The new European Excellence Initiative is set to strengthen R&I activities of universities and advises them to evolve in alignment with the ERA’s goals.
The European Commission’s new European Research Area (ERA) aims to strengthen the research and innovation (R&I) aspect of universities by initiating a comprehensive transformation plan and seeks to empower universities to evolve in alignment with the ERA’s goals. (see SwissCore article) To support this initiative and specifically Action 13 of ERA, the study ‘Towards a European Excellence Initiative’ conducted an analysis of the state of excellence within EU universities, mapped out Member State programmes aiding R&I excellence in universities, and evaluated the EU’s backing for excellence through the European Universities Initiative. The Policy Report derived from this study offers insights and recommendations for designing and executing a potential European Excellence Initiative (EEI) specifically targeting the R&I dimension of universities. Additionally, the report is supplemented by two Analytical Reports that delve deeper into Member State assistance for excellence, and EU aid for excellence via European Universities.
European universities are currently undergoing essential changes in their research and innovation aspects in line with the new European Research Area (ERA) principles. This transformation is vital for them to confront societal, ecological, and economic challenges. Improvement in one area of change within ERA tends to positively influence performance in other areas, forming a cohesive framework. For instance, the practice of open science and collaboration relies on how researchers are evaluated. Member States’ policy support should focus on comprehensive system-wide approaches rather than isolated institutional changes. The ERA principles are interconnected. Effective policy backing should thus encourage Member States to transform policies across all ERA areas, not just specific ones. Further, achieving excellence in research tackling societal challenges necessitates a broader overhaul of universities and cannot be reduced to the adoption of new research activities. Concretely, this means revising organisational structures and methods to focus on goals and developing solutions.
The levels of progress in ERA-related changes depend on national policies and individual university strategies. While some countries offer varying degrees of supportive policies and funding systems, universities can still enhance their performance through strategic commitments and actions. Policy support should promote mutual learning for excellence at both national and institutional levels. National policies shape the parameters for institutional excellence, but individual strategies by higher education institutions can elevate their performance within these boundaries. Identifying and sharing good practices at both levels is essential.
Lastly, the European Excellence Initiative should promote the adoption and utilisation of existing EU tools. Although the ERA consolidates institutional changes, various EU tools already aid transformation in specific areas. Therefore, the policy support mechanism and pilot action should encourage and enable the use of tools like the European Open Science Cloud, the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for Recruitment, and the HRS4R Excellence.