"Our approaches could contribute to the Union of Skills"

What led you to meet VP Vice-president Roxana Minzatu Executive Vice-president for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness @ European Commission
's cabinet this time?

One of the main points of the discussion was one of our flagship initiatives as part of the network's 40^th anniversary: the Durham Declaration. This was signed by all the university presidents who are members of the Coimbra Group at the Climate Symposium in Durham in March 2025. This declaration is not just about raising awareness of climate change; it is also accompanied by a concrete roadmap, with actions currently being implemented.

The aim is to mobilise the 42 member universities and their students, and to implement a whole series of commitment actions in the field of climate protection and sustainability. We are now bringing together the universities' strategic plans, the actions and initiatives they have already taken on campus to promote sustainable development. We are also preparing to present these at COP30 in Brazil next October.

In the process of setting up a partnership with the Unep »

As soon as we started communicating about this declaration, we received some very interesting feedback from various stakeholders. For example, the European Commission's DG Directorate-General Climate. We are also in the process of setting up a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep United Nations Environment Programme ), which wants to launch a programme of concrete actions with a focal point in each of the world's major geographical areas, and it would be the Coimbra Group that would play this role for Europe.

Another historic pillar of our network is the Poitiers Declaration, which dates back to 2016. It aimed to anchor universities in their local ecosystems. In Poitiers (France), we brought together both university presidents and the mayors of the towns in which they are located, to highlight the many benefits of structuring this city-university cooperation: urban planning, mobility, sustainable development, etc.

Today, it is clear that universities' environmental responsibility (Durham) and social responsibility (Poitiers) are two sides of the same coin.

What is your objective when sharing this with the Commission?

These two declarations are becoming structuring initiatives for our members, and we wanted to take stock of this with the Commission. We hope that these initiatives will inspire or fuel concrete political action.

Almost everywhere in Europe, there is a strong desire to integrate sustainability into student training. This involves sharing good practice and translating it to suit each country, even if the concepts remain common. These approaches could contribute to some of the objectives of the Union of Skills. In this way, we are providing the Commission with concrete examples, and in return, we also hope that the broad policy guidelines take account of the realities on the ground.

The Twin Transitions are more necessary than ever »

This led to an open discussion on current priorities, in particular the relative retreat in political discourse on the Twin Transitions - digital and ecological - which were central under the previous College. Yet they are more necessary than ever.

"The European Competitiveness Fund, why not?"

You recently welcomed three new universities, two of them British. Have you had any discussions with the Commission about recent developments towards a new collaboration between the EU and the UK United Kingdom on education?

Yes, we discussed the future of the UK-EU partnership under Erasmus+. Currently, schemes such as the Youth Experience Scheme are under discussion between the two parties. They respond in part to a number of university needs and political objectives, but the fact remains that without the UK's association with Erasmus+, research and education are not given the same level of importance.

This does not replace full integration into European university alliances  »

The discussions surrounding the UK's association with Erasmus remain complex, especially in financial terms. It remains an unresolved issue, but our network is resilient: for over 25 years, we have had a Student Exchange Network, which enables internal bilateral exchanges between our British and European members, even outside Erasmus+. However, this does not replace full integration into European university alliances, nor does it allow staff mobility.

That's why we wanted to reiterate that, even in terms of European values, we would prefer the UK to remain associated with Europe rather than turning towards the United States or other geographical regions.

Some of the next steps will be taken under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the future Erasmus+ programme, FP10, the European Competitiveness Fund, etc.

What is the outcome of your discussions with the cabinet on the budget for 2028-2034?

Even though announcements are scheduled for 16/07, discussions will continue for many months. We have to bear in mind that the real decisions will not be taken until the end of 2027, with at least 18 months of negotiations ahead.

The 42 universities of the Coimbra Group are distinguished by their holistic approach: they do not focus solely on education or research, but on the whole range of university missions - what we call the Square of Knowledge.

Mechanisms must remain faithful to the principles of the university mission  »

Our message to political decision-makers is that whatever mechanisms are put in place (European Competitiveness Fund, Erasmus+, FP10, etc.), we must preserve the fundamental synergy between education and research and aim to simplify it, which we have been talking about for years. If mechanisms such as the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) can make things smoother and simpler, why not? But they must remain faithful to the founding principles of the university mission.

When it comes to innovation, we also need to keep an eye on the social dimension, not just the technological one. Technological innovation without social appropriation can become problematic, as we have seen with social media. We can have the best technologies, but if the people behind them do not understand or use them in inappropriate ways, we will once again be heading for disaster. This is also the vision that we have defended through the Research Matters campaign, which calls on the EU and European governments to strengthen funding for research and innovation: we need to preserve a space for all disciplines, and for interdisciplinary innovation.

Another risk is that the MFF will not live up to our ambitions »

Another risk is that the MFF will not live up to our ambitions, and we have been preparing for this for weeks. We can have the best instruments in the world, but if they are not properly funded, they will not be effective and will not have the desired impact. Ultimately, this comment applies whether or not there is a new ECF. What matters is the size of the budget and, above all, the commitment of the EU and its Member States to maintaining strong funding for research in all its dimensions.