12 October 2022

We are extremely pleased to announce that SWPS University has joined the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA). The ERUA Board unanimously approved SWPS University’s membership in the consortium. SWPS University is the only private university in Poland that has achieved European University status.

Achieving goals of our International Strategy

ERUA membership will significantly strengthen SWPS University’s position and competitiveness internationally. Moreover, it will provide the University with a number of new opportunities within the consortium, such as: expanding the cooperation network; developing new, flexible and interdisciplinary study programs; offering joint diplomas; developing joint research cooperation; participating in the exchange of academics, students, lecturers, and administrative staff; mutual sharing of information and academic sources; as well as organization of joint seminars, workshops, conferences, symposia, and other academic meetings concerning common science disciplines.

SWPS University has already earned its place and position among universities in Poland. Now, we have undertaken another challenge. We want to secure our place as a European university. One step towards this goal is joining the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA). ERUA is a union of five universities, entered into as part of the European Universities Initiative, which has been established and financed by the European Commission. The goal of the program is to develop universities of the future, institutions, which support European values and European identity, universities that excel in the quality of education, research, innovation and can compete with other universities around the world. We are the first, and so far the only, non-public university in Poland that has been invited to the family of European Universities, says Professor Roman Cieślak, Rector of SWPS University.

Members of the Alliance

ERUA includes the following five European universities:

The Alliance is financed by the European Commission from the European Universities Initiative fund. SWPS University will be included in this initiative as of 2023.

ERUA – Working together to deliver better education opportunities

The mission of ERUA is to establish a trans-university campus offering personalized education paths in a multilingual and multicultural environment. The goals of the Alliance include:

  • Developing a flexible, participatory, and regularly monitored for improvements consortium with unified standards of quality, a transparent management structure as well as administrative and financial procedures, which go beyond the structural differences of the partner institutions
  • Developing a widely accessible education offer and opportunities of mobility within the framework of the Alliance
  • Creating a strong multilingual community, rooted in common values and interests, as well as developing a common European identity among the members of the Alliance
  • Effectively promoting the projects and results of the partners’ cooperation through communication and tools aligned with target groups.

By supporting the Alliance in the pursuit of its mission, SWPS University will actively contribute to the transformation of the European higher education sector, especially in its strongest disciplines, that is psychology and social sciences. Together, we will work towards creating a university of the future, which is united in its diversity, says Wojciech Karczewski, Ph.D. Director of the Office for International Relations at SWPS University.

European Universities Initiative (EUI)

The European Universities Initiative is a transnational union of higher education institutions from across the European Union. Its goal is to strengthen the capabilities of its members to effectively compete with American, British and Asian universities. The consortium focuses on education, research, innovation, and social engagement. The cooperation framework allows students, academic lecturers, and researchers to freely move between the partnering institutions for study, professional training, teaching, and research purposes.

Source: SWPS University, press releas.

Read more about SWPS University