU represents a unique opportunity to extend the scope and impact of Europe's open and distance universities. Leading the OpenEU alliance is a privilege, and it lets us drive forward with a large community of international students who are committed to their learning; strengthen joint projects with social agents, businesses and other organizations; and boost innovation in technology-mediated pedagogies. This initiative will allow us to move towards an up-to-date version of the European Higher Education Area that will provide the backbone for lifelong learning in Europe."

Following the announcement of the EU Commission’s funding decision, the President of the FernUniversität, Prof. Dr. Ada Pellert, stated: “We are delighted to be part of this influential and important alliance. Working together, as open and distance-teaching universities, we can help shape Europe’s higher education landscape. Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important, not only for society and the economy but also for each and every one of us. Achieving this will require structures and offerings that we will develop in close cooperation with our OpenEU partners.”

OpenEU wants to make the most of its collective experience to strengthen the EHEA by leveraging the potential of digital tools to create a pan-European open university that can guarantee learning opportunities for all, anytime and anywhere, regardless of time constraints, place of residence or people's personal or professional circumstances.

OpenEU represents over 368,000 university students (the vast majority are not traditional university students: their average age is 36, and 84% work and study at the same time), more than 709,000 graduates and 24,000 staff. It has been created in response to the main challenges facing the EHEA: the digital transformation of university institutions, the promotion of more inclusive, more equitable higher education, and the need to provide opportunities for lifelong learning for everyone.

The alliance is committed to maximizing its impact and can count on a total of 14 universities from all regions of Europe as well as thirteen associate partner bodies and organizations. The core members of the alliance are the eight leading online, open and distance universities, alongside two on-campus universities: Bifröst University, Iceland; Daugavpils University, Latvia; FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany; Hellenic Open University, Greece; Open Universiteit, the Netherlands; Open University of Cyprus; Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain; Universidade Aberta, Portugal; Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain, and St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Furthermore, the Open University of the United Kingdom, Albania's Fan S. Noli University, the Ukrainian Engineering Pedagogics Academy and North Macedonia's MIT University are also participating in the project to help drive the digital transformation of the EHEA.

Three of the leading international academic networks, the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), the International Association of Universities (IAU) and Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED), will contribute to the alliance's growth, providing their experience and ability to publicize the results obtained. In addition, the Fédération Interuniversitaire de l'enseignement à distance (FIED) of France will collaborate with its expertise in distance education. Likewise, a number of industrial associations and national and European clusters have expressed their support for the alliance and will collaborate in the different initiatives that OpenEU wants to develop. They are Brightlands Smart Services Campus from the Netherlands, Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), Mentoring Europe, SECARTYS from Spain, Stifterverband from Germany, and Bulgaria's Digital National Alliance. Lastly, the EUROCITIES association, a network of over 200 cities in 38 countries, and the European Leader Association For Rural Development (ELARD), with more than 2,500 local action groups, will help connect the alliance's projects with local needs.

About the European Universities initiative

The European Commission's European Universities initiative aims to trigger and deepen unprecedented levels of institutional cooperation between higher education institutions, making it systemic, structural and sustainable. There are currently 64 European alliances, fulfilling the EC's target of a total of 60 involving over 500 higher education institutions by 2024. OpenEU is the first alliance where open and distance higher education plays a leading role to increase access, coverage and participation in higher education in Europe.
OpenEU is supported by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ European Universities Alliances.

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