Establishing the First European University Alliance in Music

NMH, along with seven other partners, has been awarded 8.64 million euros over four years by the European Commission and Erasmus+ to establish a European Universities Alliance (EUA).

Narrow Selection Process

The selection process for this year's grant allocation has been highly competitive, with only seven new alliances receiving support.

IN.TUNE is being established to address the challenges higher music education faces and the music and cultural sector face. Rapid technological developments and changes in the conditions for artists require educational institutions to explore how they can provide programs that prepare students for a constantly evolving professional life.

"All experiences, including the collaboration on the EUA application, demonstrate that we share many of the same challenges as other European institutions. It is beneficial to work together to create new opportunities in teaching, artistic development, and research," stated principal Astrid Kvalbein.

She emphasized the significant differences among educational institutions from Belgrade and Bucharest to Barcelona and Vienna, Helsinki and Oslo. She viewed the collaboration as an additional potential for learning and sharing.

One of the ideas behind the alliance is that music and art have qualities that can play a role in a world facing global challenges such as geopolitical instability and climate change while also influencing awareness of diversity, inclusion, and equality.

"Together, we will develop our attitudes and practices while also playing a significant role in the development of higher music education," said the principal.

IN.TUNE will initially develop structures for music education institutions to collaborate on study programs, mobility, research, and development.

"Through IN.TUNE, we can also build upon the excellent work we have carried out in CEMPE over the past ten years," concluded Astrid Kvalbein.

• Purpose: The European Universities Initiative aims to promote collaboration and networking among higher education institutions across Europe to create alliances, foster innovation, mobility, and the exchange of knowledge and best practices. The initiative also aims to promote joint degree programs and curricula while strengthening connections with society.
• Funding: The initiative receives financial support from the EU's Erasmus+ program. Funds are allocated to selected university alliances to support their joint activities, projects, and initiatives.
• Alliances: With this grant, the number of alliances in the EU increases to 50. The following year is the final application round for new alliances, intending to reach 60 alliances.
• Pilot Phase: The initiative started with a pilot phase in 2019, where 17 alliances were selected to implement and test the concept of European universities. After the success of the pilot phase, several calls for proposals have been launched to expand the initiative and support more alliances in subsequent steps.