IN CONVERSATION WITH
ALLAN GOODMAN AND JAN PALMOWSKI
By Cecilia Albè
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Jan Palmowski, Secretary-General of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, offering an insider's perspective on Europe’s collaborative vision, and Allan Goodman, President Emeritus of the Institute of International Education (IIE), who brings his transatlantic outlook following a decades-long leadership role in the field.
Their dialogue examines how European Universities Alliances are reshaping international collaboration – from institutional strategy to global engagement.
Secretary-General of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities
President Emeritus of the Institute of International Education (IIE)
In light of the extensive experience you both draw upon, how do European University Alliances (EUAs) fit into the historical development of international education over recent decades?
AG: Every place I travel in Europe, leaders are looking for connection. Over the past decade – even before COVID – higher education institution (HEIs) leaders sought partnerships not just with American institutions but also among themselves. I think alliances are very timely because we need to talk across borders and institutions.
JP: What's truly distinctive about this collaboration is its European context - the EU driving it not just with funding, but with a political framework. Unlike past initiatives like the Yale-UCL partnership that relied on institutional efforts, EUAs benefit from this sustained political framing and support.
What are the main advantages for institutions joining an alliance, and what challenges do they face?
JP: The key feature of EUAs is their stable framework for collaboration in teaching, research, and administration. The main challenge is transactional costs, as organising meetings, travel, and administration often exceeds funding. Sustainability depends on embedding transnational activities into core institutional offerings.
AG: Speaking as an outsider, I believe alliances offer stability and growth potential. They’re well-suited for today’s need for long-term collaboration beyond faculty-to-faculty exchanges. However, scaling requires aligning with institutions’ missions and capacities.
As a flagship EU initiative since 2019, how visible are the European Universities Initiative and its 65 alliances in US higher education circles?
AG: Frankly, they’re not on the American radar. To grow visibility in the US, alliances should engage with groups like the American Association of Universities or the American Association of Colleges & Universities. I believe the political time is right on both sides of the ocean for opening more dialogue. This is no mysterious EU project, but an organic network grown from more than 570 HEIs across all of Europe and beyond, not just ‘the traditional countries’. That's what makes it such a compelling framework for collaboration.
Why did EUAs capture leadership attention more than past Erasmus+ initiatives, and can this enthusiasm last?
JP: The alliances captured leadership attention because they began as a strategic project - aligning HEIs, finding partners, developing a shared vision. That's presidential-level work. Other initiatives within the Erasmus+ programme, while important, focus more on mobility or academic partnerships handled at other levels.
This initiative gives presidents direct engagement with EU policymakers, while letting the EU understand institutions more directly. The challenge is avoiding overburdening alliances with too many EU goals without proportional funding.
AG: It really makes a lot of sense because everything these days is about the political context. And it's not always been true in American international higher education. Here, we lack a national higher education strategy, so I envy the EU’s proactive role. Enthusiasm will last if alliances deliver tangible outcomes and communicate their value effectively.
Will institutions sustain alliances if EU funding declines?
JP: Current funding is a fraction of institutions’ budgets, so long-term viability requires member states to really take on their obligation to cut red tape and make life easier for HEIs in order for these initiatives to succeed (eg the new European Degree roadmap).
AG: In the US, collaborations survive without government support, but the EU’s investment is a game-changer and I hope future US administrations learn from this.
While aiming to strengthen European collaboration, could EUAs also enhance transatlantic cooperation? Or is there a risk they might isolate Europe from global higher education?
JP: I'm aware that many European university alliances have active international strategies precisely because they're concerned about becoming inward-looking. For example, my own University of Warwick is in the EUtopia alliance, whose global partners include Arizona State, Monash and Stellenbosch Universities. Other alliances have different international focuses – CIVICA prioritises African partnerships, for instance. Hence I'm really not concerned that alliances lead to Europe looking inwards. In fact, I see clear signs of the opposite. The key question is how the EU can support this while maintaining the initiative's European focus. How can something fundamentally designed for the EU remain relevant and genuinely open to international partners as equal contributors?
AG: Naturally, we want collaboration – the real question is how we structure this partnership. Should we pursue it piecemeal, institution by institution? Or work through an existing framework like the European alliances, where multiple American universities could engage systematically?
When considering the future of teaching and research, growth and innovation are essential. These transatlantic collaborations could be vital to that progress. That’s why ready-made alliances are so valuable – they spare us from reinventing the wheel, sailing across Europe to build connections city by city.
With many institutions not part of alliances, does this risk creating a two-tier system in the European Higher Education Area that challenges equity principles?
JP: Not yet. The initiative is still growing, and Erasmus+ offers alternatives for institutions to engage with the same sorts of ideas and principles. However, alliances require capacity – some HEIs may lack resources for deep collaboration.
Is Europe’s push for competitiveness seen as a threat in the US?
AG: I don’t think so. The US has room for more international students and thrives on competition. We all benefit from what higher education institutions and their scientists achieve. This work must be done collaboratively – through international strategies and connections. After a century of experience, we've learned how invaluable this is. It's become part of our DNA.
Looking ahead, what impact do you believe EUAs will have on European higher education in the next 5-10 years?
AG: In today's political climate, these alliances could help preserve science and learning. Both are fragile – easily destroyed or ignored through isolation. Europe and America have seen such dark periods before. Strong collaborations serve as our best vaccine against repeating these mistakes of our shared history.
JP: In a decade, alliances could transform international collaboration in innovative ways – if governments and Member States play along with that. They may redefine mobility's role in higher education and drive teaching innovation while strengthening research ties. Crucially, they must develop distinct visions and strengths – just as individual institutions do – without being overburdened with expectations. Hopefully we'll also better understand what truly enhances international collaboration versus what institutions do best alone. This ambitious experiment matters precisely because HEIs are typically risk-averse. With so many committed partners, we must have the courage to acknowledge failures, build on successes, and share these lessons globally.
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