The European Reform University Alliance (ERUA), an alliance of 8 European universities located in different geographical locations, opens a new chapter in its history: on 11-12 December, MRU will open its doors to a new generation of universities. The first meeting of the Alliance's members took place in Las Palmas Gran Canaria on 11 November, marking the start of a more integrated and efficient higher education system.

During intensive discussions, ERUA member universities debated and agreed on the first steps towards the creation of an innovative and integrated academic space, where a student-centred education system will contribute to and foster the creation of an open and inclusive society. It also focused on the possibilities of increasing mobility facilities through the introduction of a virtual campus, the establishment of joint degree programmes, the creation of academic innovation laboratories, research clusters and the co-development of social entrepreneurship concepts. There was unanimous agreement among all universities that these initiatives will directly enhance the competitiveness of European higher education and contribute more effectively to global challenges.

According to the Rector, Prof. Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, ERUA member universities are collectively committed to fostering an inclusive, experimental, innovative and socially-oriented learning environment. This alliance is particularly strong in the humanities, social sciences and the arts and this will enable it to develop a creative approach to higher education and research and contribute to the reform of higher education. MRU will lead one of the Alliance's key areas of focus - the development of research-based clusters.

"We aim to be a role model for other higher education institutions and to fully fulfil the mission of universities in tackling the great social challenges of our time," says MRU Rector.

The ERUA initiative focuses on students, who will be involved in all the activities of the Alliance network, by involving them in the governance structures and encouraging them to be ambassadors of ERUA's ideas and reformist approaches in society.

ERUA brings together 8 universities from different European countries in the East, West, North and South: Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), University of Paris 8 (France), University of the Aegean (Greece), Bulgarian University - NBU (Bulgaria), SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland), University of Gran Canaria - ULPGC (Spain), University of Macerata (Italy), European University Viadrina (Germany).