The OpenEU alliance, coordinated by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), brings together the leading European open and distance universities joining forces with on-campus universities engaged in their digital transformations.

OpenEU is working to create the pan-European Open University that is learner-centred, inclusive, digital and green.

The Rectors of 10 member universities of the European Alliance, OpenEU, have met in Barcelona to discuss the final details of the proposal to be submitted by February 6 at the Erasmus+ call European Universities.

During the meeting, which was held at the UOC campus in Barcelona on January 25th-26th, the Rectors signed the renewed OpenEU Joint Mission Statement, the commitment at the highest institutional level for the common mission, vision and goals of the Alliance.

In addition to the Rectors, the meeting was also attended by the representatives of the universities that have been working directly on the proposal and on the definition and construction of the work plan.

DU rector Arvīds Barševskis has emphasized: “We see the need for more rapid digital transformation, as well as the importance of our role in providing higher education accessible for all, especially in times when we need to reskill and upskill most of our society. Daugavpils University acknowledges its challenges and strategically plans to improve its internal processes to foster more inclusive, more accessible and market related and oriented higher education, that must be equally available for all – that is also the core idea of the OpenEU alliance.”

For the UOC Rector and President of the Alliance, Àngels Fitó, “This is the time for the Open European University. As it recently has been proven with covid outbreak, digital learning can adapt better and faster to the constantly changing circumstances in our society and to a fast-changing labour market”.

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The core members of the OpenEU Alliance are the eight leading online, open and distance universities, alongside with two on-campus universities: Bifröst University, Iceland; Daugavpils University, Latvia; FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany; Hellenic Open University, Greece; Open Universiteit, the Netherlands; Open University of Cyprus; Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain; Universidade Aberta, Portugal; Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain, and St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Together with 17 associated partners among universities, networks, civil society and industrial and business associations, OpenEU will work to strengthen the digital and inclusive dimension of the European Higher Education Area.