Ghent University: member of key European networking organisations

Ghent University is strongly committed to international cooperation. The most intensive and widespread cooperation of Ghent University is within Europe. The European funding programmes for research, education and innovation have structured these relationships. From the 1990s onwards, the Erasmus programme and the Bologna Process boosted cooperation between European Universities, with Ghent University acting as one of the early adopters. Moreover, since 2013, Ghent University invests in a structural way in European Public Affairs activities. To this end, it works closely together with the European networking and lobbying organisations EUA, CESAER, The Guild and EUF, with the aim of impacting EU policy developments regarding the European Research Area and the European Education Area, as well as the related funding programmes Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. Ghent University is also a long-standing member of the SGroup association and member of the Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network UnILiON.

Logo EUA The European University Association has more than 800 members from 48 different countries. Via EUA working groups composed of representatives of the National Rectors Conference (NRC), VLIR in our case, Ghent University participates actively in the drafting of EUA position papers, policy papers and in EUA European policy events. More broadly, EUA's publications address topics that are of relevance for European research, education and innovation policy, institutional university policy and management.
Logo CESAER As the European association of leading specialised and comprehensive universities of science and technology, CESAER champions excellence in higher education, training, research and innovation; influences debate; contributes to the realisation of open knowledge societies; and delivers significant scientific, economic, social and societal impact. Three of the five core missions are to learn from each other, to influence policy-makers and funders to share European strategies, policies and funding programmes and to boost participation in European funding programmes.
Logo The Guild The Guild of European research intensive universities was created in 2016 and is composed of 21 members in 16 countries across Europe. The Guild is committed to the pursuit of excellence, the importance of truth-seeking and trust-building as the foundation of public life, and the creation of new knowledge for the benefit of society, culture, and economic growth.
Logo EUF The European University Foundation bonds 20 public universities in Europe that share a culture of academic excellence. EUF is in the forefront of European HE policy making since more than a decade, promoting high quality student mobility and a strong European Higher Education area, with a particular emphasis on the development of the Erasmus+ programme through participation in key projects.
Logo SGroup The SGroup network is composed of over 43 higher education institutions from 20 European countries and 5 countries outside Europe. With over 30 years of experience in university collaboration it focuses on four core areas of co-operation: internationalisation strategy, academic collaboration, academic mobility, and transfer of knowledge.
Logo Unilion UnILiON is an informal network of 50 liaison offices representing 156 excellent universities based in Europe, Japan and Russia. It offers a platform for exchange where the participants share information, nurture collaboration and act as information multipliers towards the represented organisations. The focus for the exchanges lies on the European Research Area policy developments and on Horizon Europe policies.
EUniverCities Network

The EUniverCities Network connects 13 medium sized cities and their universities – working in tandems – aiming to create more visibility for knowledge cities within Europe. The network aims to exchange and spread knowledge, expertise and experience about city-university cooperation across urban Europe. EUniverCities driving themes are urban planning, economy, culture, society, sustainability, life-long learning and teaching, effective governance of city-university cooperation, regional cooperation, internationalization and students.

More information

The following Ghent University colleagues are available for more information:

  • EUA
    • Education Policy: Andries Verspeeten, policy advisor and team lead Educational projects EU/International
    • Research & Innovation Policy: Wendy Sonneveld, senior policy advisor EU Affairs
  • CESAER
    • Education Policy: Andries Verspeeten, policy advisor and team lead Educational projects EU/International
    • Research & Innovation Policy: Wendy Sonneveld, senior policy advisor EU Affairs
  • The Guild
    • Education Policy: Andries Verspeeten, policy advisor and team lead Educational projects EU/International
    • Research & Innovation Policy: Hannes Brouckaert, policy advisor EU Affairs
  • EUF
  • SGroup
    • Barbara Claeys, policy advisor, Global Outreach and Project advisor Educational projects EU/International
  • UNILION
  • EUniverCities