“Over the past year, during which the University of Warsaw chaired the Alliance, there has been significant development in joint research, teaching, innovation, as well as the exchange of academic staff, doctoral candidates and students,” said Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, during the Annual Meeting of the 4EU+. The University of Warsaw handed over the Alliance presidency to the University of Geneva.

The 4EU+ Alliance consists of eight research universities jointly building a single European University. These are: Charles University (Czech Republic), Heidelberg University (Germany), Paris-Panthéon-Assas University (France), Sorbonne University (France), the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), the University of Milan (Italy) and the University of Geneva (Switzerland).

 

For the University of Warsaw, the Alliance is one of its most important strategic initiatives. Thanks to 4EU+, a shared educational, research, digital and mobility infrastructure is being developed. More than 320,000 students, 28,000 doctoral candidates and over 50,000 staff members have the opportunity to exchange experiences every day, carry out joint research and pursue innovative educational projects.

 

Shaping collective solutions

Each year, the Alliance organises a large-scale summary event – the Annual Meeting – hosted by a different member university. This year’s edition was organised by the University of Geneva under the motto 4EU+ for Global Impact – Shaping Collective Solutions.

 

From 26th to 28th November, numerous workshops, meetings and sessions were held in Switzerland, including: a meeting of the 4EU+ Management Board and the Academic Council, sessions involving the programme committees of the four Flagships, the Secretary General of the Alliance and working groups, as well as a meeting of the Student Committee. The programme also included a meeting of the 4EU+ General Assembly, which was broadcast online. One of the speakers was Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, who presented the initiatives undertaken by the Alliance during the University of Warsaw’s presidency.

 

I would like to thank all the academic communities forming the 4EU+ Alliance, both collectively and individually. Without your support, we could not have developed so successfully. Over the past year, during which the University of Warsaw chaired the Alliance, there has been significant development in joint research, teaching, innovation, as well as exchanges of academic staff, doctoral candidates and students. We appointed a new Secretary General and relocated the office from Heidelberg to Brussels. We also made use of the Polish presidency to support work on the joint European degree,” said the Rector of the University of Warsaw.

 

On 27th November, Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, handed over the Alliance presidency to Prof. Audrey Leuba, Rector of the University of Geneva.

 

 

The University of Warsaw was represented at the Annual Meeting by, among others, members of the Rector’s team: Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, Prof. Maciej Raś, Vice-Rector for Students and Quality of Teaching and Learning, Prof. Sambor Grucza, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Human Resources, and Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, Vice-Rector for Research, as well as Flagship programme coordinators, members of working groups and representatives of the local 4EU+ office.

University of Warsaw Presidency in the Alliance

The University of Warsaw chaired the Alliance from September 2024 to November 2025. This presidency coincided with a major phase of transformation for the Alliance – the start of the process of transferring the Association’s legal seat from Germany to Belgium, the recruitment and appointment of a new Secretary General, and the launch of the Alliance’s ten-year strategy (2025–2035).

 

During this period, half of the activities planned under the strategic 1CORE project were also completed. The year 2025 likewise marked the Polish and Danish presidencies of the Council of the European Union, which gave the 4EU+ discussions a broader European dimension.

 

Key initiatives undertaken:

  • A significant contribution to the development of the joint European degree:4EU+ participation in initiatives undertaken during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU aimed at supporting negotiations related to the resolution on the implementation of the European Joint Diploma quality label;;
  • In April 2025, the first 4EU+ Rectors’ Seminar was held at the University of Warsaw;
  • Work continued on an action plan for implementing the 4EU+ ten-year strategy. The first stage involved creating a comprehensive tool for monitoring progress and the Alliance’s external impact;
  • Establishment of the 4EU+ RESEARCH working group, supporting joint research activities conducted by member universities. It is currently chaired by Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Warsaw;
  • In 2024, the University of Warsaw received funding for a two-year implementation of a new project – 4EU+ ETERNITY – under the NAWA programme “Support for European Universities”, strengthening, among other things, strategic initiatives undertaken by the University as a member of 4EU+;
  • In November 2024, enrolment opened for a new joint second-cycle degree programme delivered by five member universities of the 4EU+ Alliance, including the University of Warsaw, as part of the M3EP project: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in European Environmental Economics and Policy. The University of Warsaw coordinates one of the programme’s specialisations: green economy and just transition;
  • A project team led by University of Warsaw staff secured Erasmus Mundus Design Measures funding to create a new joint degree programme – BioMS: Joint Master’s Programme in Biodiversity, conducted in cooperation with four other 4EU+ universities: the University of Copenhagen, Charles University in Prague, the University of Geneva and the University of Milan;
  • Under the leadership of the IT team from the University of Warsaw, work continued on developing the 4EU+ Student Portal, where students and doctoral candidates can find the current course offering of the Alliance;
  • In 2024, the Alliance continued the 4EU+ Student Ambassadors programme, enabling students and doctoral candidates from member universities to work together on the Alliance’s communication activities and gain international cooperation experience;
  • In 2024, two EU-funded pilot projects were completed, with the University of Warsaw participating as a member of the 4EU+ Alliance: European Status for ECIU University (ESEU) and European Degree Label (ED-AFFICHE);
  • In 2024, the 4EU+ Alliance also received funding for the project 4EU+ Micro-Credential Integration (4EU+ MICI) under the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. The aim is to create an innovative micro-credentials system supporting Europe’s digital and green transition and responding to labour market needs. The project includes developing a flexible framework for designing, issuing and recognising micro-credentials in digital and environmental competences;
  • RM Framework is another EU-funded project launched in 2024 with the participation of 4EU+ universities, including the University of Warsaw. Its goal is to create a framework for training programmes for Research Managers (RMs) in Europe.