On June 28, 2024, the fifth competition in the Erasmus+ European Universities program was decided, resulting in the selection of 14 new university consortia. Nine Polish universities were added to the list of European Universities, and the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów is one of three non-public universities in this group. The SUNRISE project will be implemented by UITM and eight other universities.

The European Universities Initiative is the European Union’s flagship program in the field of higher education. Its main task is to support the creation of a network (alliances) of European universities that cooperate in the areas of didactics, student and staff mobility, cooperation with the socio-economic environment, initiating joint research projects, and creating a kind of common „university brand.”

The SUNRISE project will include UITM in the family of European universities involved in promoting European ideas in education and research. Together with several universities from Europe, we will shape model cooperation for the development of local communities in the spirit of sustainable development. The beneficiaries of the project are students, university employees, and the UITM environment, emphasizes Dr. Hab. Agata Jurkowska-Gomułka, Prof. UITM, Vice-Rector of UITM for Science and International Cooperation. The Vice-Rector also adds: There are currently 64 university alliances in the European Union, including 32 universities from Poland. UITM is the only university in this group from Podkarpacie, as well as one of only four non-public universities.

This is excellent news for our students and university candidates. Their learning, even more than before, will draw on the experience of a multinational group of teachers and practitioners. A huge opportunity is also associated with the possibilities of foreign internships and research projects carried out among our new European partners, adds the Rector of UITM, Dr. Hab. Andrzej Rozmus, Prof. UITM.

Who creates and what the SUNRISE project is about

The „Smaller (strategic) Universities Network for Regional Innovative and Sustainable Evolution – SUNRISE” Alliance has nine partners, most of which are technical universities with extensive experience in research programs, including the Horizon Europe program. These are:

– TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET ILMENAU – Ilmenau, Germany – LEADER

– EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY – Nicosia, Cyprus

– POLITICAL INSTITUTE OF VIANA DE CASTELO – Viana de Castelo, Portugal

– LIBERA UNIVERSITA DI BOLZANO – Bolzano, Italy

– MALARDALENS UNIVERSITET – Västerås, Sweden

– UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE – Ancona, Italy

– UNIVERSITE DE TECHNOLOGIE DE COMPIEGNE – Compiegne, France

– UNIVERZITET DZEMAL BIJEDIC U MOSTARU – Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

–  UNIVERSITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT IN RZESZÓW – Poland

Local partners include Dolina Lotnicza, MARR Mielec, PCI, Project Management Institute, and IT – Wirtualis sp. z o.o., as well as more than 50 other institutions and organizations from all over Europe.

The main activities of the SUNRISE project are:

– creating joint curricula in cooperation with partners

– cooperation in the field of mobility and student internships

– creating an offer as part of „lifelong learning,” including the development of a micro-credential system

– a common educational platform for teaching and administrative staff of partner universities

– cooperation in the field of joint research projects

– exchanging experiences and establishing contacts with the economic environment

What is the idea of European Universities

In the latest fifth competition, emphasis was placed on building a community of practitioners that will strengthen the synergy of universities belonging to alliances by exchanging experiences, knowledge, and models of functioning. Each of them will receive more than 14 million euros for four years to achieve their goals. From the autumn of 2024, European Universities will already connect 560 higher education institutions from 35 countries, and the total number of partners (including non-governmental organizations, businesses, local authorities) will be 2200.

The European Universities initiative was created as a result of the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron. The aim of the initiative is to stimulate cooperation between Old Continent universities, increase the international competitiveness of higher education from Europe, and promote European values in the world. From Europe and promoting European values in the world.

More about European Universities: erasmusplus.org.pl