With the new EUTOPIA EDGE project, the University of Ljubljana continues to be part of innovative projects that are set to transform European higher education
Bor Slana/STA
Date of publication:
At the beginning of July, the European Commission approved the EUTOPIA EDGE project, which represents the next phase of development of the EUTOPIA Alliance taking place within the flagship European Universities Initiative. The project, which is being co-financed by the European Commission to the tune of EUR 7.2 million, brings together ten universities, including the University of Ljubljana, and 20 associate partners from across Europe.
The future of European education strongly depends on the ability of higher education institutions to respond to global challenges with flexibility, innovation, and a focus on key skills and competencies. EUTOPIA EDGE is very well-placed to realise this objective. Proceeding from the previous successful EUTOPIA 2050 and MORE projects, EDGE will institutionally embed our partnership into an integrated, inclusive inter-university campus where innovation is part of everyday practice, while European linguistic and cultural diversity will represent a strategic advantage for promoting excellence and for strengthening European culture, creativity, employability and prosperity.
Over the course of two years, from December 2026 to November 2028, EUTOPIA EDGE will focus on four key areas:
- Integrating challenge-based learning into the overall educational offering
- Facilitating smoother mobility processes and tighter cooperation between participating universities
- Empowering students with the key skills (entrepreneurial, inter-cultural and systemic) that they need in a fast-changing world
- Strengthening partnerships with business and industry, public institutions and civil society so that education and research are better placed to respond to the serious social challenges that lie before us
The recently founded EUTOPIA College and EUTOPIA Global Institute will play a vital role in this process.
EUTOPIA College will function as a centre for joint educational provision, with an expansion of challenge-based forms of learning. The provision of joint subjects, study programmes and micro-credentials will ensure greater accessibility and strengthen the capacities of the inter-university campus.
EUTOPIA Global Institute will serve as the centre for social and technological innovation, the aim being to enhance the employability and professional development of academic and professional staff, provide management training, and bring together professional expertise in the field of research infrastructures. The institute will also encourage democratic and business resilience via training in the fields of enterprise and social innovation.
With its commitment to European values and science-based policy formulation, EUTOPIA EDGE will create an environment in which students and researchers can work closely with business and civil society to resolve social challenges.
EUTOPIA EDGE consolidates the University of Ljubljana’s overall identity by broadening and deepening the close collaboration model. By placing partnerships at the very heart of the universities themselves, we will ensure that the EUTOPIA Alliance remains globally competitive in education, research and innovation. For the University of Ljubljana and the entire Alliance, EUTOPIA EDGE represents a step towards proving that European universities can work together on a daily basis. Each university maintains its own identity and autonomy, at the same time creating opportunities that it would be unable to create on its own.
