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ECIU University explainer

ECIU University is an alliance of 12 universities, where learners from around the world work with teachers, researchers, organizations, communities and businesses to solve real-life challenges, build connections, develop new skills, and make a societal impact.

CHALLENGES learning opportunities where you collaborate with stakeholders to find solutions to real challenges faced by businesses, institutions and communities.

CHALLENGE-BASED LEARNING a learning model where you study by tackling real-life problems – with a focus on critical thinking, creativity and soft skills development. It gives learners more autonomy over their studies and helps prepare for their future career.

MICRO-MODULES short courses that help learners develop new soft and hard skills, broaden their perspectives and prepare for upcoming challenges.

MICRO-CREDENTIALS digital, e-sealed and tamper-proof records of courses you successfully finish at ECIU University. They can be stored and shared online.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING PATHWAYS a learning model where the students decide on their own learning path and process, based on their goals.

ECIU UNIVERSITY
IN NUMBERS*

493 learning opportunities from 12 ECIU members published in the Engage platform.
30% of them are Challenges, 70% - Micro-modules.
More than 7100 participations and 3300 participants in the learning opportunities.
More than 2500 micro-credentials issued.
More than 350 teamchers, teachers that facilitated teams in Challenges.
More than 3600 teachers trained in CBL workshops.
More than 1300 researchers in the ECIU University R&I Hub.

* January 2023 - September 2025

Increasing interest

A new wind is blowing within the University of Twente when it comes to ECIU University.
The vice-chancellor also notices this. 'There is a change going on', says Tom Veldkamp, Rector University of Twente. 'Several things are coming together. This initiative is here to stay. In the upcoming years, the European Commission will continue to support alliances between higher education institutions. ECIU University is such an alliance, and we are noticing increasing interest.'

education: Equipping learners for a rapidly evolving world

Joint University challenge-based Minor Program (JUMP) for future generation of innovative entrepreneurs is a pioneering ECIU University initiative, led by the University of Trento with the ECIU partner institutions Linköping University, Łódź University of Technology, and INSA Toulouse. ‘The main tangible artefact of the project will be a European Challenge-Based (CBL) Minor, a co-created distributed minor based on CBL, composed of online micro-modules, blended CBL projects, and CBL internships and thesis’, says Project Coordinator, Maurizio Marchese.

JUMP responds to recommendations by the Council of the EU (2021) to better equip learners with innovation and entrepreneurship competences suited for a rapidly evolving society. ‘It promotes cross-disciplinary, intercultural, and inter-sectoral learning, engaging students, educators, and external stakeholders through communities of practice.’

By integrating Erasmus+ mobility, building shared educational infrastructure, and facilitating real-world challenge engagement, JUMP paves new paths for European higher education, enhancing both student competencies and institutional collaboration.

Create project

awarded Erasmus+ KA2 funding for
a Creathon-based education modeL

The CREATE project (Creathons for Real-word Education and Applied societal Transformation in Europe) has been awarded funding as part of the upcoming Erasmus+ KA220-HED initiative, set to begin in October 2025. With a total funding of €400,000 and a planned 3-year run, it is led by Linköping University (Sweden), in collaboration with Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), University of Aveiro (Portugal), and University of Twente (Netherlands) – all ECIU University member institutions.

CREATE’s goal is to develop a global, flexible Creathon model for higher education institutions, as inspired by the original Creathons’ focus on creativity and Challenge-Based Learning (CBL).

This model aims to engage institutions and stakeholders across Europe to address real-life societal challenges while encouraging broader collaboration between learners, staff members, and stakeholders.

In order to achieve its goal, CREATE will align stakeholders’ needs within the CBL context, co-design and refine the Creathon format to address EU priorities, and develop a framework to support stakeholders and institutions. In the proposal authors’ own words, the project sets course not just for an innovative educational model but for a mindset shift – empowering shared