Adding the EUTOPIA Layer

A Journey Towards a More Connected and Inclusive University

The dream of the EUTOPIA alliance, which VUB has been part of since 2019? To internationalise the existing curriculum and add a EUTOPIA layer to everything we do. Lize De Potter, EUTOPIA policy officer, gives us an update: “Today, staff and students come to us spontaneously to tell us how valuable their EUTOPIA experience has been. That never used to happen.”

EUTOPIA is an international alliance of ten universities within the European Universities Initiative. There are 64 alliances in total – and you keep track of all of them. What makes EUTOPIA stand out?
 
“In 2017, the European Commission launched the European Universities Initiative to make European higher education more competitive – to ensure Europe could keep up with higher education in China and the United States. At the same time, the Commission wanted to transform higher education so that it would embody a shared European identity. EUTOPIA started in 2019, alongside sixteen other alliances. We were among the first, which gave us a head start – both in time and in achievements.

What makes EUTOPIA unique is its approach. Many alliances have created entirely new programmes together. EUTOPIA deliberately chose not to do that. Instead, we wanted to internationalise the existing curriculum and add a EUTOPIA layer to it. There were two reasons for that. The first was practical: in 2019, the universities in our alliance didn’t yet know each other well enough. We didn’t have a shared history that would allow us to launch a joint degree straight away. The second reason was inclusivity. We’re convinced it’s much more inclusive to internationalise your entire curriculum than just one specific master’s. That way, you reach many more students – including those for whom an international exchange isn’t an obvious step.

At VUB, for example, we have many first-generation students. Their parents and grandparents often didn’t attend university. Going into higher education is already a big step for them. We make sure they can also gain international skills naturally, without having to make a big extra effort or go abroad.”

EUTOPIA internationalises existing education. It’s far more inclusive than a single joint master’s. It also reaches students for whom studying abroad isn’t self-evident

To what extent has VUB already been infused with that EUTOPIA layer?

“We have a lot of study programmes, so there’s still plenty of work ahead, but we’re proud of how far we’ve already come. Take the Connected Communities, for example. In these, we bring together professors with a strong record in active learning methods and their counterparts from partner universities. We support them in internationalising their teaching together. That can range from small group projects and short exchanges to guest lectures. We call these micro-internationalisation opportunities. They don’t require a huge time investment from students – you don’t have to spend an entire semester abroad, for instance. Besides joint teaching, we also encourage the Communities to explore opportunities for joint research. VUB is involved in most of these Communities, except when we don’t have a relevant subject or programme. In eight of them, we even take a leading role.”

Isn’t it more interesting to make Erasmus exchanges more accessible? The impact of spending a semester abroad – say, in Salamanca – must surely be greater than that of doing a group project with students from another university?

“An Erasmus exchange has a huge impact on a student’s personal development, I completely agree. But the impact on the curriculum and the content of the courses themselves is limited. Erasmus students often have separate classes and remain in their own Erasmus bubble. With EUTOPIA, the impact is felt across the entire university. You actually change your teaching offer. And because it’s so accessible, you reach far more students. Over the past six years, around 2,000 VUB students have taken part in EUTOPIA activities.”

Can you give a few examples of what happens in a Connected Community?
 
“Of course. In the Connected Community Legal History, Professor Frederik Dhondt asks his students – and those from the partner universities – to conduct research on a topic such as migration or minority rights. The students then come together for a week at one of the universities to present their findings. They’ve already met in Brussels, but also in Warwick and Paris. Students are always very enthusiastic about these experiences. They get to see first-hand how a topic like minority rights can mean something completely different in Spain than it does here.

Another example is Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Students from different universities design AI systems that can play computer games, then make them compete in a tournament. That Community takes place entirely online, but it’s still very cool.”

Are these projects also sustainable?
 
“That’s certainly the goal. When Jan Danckaert was Vice-Rector for Education, he and Caroline Pauwels developed a model for it. We still use that tool today when launching a Connected Community. In principle, each Community runs for two years. In the first semester, the partners get to know each other. Then they have half an academic year to develop their plans. The following academic year, they implement them, and during the final six months they review and adjust where needed.

The idea is that once a Connected Community has gone through this initial phase, it can stand on its own and become a lasting part of both teaching and research. Many of the earlier Communities have already proven that they can continue in the long term – provided there’s still a little financial support.”

EUTOPIA is about much more than just the Connected Communities. There’s also the Young Leaders Academy. Can you tell us more about that?

“This programme brings together early-career researchers from the partner universities who already show leadership potential. The idea is to connect people from very different disciplines and help them build an international network together. They also receive training on topics such as leadership skills. As a final project, the Young Leaders organise a symposium together. This year’s will take place soon in Venice and focuses on power dynamics in academia. The Young Leaders Academy is particularly valuable because many young researchers’ international networks are still limited to their own field.”

Do you feel that enthusiasm for EUTOPIA is growing?
 
“It happens more and more often these days that staff and students come to us spontaneously to tell us how valuable their EUTOPIA experience has been. That never used to happen. Back then, we had to go out and spread the word ourselves: ‘Have you heard of EUTOPIA?’ Now we sometimes even have to hold back. We want everyone to be involved with EUTOPIA, but resources are limited. It’s a constant balancing act between ambition and reality. We also sometimes hear that researchers already have established partners and want to continue working with them. Of course, that’s fine. If you already have a great collaboration, keep it going. But if you don’t – and that’s often the case for younger academics – then our message is simple: take a look at EUTOPIA.”

“We want everyone to be involved in EUTOPIA, but there are only so many resources. It’s a constant balancing act between ambition and reality”