International Affairs
© Benjamin Eckert

About ENHANCE

ENHANCE is an alliance consisting of ten universities of technology with a strong focus on innovation and research. Coordinated by Technische Universität Berlin, Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), RWTH Aachen (Germany), Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain) and Warsaw University of Technology (Poland) have formed an alliance to lay the foundation for a European University. In a second stage, TU Delft (Netherlands), Gdańsk University of Technology (Poland) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland) have joined the alliance.

More than 300,000 students study at the ten partner universities. Half of the nearly 65,000 total staff, work in academic and research areas. Over 4,400 students and staff have already taken part in exchange programs between the founding seven partner universities in the years before the alliance.

Through close cooperation, ENHANCE aims to develop new innovative concepts to responsibly address the challenges of tomorrow and sustainably advance digital and social transformation. The aim of the initiative is to enable unrestricted mobility of students, researchers and staff and to strengthen close networking with society at all levels. Digital infrastructures will enable automatic credit transfer and strengthen networking between European universities.

Partner

 

TU Delft (Niederlande)

Chalmers University of Technology (Schweden)

ETH Zürich (Schweiz)

Gdańsk University of Technology (Polen)

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norwegen)

Politecnico di Milano (Italien)

RWTH Aachen (Deutschland)

Universitat Politècnica de València (Spanien)

Warsaw University of Technology (Polen) 

All partner universities in the ENHANCE Alliance regard themselves as technical universities with a great social responsibility. They have been working together successfully in various formats prior to the creation of ENHANCE and now intend to intensify this cooperation.

Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi), the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) are three long-standing strategic partners of TU Berlin. Together with NTNU and WUT, TU Berlin offers double degree programs in computer science and engineering.

PoliMi, Chalmers and RWTH have already been cooperating in the IDEA League for several years. RWTH is an important partner for TU Berlin in the Germany-wide TU9 network. Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), one of the most attractive target universities in the ERASMUS program, is also represented in the ENHANCE Alliance. For many students of TU Berlin, UPV is a university of choice for a stay abroad.

TU Berlin and PoliMi already work together in the Alliance4Tech network to facilitate the organization of such an exchange and the subsequent recognition of academic achievements in the future.ENHANCE thus benefits from the diverse experience and trust of its partners and unites old and new acquaintances for a common, ambitious goal.

From 2023, the network will be strengthened by the three new partner universities - TU Delft, Gdańsk University of Technology and ETH Zurich. Together, all ten universities will be beneficiaries from their joined expertise and knowledge.

ENHANCE is supported by 30 associated partners from across Europe.

Background

The European Universities Initiative developed out of a highly regarded speech given by the French president Emmanuel Macron at Sorbonne University in Paris in 2017. In its conclusions of December 2017, the European Council then called on Member States, the Council and the Commission to establish a number of initiatives, including:

“… strengthening strategic partnerships across the EU between higher education institutions and encouraging the emergence by 2024 of some twenty 'European Universities', consisting in bottom-up networks of universities across the EU which will enable students to obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries and contribute to the international competitiveness of European universities”.

The answer to this is the European Universities Initiative, developed together with higher education institutions, student organizations, Member States and the Commission. It is now one of the EU's flagship initiatives in its efforts to build a European Education Area.

In its coalition agreement, the state of Berlin also emphasizes its intention to further strengthen the cooperation of Berlin's universities with international partners and to develop Berlin "into one of the most important business and technology hubs in Europe."

ENHANCE, supported in its vision of a European university by local and European policy, intends to contribute to the further growing together of Europe.

At university level ENHANCE reflects the goals and measures derived from TU Berlin's International Strategy. ENHANCE initiates processes across TU Berlin to facilitate international exchange, including outside of the alliance, and aims to further sensitize and activate existing structures for internationalization. Existing cooperation with strategic partners in Europe will be intensified and new contacts established. This also increases the visibility of TU Berlin in European competition.

A declared goal of ENHANCE is to further increase student mobility and to make TU Berlin more attractive for foreign students. This includes a commitment to multilingualism at the university in research, teaching and administration; new forms of mobility and learning; and responsibility for a diverse university with equal opportunities.

Funding

Within the framework of Erasmus+, a pilot program for the promotion of European university networks was launched by the EU Commission. In the second round of the European Universities Initiative (EUI), the ENHANCE alliance received grant funding totaling 5 million euros, initially for a period of three years. Work in the alliance began in November 2020, and in February 2023 the now ten alliance partners applied for follow-up funding within the EUI. In July 2023, the European Commission announced further funding for ENHANCE in the amount of 14.4 million euros for another four years.

In addition to the EU initiative, the DAAD supports German universities in the alliance with implementing the planned measures through a national accompanying program.

Furthermore, ENHANCE receives additional funding from Horizon 2020 for its ENHANCERIA project focused on supporting research.

The funds will be used primarily to create structures for implementing the planned activities and to increase mobility and cooperation between the partner universities.

Governance

The governance structures in ENHANCE are designed to be participatory and include all status groups: students, administrative staff, junior scholars and professors. This encourages extensive participation, commitment and identification with ENHANCE. Decision-making processes are democratic and characterized by openness and mutual respect.

Vision

ENHANCE – the European University of Technology to build the European Education Area

The aim is to establish a European education area by improving infrastructures at the universities in order to increase their attractiveness for students. The design of "One Campus" is intended to enable unrestricted mobility for all participants. With the help of a common course offer students will be able to choose courses throughout the partner network. The recognition of academic credits will be automatic, thus creating the necessary flexibility for individual education pathways.

ENHANCE – a University Alliance which empowers people

An inclusive education model based on European values is being developed in a participatory process. Students, researchers and society will be empowered to use science and technology to develop innovative and sustainable ideas and to face the challenges of the future. With the introduction of microcredentials, i.e. small teaching units, more social groups will be enabled to further their education and to engage with new technologies. 

ENHANCE – a European University of Technology which is an integral part of society

Exchange with industry, politics and society at all levels is an important aspect of ENHANCE activities. The support of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship plays a central role. As participants of the Transdisciplinary Project Catalyst, students and researchers form teams with municipalities and industry partners, as well as other European networks on the pilot topics of climate protection, digitalization and sustainable cities.

Topics

© Philipp Arnoldt

One Campus

The establishment of a common transnational campus, the "One Campus," is one of the core objectives of ENHANCE. This creates the framework for unrestricted mobility for students between the partner universities.

Architectural modular construction system © Philipp Arnoldt

Innovation

ENHANCE is also committed to greater sustainability in the transfer of knowledge to application and innovation. Sustainable entrepreneurship and green innovation are guiding principles.

© Alexander Rentsch

Teaching & Learning

The ENHANCE partner universities have set themselves the goal of developing a common European strategy for teaching.

Main entrance of the main building of the Technische Universität Berlin © TU Berlin

Diversity

Diversity and gender equality are both aspects that need to be further strengthened, especially at universities of technology. ENHANCE is committed to further mainstreaming these issues.

Research associate at the microscopy of 3D bioprinted structures © Felix Noak

Research & Society

ENHANCE aims to influence how we research. The alliance focuses on involving society in research projects and is committed to the idea of a quadruple helix of science, business, politics and society.

ENHANCE@TU Berlin

ENHANCE is a large international undertaking that requires the cooperation of many colleagues at all partner universities. Since ENHANCE aims to initiate changes in many areas of the university and addresses all status groups, more and more departments and institutions of the TU Berlin will gradually be involved in the activities of the alliance. Only with this support the implementation of the several work packages can succeed. TU Berlin's participation in the European Alliance is coordinated by the Department of International Affairs.