Benefits of engaging in the European Universities Initiative

Recent research on the involvement of Lithuanian universities in the European Universities Initiative (EUI) for regional development highlights a growing call for universities in Europe to take on a more expanded and central role in addressing society’s evolving needs.

The European Commission together with national governments endorsed and supported the EUI, whereby the role and transformative mission of universities – to build inclusive and cohesive societies through collaboration, developing critical mass and mutual learning – could be strengthened.

The initiative focuses on both inward and outward transformation and innovation.

It encompasses systemic, structural and sustainable changes within institutions, as well as broader outreach aimed at addressing major societal challenges – such as climate change – promoting cultural diversity and inclusion, and better serving European labour markets that are transforming due to technological development, digital and green transitions and the restructuring of the economy.

Lithuania in the European Universities Initiative

The Lithuanian higher education system is characterised by a rather large number of institutions relative to the number of inhabitants (2.9 million). In total in the academic year 2022-23 there were 36 higher education institutions in Lithuania – 17 universities and 19 colleges.

Lithuania has a high percentage of public university engagement in the EUI. More than a third of all universities in the country (including private, specialised and religious-based institutions) and more than half of major public universities (six out of 11) with the largest share of students, academics and scientific staff, are part of the initiative.

In 2022 the first five universities became full members of European University Alliances (EUAs). This level of involvement makes Lithuania an interesting reference case for other countries as developments taking place there will potentially affect the whole ecosystem of higher education.

Benefits of engaging with European University Alliances

By looking at the rationale for engagement in transnational strategic alliances alongside the pathways to and benefits of such engagement, we have made several observations.

Lithuania’s participation in the EUI has been a political priority and is viewed as a means to tackle its current issues in higher education, such as low levels of internationalisation, a mismatch between human capital and labour market demands, and the limited attractiveness of higher education in the country.

The key motivations identified in national policy and Lithuanian universities participating in the European University Alliances are predominantly academic and economic. These motivations are grounded in arguments for quality enhancement, increased competitiveness, international visibility and regional development.

Both policy-makers and universities recognise the potential for innovation within higher education institutions and the sector as a whole. From a national policy perspective, the integration of universities in the EUAs is aimed at enhancing their strategic, managerial and operational capacities and strengthening university performance in their core functions of teaching, research and innovation.

The goals and objectives of the alliances that the Lithuanian universities we studied are part of also highlight socio-cultural aspects (for example, resilience, access and inclusion) and political factors (for instance, addressing global challenges such as climate change and digitalisation).

These are promoted at a supra-national level due to the aforementioned mandate of the EUI to encourage universities to engage more closely with external stakeholders in tackling societal challenges and leading the development of cities, regions and beyond.

Cross-sectoral collaboration

To achieve innovation and regional development goals, Lithuanian universities have been expanding and intensifying cross-sectoral interactions regionally and internationally and adopting a co-creation model of operation.

In the EUA context, co-creation is achieved through the following collaborations and networks:

• Inter-partner collaborations involving alliance member universities’ internal stakeholders, such as researchers, students, administrators or communities of practice involving multiple alliances.

• Cross-sectoral collaborations involving regional external stakeholders.

• Collaborations established among university ecosystems, such as engaging industries from different European geographic areas.

An example of the latter is Vilnius Tech University’s ‘Co-Creation Hub’ initiative, which allows FabLabs, Design Factories and creative centres from Athena alliance members to open their creative workshops for joint projects and international collaboration.

One of the most significant cross-sectoral collaborations observed is between academia and the national government. The universities take on an active role in policy innovation and formulation of relevant regulatory adjustments, especially in the area of academic studies.

Multiple strategic proposal packages have been prepared to enhance and modernise the national legal framework, including new models of interdisciplinary studies, joint doctorates and mobility types. By taking an active role in university-government interactions, universities are using the opportunity to build their capacities for transformation of higher education practices, both at the organisational and system levels.

Teaching and research are redesigned in the context of the EUA collaboration engaging with a range of external stakeholders. Actors from industry and local and regional government are invited to contribute to an innovative teaching and research agenda by identifying real-life challenges for student and research teams, engaging in mentoring, assessment and evaluation and course content development.

The collaborations, interactions and activities among the universities we studied and industry and public bodies are targeting social and economic transformations, and addressing societal problems and regional needs.

Among key university strategies to strengthen local eco-systems are enhancing inter- and multi-disciplinary regional education and research, supporting start-ups and transferring knowledge to the regions.

Additionally, innovative solutions in areas such as digital and green transformation, developing smart and sustainable cities, youth employability and transversal skills are emphasised. A challenge-based approach to innovation and entrepreneurship skills development is a common feature within the activities of alliance universities.

Although it is still too early to fully assess the benefits of Lithuanian universities’ engagement in the EUAs’ regional innovation ecosystem, there is already evidence of expanded and deepened interactions between universities and various sectors.

Built on the principle of co-creation, these collaborations aim to foster innovation in national higher education policy, enhance university capacity through organisational innovation, and redesign teaching and research to drive social and economic transformation.

Lina Zenkiene is an independent scholar and expert with over 20 years of professional experience in higher education. E-mail: lina.zenkiene@gmail.com. This article is based on Zenkiene, L and Leišyte, L (2024). Strengthening university capacity in regional innovation ecosystem through the participation in the European Universities initiative (open access), published in the European Journal of Higher Education, 1-21.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.