Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance
Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine
Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History
Luxembourg Centre for European Law
Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental Systems
The Guild has released its anniversary publication, celebrating a decade of contribution to European research, innovation, and higher education policy.
Founded in 2016 to strengthen universities’ collective voice in Brussels, The Guild has since become a recognised force in EU policymaking and a catalyst for deeper engagement within its member institutions.
From the outset, The Guild brought together excellent universities from across Europe with a commitment to clear, cohesive, and credible advocacy. Over the past ten years, this approach has enabled the network to influence major EU programmes, including Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, champion academic freedom, and promote excellence, inclusiveness and equitable collaboration across the continent and beyond.
The publication
Key highlights from a decade of Guild
- A strong and distinct voice in debates about Horizon Europe (FP9 and FP10), including the defence of excellence and the integration of SSAH – where appropriate also in close partnership with other networks.
- Significant commitment to Erasmus+, from its operational design to its international dimension and the European Universities Initiative
- Prominent advocacy for academic freedom across Europe
- Recognised leadership in promoting excellence and inclusiveness within and beyond the EU.
- Strong and persistent calls for strong association, most notably of Norway, Switzerland and the UK
- Strong and impactful advocacy on legislative areas beyond R&I, notably digital policy, AI and heath
- Strengthened engagement of member universities with EU programmes, reflected in increased Horizon Europe success.
- A pioneering partnership with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), including the creation of long-term, challenge-led Africa-Europe research clusters
- A sector-leading role, together with ARUA, in shaping the AU-EU Innovation Agenda
As EU ambitions for Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and global competitiveness continue to grow, The Guild’s role has become more important than ever. It provides a trusted platform for policy dialogue at a moment of rapid change and increasing global tensions.
Ten years on, The Guild stands as a testament to what universities can achieve together. The anniversary publication captures this journey and sets the stage for the next decade of collaboration, advocacy and impact.
‟ The Guild is a testament to the commitment of university communities from across Europe to make a difference through a close dialogue with policymakers. Over the past ten years we have seen a remarkable growth of the EU’s importance for research, innovation, and higher education, and we are delighted we could contribute to it.”
Secretary-General of the Guild
