EUA sets out essential steps for stability and sustainability of university alliances
European university alliances need to align their members' missions as well as sustainable funding and effective leadership for them to "become stable and durable components of Europe’s higher education landscape", the European Universities Association (EUA
European University Association
) says in a strategic briefing published on 16/02/2026.
The document, titled “Strategies for the financial sustainability of European Universities alliances”, was authored by Enora Bennetot Pruvot and Thomas Estermann, respectively Deputy Director and Director of Governance, Funding and Public Policy Development at EUA.
It proposes a comprehensive model for the financial sustainability of alliances and gives recommendations for a long-term vision.
The EUA’s new framework suggests that financial sustainability cannot be achieved solely through accounting measures. Instead, it identifies institutional purpose and added value as the essential foundation for any successful long-term cooperation. To move toward this goal, the briefing identifies four key pillars that must shape the organisational and financial viability of these alliances:
• a clear understanding of the full costs;
• income diversification;
• efficiency and effectiveness;
• leadership and governance.
The shift in focus comes as the sector recognises that alliances “cannot remain dependent on short-term project grants and need to gain a clearer understanding of costs, value and funding responsibilities”.
Sharpening strategic profiles
A central takeaway for university leaders is the need for alliances to clearly define their role within the broader academic ecosystem. For Estermann, this is a matter of both strategy and recognition.
“Much like universities themselves, many European university alliances see a need to sharpen their strategic profile to ensure strong recognition among partners, funders and the communities they serve,” Estermann notes.
The wider funding landscape
The briefing also calls for a more "structured reflection" on how financial responsibilities are shared between member states and the European Union. The EUA maintains that the financial health of an alliance is inseparable from the broader economic conditions of the continent’s higher education systems.
As the briefing states, “the financial sustainability of alliances cannot be understood in isolation from the structural conditions of higher education funding in Europe”. By situating alliances within this wider public funding landscape, the EUA hopes to trigger a more realistic discussion regarding sustainable support at both national and European levels.
Evidence-based recommendations
The findings are grounded in a 2024 survey titled “Financially sustainable universities,” which collected data from 168 higher education institutions across Europe. Of those surveyed, 98 were already active members of alliances, providing a robust empirical foundation for the EUA's conceptual framework.
This briefing is the second in a series designed to help university leaders navigate an increasingly "complex and challenging financial environment". It follows a previous report from April 2025 on general institutional resilience, signalling a continued effort by the EUA to provide a roadmap for the future of European research and education.
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