News

EU Commission approved European Space University for Earth & Humanity

  • Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE)
    Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF)
    Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM)
    Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT)
    Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH)
    Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)
    University / Central Administration and Rectorate
    10 July 2020
  • Category
    Research, University
  • Topic
    Humanities, Life Sciences & Medicine

The University of Luxembourg is a partner in the project “European University – European Space University for Earth and Humanity” (UNIVERSEH), approved by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme.

The University of Luxembourg has joined forces with several institutions: Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (France), Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (Germany), Luleå Tekniska Universitet (Sweden) and Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. Stanisława Staszica Krakowie (Poland) to build a European University around the theme of “Space” in all its aspects (science, engineering, law, economy, social sciences and humanities, patents and innovation, entrepreneurship, medicine, art and culture). The project is coordinated by the University of Toulouse.

The UNIVERSEH project will contribute to the European education sphere, to the growth of employment and industry, to making the space sector more sustainable and to ensuring that the European Union remains a leader in this field.

To this end, it is essential to align the development of skills in higher education and research with the future needs of the labour market. The UNIVERSEH alliance will be able to draw on its expertise and its contacts with the space industry and European space institutes to offer study courses covering European needs in the space field. An advisory committee will be set up to interact closely with stakeholders.

Courses will be organised in subject-oriented modules to meet the needs of the industry. UNIVERSEH will train future employees and entrepreneurs in the space sector in Europe.

European Universities are transnational alliances that prefigure the universities of the future, and promote the European values and identity.

“We are delighted by the approval of the UNIVERSEH project by the European Commission. It is an ambitious project highlighting the international character of our university. Together with the associated universities, we are establishing a strong and well-connected partnership with the space industry and European space institutes. It will help strengthen our position in higher education and research relating to space, a strategic sector for Luxembourg,” says Prof. Stéphane Pallage, Rector of the University of Luxembourg.

The UNIVERSEH project will be funded by the European Commission under a call for pilot projects of the Erasmus+ programme. A financing agreement is in preparation.

Mobility of staff and students will be a fundamental component of the project. Very ambitious targets for increased mobility are set for the first three years of the project. These will be achieved through a variety of actions, linked by the creation of an online mobility platform specifically designed for students, researchers and staff. This will encourage the creation of a UNIVERSEH network where students, staff and researchers of member universities can share their experiences. Actions to raise awareness of mobility in Europe will also be developed.

The UNIVERSEH project aims to develop innovative pedagogical approaches and a common European culture through the sharing of skills and best practices. This will enable us to offer interdisciplinary programmes. It is essential, for example, that students in the humanities and social sciences have access to an overview of space sciences and engineering and vice-versa.

UNIVERSEH is committed to promote inclusive education and gender equality, including people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, people of immigrant background and those with disabilities. Particular attention will be paid to the mobility of these people without distinction so that they have the opportunity to study, train and learn abroad.

For more information on the European Universities, please consult the page presenting the scheme here.