“Research and innovation now play a more central role than ever in shaping the future of the European Union. This gives us the opportunity to make our voice heard not only in higher education, but also on key issues such as digital innovation, health policy and international strategies.” These are the words of Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, the network that brings together some of Europe's leading research-intensive universities and is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its foundation this year.
Established in 2016 by nine universities, including the University of Bologna, The Guild has grown to include twenty-three universities from seventeen European countries, all recognised for the excellence of their research and teaching. Over the years, the network has helped ensure that universities have a strong voice in the European debate. Today, The Guild is a recognised interlocutor for the institutions in Brussels on issues ranging from research and higher education to academic freedom and international cooperation.
Over the past decade, however, much has changed both in the world of universities and within the European institutions themselves. We spoke with Jan Palmowski about the history of The Guild, its challenges and achievements, its international outlook and the opportunities that lie ahead.
How was The Guild founded, and why was there a need for a network of European universities?
The Guild was founded ten years ago, in 2016, at a time when European research programmes were becoming increasingly important, both because of the scale of their funding and because of their growing influence on the way universities conduct research and innovation. As a result, many universities felt the need to have a stronger presence in Brussels and to make their voices heard directly in discussions with the European institutions. The Guild emerged from this context, with the aim of representing research-intensive universities directly and contributing to the development of European policies.
What distinguishes The Guild from other university networks?
From the outset, we wanted to represent universities that are strongly research-oriented while maintaining a broad and comprehensive vision of knowledge. The diversity of institutions, from across all parts of Europe, and the comprehensive nature of our universities allow The Guild to cover the full range of disciplines, from science and medicine to technology, the humanities and the social sciences. This means that we can bring different perspectives to the European debate and help ensure that areas which often receive less visibility in policymaking processes are also represented. In addition, over the years we have developed a strong capacity to collaborate with other European university networks, joining our voices together and creating productive synergies. Finally, over the past few years we have developed a close collaboration with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), providing distinctive policy input and supporting 22 Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence.
How does The Guild contribute to shaping European research policy?
Our main role is to act as a bridge between the research community and policymakers. We maintain an ongoing dialogue with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, bringing the perspectives of researchers and universities directly into policy discussions. We do this through position papers, working groups and discussions on emerging issues such as research security and dual-use research. In recent years, we have also worked closely with other organisations across the sector to put forward common proposals for the future direction of European research and innovation programmes.
Among the European policies affecting universities, Erasmus+ also plays an important role, although it may seem more distant from the world of research. How does The Guild engage with it?
This is an issue on which The Guild's member universities have been very clear from the beginning: universities exist because of their students, and it is impossible to think about scientific excellence without also considering education from a European and international perspective. For this reason, The Guild has consistently advocated strengthening both Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. Our strong commitment to the European Universities alliances is further evidence of this. We believe that research and education are deeply interconnected and should be supported together through EU policies.
Academic freedom is also one of The Guild's core priorities. How does it connect with the network's broader work?
Without academic freedom, universities cannot fully fulfil their mission. It is a principle that has been part of our founding vision from the very beginning, and one that has become increasingly important over the years, more than we might have anticipated. We have witnessed several situations that have placed academic freedom under pressure, both within Europe and beyond, making it even clearer how essential it is to defend it. At the moment, we are heavily engaged with discussions around the European Research Area Act, an important legislative initiative that aims to strengthen academic freedom through European legislation. In addition, we organise an annual Academic Freedom Lecture and contribute to the Academic Freedom Monitor supported by the European Parliament.
Looking ahead, what are The Guild's main priorities?
In the short term, our work will focus heavily on the development of the next generation of European programmes: the new Horizon Europe 2028–2034 programme, the next Erasmus+ programme and the future Global Europe programme dedicated to international cooperation. These decisions will have a major impact on European universities, and we want to contribute to ensuring that these programmes provide the strongest possible support for research, education and global collaboration. At the same time, we will continue strengthening the partnership between The Guild and ARUA, so that we fulfil our commitment that our research collaborations with African partners are sustainable, equitable, and build capacity for the long term.
And beyond the next few years?
Education, research and innovation have never been more central to European strategies for competitiveness and development. This creates new opportunities, but it also requires universities to play an increasingly active role in the major political debates shaping the future of Europe. Through The Guild, we can therefore make our voice heard not only in higher education, but also in broader discussions about international partnerships, competitiveness, digitalisation, and the future direction of the European Union.
