ACE2-EU is dedicated to advancing an ambitious and visionary university alliance emphasizing excellence, innovation, and inclusion in higher education through active and applied learning approaches. Our strategic alliance partnership is deeply committed to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and societal engagement, enhancing collaboration and co-creation across our partner institutions and stakeholders. The ACE2-EU mission, vision and long-term joint strategy is to establish a European higher education inter-university campus, which has the potential to elevate the combined capacity of ACE2-EU member institutions to provide high-quality, innovative, and impactful joint education, research, innovation, and service to society activities focused on addressing future challenges. Our mission and vision are underpinned by shared strategic objectives aligned with the core European values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, equality, human rights and human dignity, solidarity and the pursuit of peace and justice in Europe and the world. All the members of ACE2-EU are committed to the core European values. These guiding values and objectives embody the common vision of the nine partners of the ACE2-EU Alliance, creating a responsive and sustainable educational ecosystem that addresses current and future challenges and contributes to sustainable societal transformation. Aside from adopting the existing core European Values to guide our collaborative efforts, we have also prioritised the following as a set of common values and principles to underpin our collaborative endeavours.
I. Transnational Cooperation
We forge connections across Europe and beyond, creating a network of collaboration that transcends borders. At ACE2-EU, we are committed to strengthening cooperation across Europe and beyond, through a robust European university alliance that champions cultural, scientific, training, and research advancements. Transnational cooperation is particularly important to us because we are aware that global issues cannot be solved at the national level, and that the free movement of knowledge, ideas and competencies is crucial to innovation, technological and medical advances, for instance. Furthermore, transnational cooperation encourages open-mindedness and facilitates comprehensive approaches and ideas, thanks to the variety of perspectives given by distinct national and cultural backgrounds and experiences.
We operate on an open-access basis, ensuring that our diverse body of students, faculty staff, researchers, society, business, and industry stakeholders freely share knowledge and expertise. Our commitment to openness and adaptability is the driving force behind our continuous efforts to innovate and create impact while forging a durable alliance.
We embody these values and principles by adopting a challenge-based, interdisciplinary approach to our education, research, innovation, and service to society programmes. The ACE2-EU inter- university campus will act as a central hub for advancing both inter-institutional mobility and interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitating common operational units such as the APP-Factory, the ARIES-Incubator, and our SPACE-Centre.
II. Creativity, Co-creation & Innovation
We collaborate to co-create impactful, practical solutions for a sustainable future.
We are committed to the advancement of innovative educational and instructional strategies through leveraging the collective strengths, diverse perspectives, and combined expertise of our partners and stakeholders. Our interdisciplinary European Knowledge Creation Teams bring together the expertise of educators, researchers, students, and external stakeholders to collaboratively develop future-oriented education, research, innovation, and service-to-society initiatives. These efforts are essential in addressing future challenges and in fostering collaborative learning opportunities within our expansive knowledge network. We will collectively and proactively address and mitigate emerging challenges experienced by our joint operational units to ensure the long-term durability and sustainability of the alliance.
III. Inclusiveness & equality
We embrace diversity and promote working, learning and research cultures that are inclusive, safe, and welcoming.
ACE2-EU is committed to ensuring equitable access to the highest possible quality of education and research for all individuals, transcending traditional barriers associated with gender, age, disability, or cultural, social, geographical, and economic backgrounds. We promote gender equity, actively seeking to understand and address the distinct needs and potential dynamics of power among genders, striving to mitigate disparities and foster an environment of equality. ACE2-EU is furthermore committed to reducing the potential adverse impacts of the digital gap and digital exclusion. By promoting new digital applications, new educational technology and pedagogy, and fostering the necessary skills to adopt these applications and technologies through the ACE2-EU inter-university campus, the alliance will contribute to the digital transformation of learning spaces and lifelong learning.
IV. Human Rights & Dignity
We are dedicated to developing new pathways for humanity to flourish.
ACE2-EU endeavours to create an environment where everyone’s dignity and human rights are protected. We are committed to the holistic development of all those engaged in administrative, educational and research endeavours within our alliance and support their well-being. We acknowledge and embrace diverse identities and provide robust support to ensure each member of our community feels valued, achieves their full potential, and engages consciously and constructively with the wider community.
This approach is manifested in the creation of diverse academic opportunities that facilitate students’ acquisition of new competencies, nurture empathy and self-assurance, and encourage proactive engagement in their educational and professional trajectories. This enriches the educational landscape of the alliance, enhancing the diversity of our pedagogical practices, and serving as a cornerstone for excellence within our partner institutions.
V. Solidarity & Social Commitment
We strengthen bonds with our communities.
ACE2-EU is committed to helping solve the complex problems of modern society. This commitment is evident in the alliance’s dedication to the principles of equality, democratic ethos, inclusivity, and efforts to foster a culture of dialogue. This includes a commitment to education, research, innovation, and service to society that has a real impact and generates tangible benefits in our regions, our countries, in Europe and across the world.
In alignment with these principles, ACE2-EU is dedicated to building enduring, long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationships within the broader society, as exemplified by initiatives such as the Applied Research and Innovation Centres (ARCs), Social Incubators, and the ACE2-EU SPACE Centre which provides creative service to society activities and cultural awareness initiatives.
VI. Sustainability and environmental stewardship
We embrace the holistic interconnection of ecological, social, and economic systems.
Across our collaborative inter-university campus and extended regions of our ACE2-EU alliance, we actively contribute to creating a balance that supports human well-being alongside planetary health. This commitment is in alignment with our overarching mission to address future challenges and catalyze sustainable societal transformation.
In our pursuit of this mission, ACE2-EU integrates these principles into the core of our institutional framework, our policies, practices, and pedagogical approach. Our joint strategies reflect a series of targeted initiatives
i) We champion and promote Green Campus Practices, such as energy-efficient infrastructures, fostering waste minimisation and recycling, advocating for sustainable transportation and mobility solutions, and nurturing the development of green spaces;
ii) Sustainability thinking is woven into the fabric of our academic curricula, ensuring each partner institution and joint programmes delivered by ACE2-EU reflects this commitment;
iii) We actively promote research activities aimed at exploring solutions for environmental issues, including but not limited to climate change mitigation and responsible and sustainable resource management;
iv) Our engagement with local communities and the broader community is designed to advance sustainable practices, support environmental conservation efforts, and raise public awareness about the imperative of environmental stewardship;
v) Furthermore, ACE2-EU serves as a nexus for international collaboration and sharing of best practices in environmental sustainability.
ACE2-EU aims to become a leader, not only in education, research, innovation and service to society but also as a change agent for positive environmental and societal transformation.
VII. Responsibility & Transparency
We recognise that our actions have a profound impact on the lives of individuals and the environment around us.
ACE2-EU operates with full transparency and assumes accountability for our decisions, strategies and actions. This dual commitment to openness and responsibility informs our actions and ensures our accountability to all participating member universities, their dedicated staff and students, our external stakeholders, and the broader European Union.
We embody these core values in our operational initiatives and all processes, guaranteeing that they are fair, accessible, and transparent, particularly concerning student and staff recruitment and overall alliance management. The ACE2-EU alliance epitomises the integrity of scientific inquiry, adhering to the highest academic and professional standards and ethical guidelines in all its academic and research-related activities. Through these practices, ACE2-EU promotes the principles of open science, advancing scientific knowledge for the greater societal good.