Kevin Daly

As our fortnightly issue (but not our daily news) takes a summer break, we look back on some of the biggest stories of the academic year:

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Can you really assess a university’s commitment to sustainability? EUA - European University Association

Quality assurance has an important role to play to help universities better understand the relevance of their #sustainability strategies and the impact of their actions.

📝 #EUAExpertVoices article by Geneviève Le Fort, HES-SO Haute école spécialisée de Suisse: buff.ly/NxozaC7

#EduSky

European Commission proposes massive increase in Horizon Europe budget to €175 billion Questions remain about 'tight connection' to European Competitiveness Fund

Wrangling has begun over the budget for the replacement for the world's largest research programme - the EU's Horizon Europe.

A proposed 50% increase in the Erasmus+ budget under the next MFF, so why isn't the higher ed sector quite jumping for joy?

@eua.eu statement: buff.ly/HpafwBT

& previously on our #EUAExpertVoices blog, Stephan Geifes (@daadworldwide.bsky.social) crunched the numbers: buff.ly/fgEu5Pj

Piecing things together - Research Professional News Vivienne Stern argues that universities face profound changes but could be a source of optimism

Vivienne Stern argues that the next few months will be critical for universities. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

EUA welcomes the @ec.europa.eu's proposals for the EU’s next multiannual financial framework #MFF for 2028–2034, particularly the commitment to retain #HorizonEU and @euerasmusplus.bsky.social as stand-alone programmes.

🔗Read our initial reaction at buff.ly/HpafwBT

Praise for Commission’s research programme proposal, but concerns linger over its vagueness There was praise for research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and much relief after the European Commission presented its proposal for a €175 billion successor to Horizon Europe on July 16. But conce...

“We particularly welcome the preservation of the bottom-up nature of core #HorizonEU instruments such as the @erc.europa.eu and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions” said EUA Secretary General Amanda Crowfoot to @sciencebusiness.net

#MFF #EUBudget #FP10 #MSCA

📣 @eua.eu Secretary General Amanda Crowfoot:

“The proposal to retain Horizon Europe as a standalone programme and to double its budget sends a strong and strategic signal of the EU’s enduring commitment to R&I. This is highly encouraging for the European R&I community.”

Breaking: 2028-34 budget proposal would double funding for Horizon Europe

Breaking: Erasmus+ budget proposal for 2028-34 is an increase of 50%

⬆️ @eua.eu #EUAExpertVoices

✍️ @uniofstandrews.bsky.social @advancehe.bsky.social

"We all benefit when everyone can contribute to solving our wicked global challenges... However, our current university system is not systematically meeting the needs of our neurodivergent community."

Can AI help?

🖇️ buff.ly/bcLfAQk

"Aligning, acting and accelerating Europe’s research and innovation brings new challenges and opportunities for doctoral education"

✍️ Manuel Heitor writes for the @eua.eu Council for Doctoral Education #DoctoralDebate blog: buff.ly/612W6Tu

#ChooseEurope #Preparedness

@istecnico.bsky.social

The Doctoral Debate Aligning, acting and accelerating Europe’s research and innovation brings new challenges and opportunities for doctoral education

We must strengthen and reform our funding systems to promote greater risk-taking, faster decisions and institutional tolerance for failure, writes Manuel Heitor in this #DoctoralDebate article: buff.ly/612W6Tu

#DoctoralEducation #ChooseEurope

Ahead of the @ec.europa.eu's proposal for the #MFF, leading higher education and research organisations including EUA emphasise that excellent, early-stage collaborative research must remain a priority in #FP10.
🔗Read the joint statement bit.ly/4eOFDRA

Research community positive yet cautious over leaked FP10 proposal The EU research bubble is carefully scrutinising the details of the new Horizon Europe programme, set out in a draft proposal leaked to Brussels offices on Monday night, in preparation for a months-lo...

Collaborative research “should not be limited to projects close to the market,” said EUA's @kamilakozirog.bsky.social to @sciencebusiness.net “Compared to its predecessor, #FP10 seems more clearly positioned as a tool to serve broader political and strategic objectives.”

Participation in institutional governance EUA - European University Association

Who participates in university governance today? 🏛️ Who selects and appoints them? The answer to these questions determines which groups influence key institutional decisions.
🔗 EUA’s latest comparative analysis explores evolving models across Europe
buff.ly/P0Q6nks

"An investment in early-career researchers is an investment in the future of higher education"

What can universities do?

📌 tackle job insecurity
📌 improve the management of career expectations
📌 & ensure manageable workloads

🔗 buff.ly/pfzRCiQ

#EUAExpertVoices @eua.eu

An investment in early-career researchers is an investment in the future of higher education EUA - European University Association

Supporting and developing our next generation of researchers is of fundamental importance. An investment in early-career researchers is an investment in the future of higher education, writes Manuela Raith (Technical University of Leoben) at buff.ly/pfzRCiQ

#EUAExpertVoices #HigherEd #AcademicSky

"Assuring higher education’s quality in the age of AI is no easy task"

✍️ @evealcock.bsky.social on when #HigherEd QA meets #ArtificialIntelligence:

🔗 buff.ly/Up3tYsh

#EUAExpertVoices @qaa.ac.uk @eua.eu

Why have you been hearing so much about #AcademicCareers lately?

Because "if academia fails to attract, develop & retain the brightest minds, it will have negative knock-on effects on the functioning & development of society as a whole."

🖇️ buff.ly/ZjT6H4R

#EUAExpertVoices @eua.eu

Five principles to help boost academia as a career choice [Op-ed] EUA - European University Association

For @uniworldnews.bsky.social , EUA’s Helene Peterbauer reflects on:
- why academic careers are receiving more attention of late,
- why there is need for urgent action within universities,
- how EUA’s key principles can help set this in motion
🔗 buff.ly/ZjT6H4R
#EUAExpertVoices

Image of Eve Alcock from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK, alongside her quote "In the long term, quality assurance organisations must ask whether the integration of generative AI into learning and assessment processes necessitates a wholesale review of academic standards." against a background with the European University Association logo.

Quality assurance processes will become increasingly important in maintaining trust in academic standards, writes @evealcock.bsky.social @qaa.ac.uk, highlighting the importance of consistent approaches by QA agencies as well as opportunities by #AI tools.
buff.ly/Up3tYsh

#EUAExpertVoices

A turning point for European science [Op-ed] EUA - European University Association

How do we ensure that #FP10, despite being linked to the competitiveness agenda, retains its identity and effectively serves science, innovation and the long-term development of Europe? #EUAExpertVoices article by @kamilakozirog.bsky.social for
@forumakademickie.bsky.social at buff.ly/ZRm8Pa3

☝️ How do we ensure that #FP10, despite being linked to the #EUcompetitiveness agenda, retains its identity and effectively serves science, innovation & the long-term development of Europe?

Punkt zwrotny dla europejskiej nauki Marginalizacja badań podstawowych nie może być odpowiedzią na potrzebę długookresowego wzmacniania europejskiej pozycji w świecie. Jeśli Horyzont Europa uchodził za największy program badawczy w histo...

"A turning point for European science"

✍️ @kamilakozirog.bsky.social for @forumakademickie.bsky.social: forumakademickie.pl/punkt-zwrotn...

Representing @eua.eu today at @unesco.org Intergovernmental conference on the Global recognition convention for higher education qualifications in Paris. Countries discuss how to move forward in ensuring that country borders no longer are an obstacle for HE mobility

If @horizoneu.bsky.social is considered the largest research programme in the history of the EU, its successor must not only match it in scale, but also surpass it in vision, writes @kamilakozirog.bsky.social for @forumakademickie.bsky.social. Full article in Polish ⬇️

#FP10 #ResearchSky

"EUA’s report urges institutions to rethink what success in academia looks like."

Catch up on insights from the 2025 @eua.eu Annual Conference & our fresh set of key principles for attractive & sustainable careers – 🔗 buff.ly/wX6xm0Q – in today's Research Europe 👇

"Erasmus+ makes Europe more prepared, competitive and resilient, it needs a higher budget"

Stephan Geifes argues for an Erasmus+ budget of €60 billion in the next MFF on the #EUAExpertVoices blog: buff.ly/fgEu5Pj

#ErasmusPlus #EUcompetitiveness #UnionOfSkills

@eua.eu @daadworldwide.bsky.social