On 22nd September rectors of the universities that belong to the League of European Research Universities (LERU) met with their counterparts of seven Central European Universities (CE7) at the University of Warsaw. They were discussing the future of the EU in terms of Brexit, research funding, regional innovation, open science and internationalisation.
League of European Research Universities (LERU) is a well-established network of 23 research-intensive universities from 12 countries in Europe. It was founded in 2002. Its main task is to develop and disseminate its views on research, innovation and higher education through policy papers, statements, meetings and events helping to shape policy at the EU level.
In 2016, LERU began its cooperation with a group of universities that belong to CE7. The CE7 universities comprise the University of Warsaw, and other Universities of Belgrade, Eötvös Loránd, Ljubljana, Prague (Charles University), Tartu, and Zagreb.
LERU and CE7 work together to create the best conditions for the development of European science which depends on the EU framework programmes supporting education, research and innovation.
The representatives of LERU and CE7 meet regularly at the universities that are their members. In the last year, the University of Warsaw was a host of one meeting. Rectors were debating on the EU Framework Programme 9 for Research & Innovation, challenges for the European Research Area (ERA) 2017-2027, the impact of Brexit on ERA and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and the post-truth society.