Why European Universities matter - part 3

Focusing on the University of Lausanne's involvement in CIVIS, we explore how European Universities are transforming higher education by fostering strategic international collaboration in education and research while advancing student mobility. In this four-part series, we highlight how these alliances are promoting innovative educational offers and mobility formats.

Focus: A strategic approach to mobility 

European University alliances provide a platform for institutions to develop innovative mobility programmes, ranging from short-term exchanges to long-term academic experiences. By fostering collaboration and experimentation, they play a key role in shaping the future of learning and international cooperation. In this article, we explore how the University of Lausanne’s participation in CIVIS is driving the development of Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) and transdisciplinary Joint Master’s Programmes.

Article will be published soon. 

ETH Zurich has been a member of the ENHANCE Alliance since 2022. This collaboration with leading European technical universities enables the development of innovative mobility opportunities for students and promotes international experience in interdisciplinary areas such as sustainability and inclusion. 

The University of Zurich has been part of the Una Europa alliance since May 2022. This cooperation with European research universities promotes innovative teaching methods and strengthens its presence in the European education and research landscape.

UNIL in CIVIS 

The University of Lausanne (UNIL) has been part of the European CIVIS Alliance since 2022 with a clear objective: to create innovative study and research programmes focused on global societal challenges.  CIVIS offers a diverse range of mobility opportunities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and transnational learning. Among these formats, UNIL offers its students Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) for a more inclusive mobility experience as well as a Joint Master's programme that opens up particularly interesting career prospects for young people.

“CIVIS represents a major advancement in European collaboration, uniting education and research across borders, cultures, and languages. By developing academic programmes through partnerships among diverse European universities, CIVIS offers a global perspective and transformative opportunities for students, academic staff, and administrators alike. The array of exchange opportunities provided by CIVIS ensures that our entire community can engage with and benefit from this exciting initiative.”

Prof. Frédéric Herman, Rector of the University of Lausanne

The alliance as a platform for piloting Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs)

Through its active participation in the CIVIS Alliance, UNIL has positioned itself as a frontrunner in promoting Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) as a flexible mobility format. These hybrid courses, developed with at least three CIVIS universities, foster participatory approaches and break down academic silos, encouraging cross-disciplinary learning. BIP also provide flexible mobility opportunities for students, especially those unable to participate in traditional semester-long exchanges. Notably, over 80% of BIP participants had no prior international experience.

Blended Intensive Programmes combine a short-term physical mobility abroad with a compulsory virtual component facilitating collaborative learning exchange. They are brief, intensive programmes that employ innovative teaching and learning methods.

“BIP constitute the perfect pedagogical format to explore and increase participatory approaches where students, academics and external stakeholders can tackle together the local societal challenges.” […] “BIP foster international collaboration, allowing Swiss institutions to connect with a diverse range of partner universities as well as non-academic stakeholders.” 

Prof. Céline Rozenblat, BIP "Healthy Urban Systems" coordinator

Beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries: Joint Master’s Programmes 

Participating in the CIVIS Alliance enables UNIL to develop new transdisciplinary educational programmes that tackle global challenges like climate change and environmental sustainability. These challenges require new approaches that transcend traditional academic boundaries as they do not fit neatly into established disciplines. One example is the Joint Master’s Programme "Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment and Energy", coordinated by Prof. Pietro de Anna and jointly implemented with colleagues from partner universities. Such programmes provide a rich environment for collaboration among European faculty members and students from diverse backgrounds, enhancing both pedagogical approaches and academic curricula. The international recognition of these degrees makes graduates more competitive in the job market.

“Climate change and ecological crises do not fit into classical, disciplinary boxes: an innovative strategy requires a transdisciplinary approach to support universities to act as agents of transformation and respond to these societal challenges.”

Prof. Pietro de Anna, Joint Master in "Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment and Energy" coordinator

CIVIS2 is the joint project of the CIVIS alliance, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme and the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ over four years (2022-2026). The project focuses on sustainably increasing mobility, pooling resources and strengthening cooperation through common education and research agendas.

Illustrative examples

1// Blended Intenstive Programme Healthy Urban Systems: In partnership with the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Aix-Marseille University and the University of Salzburg, the BIP aims to help students and health professionals, urban planners, stakeholders and communities to improve their systemic approach to urban health.

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