UNIC
UNIC offers a range of opportunities from physical and virtual mobility to educational collaboration and capacity building, for students, staff, teachers and researchers. The alliance also creates pathways for strategic engagement between the participating universities and the associated cities.
For Malmö University, membership in UNIC represents an opportunity to deepen its partnership with the City of Malmö and work together to solve local challenges through socially engaged research and student participation.
European Universities initiative
The European Universities alliances are part of a flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities. They encompass 73 European University alliances with almost 650 higher education institutions of all types, from all across Europe. In Sweden, 26 higher education institutions participate in a European University.
European Commission about the European Universities initiative
UNIC's academic network
UNIC's academic network serves as a platform for collaboration within specific thematic areas. The goal is to strengthen networks of researchers and teachers who work together on post-industrial transitions and co-creative educational activities. The alliance has seven thematic areas:
- Superdiversity
- Sustainability and green cities
- Urban resilience and smart cities
- Justice, security, and institutions
- Entrepreneurial learning for innovation
- Health and well-being
- Art, culture, and creativity
Joint activities, knowledge exchanges, and resources are developed to deepen collaboration between universities within these areas.
Each university within the alliance leads the work in a thematic area together with an alliance partner. Malmö University leads the thematic area “Sustainability and green cities” together with University College Cork.
UNIC alliance members
The member universities and cities of the UNIC alliance are all characterised by post-industrial transformations, where the transition from industry to services has led to a range of social, economic, cultural and demographic changes. The participating cities are: Oulu in Finland, Cork in Ireland, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Lodz in Poland, Liege in Belgium, Bochum in Germany, Bilbao in Spain, Zagreb in Croatia, Istanbul in Turkey and Malmö in Sweden.
Student opportunities within UNIC
UNIC offers students mobility and exchange programmes, open online courses, international opportunities, workshops and other events.
Structures for collaboration
Centre for City Futures
Centre for City Futures
Along with Oulu University and University College Cork, Malmö leads the Center for City Futures (CCF), a platform for collaboration on innovation and sustainable social development. City Labs is one of several methods for identifying new models for collaboration with cities, citizens, and other stakeholders. Within the CCF, the Re-imaginatorium method has been developed in close collaboration with the research centre Imagining and Co-creating Futures. The method involves researchers, teachers, students, citizens jointly exploring new ways of organising ourselves, collaborating and creating value around our lives and our communities.
Centre for Teaching and Learning
Centre for Teaching and Learning
UNIC's Teaching and Learning Centre promotes collaboration on teaching methods and didactics within the alliance. By developing virtual mobility solutions and a shared digital campus, opportunities for global engagement and joint courses are created. The centre offers professional development for teachers via InterTeach.
Capacity Building Centre
Capacity Building Centre
The Capacity Building Centre is a central hub for capacity development, providing resources, tools and networking opportunities to empower individuals within the UNIC Alliance. Through collaborative work, the centre responds to the changing needs of partner institutions and facilitates necessary changes in mobility formats, partnerships and technical tools.
Facts UNIC
Funding
UNIC is funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ programme.
