Stockholm university

CIVIS – A European university collaboration 

CIVIS – the European Civic University Alliance, aims to facilitate cross-border cooperation and increase mobility among students, teachers and other staff.

 

Interview with François Heinderyckyx. Advisor to the President at the Université Libre de Bruxelle

CIVIS is a European University Alliance that brings together eleven leading universities across Europe to build a shared European higher education and research area. The collaboration is grounded in shared values such as inclusion, civic engagement, sustainability, and academic excellence. As a member of CIVIS, Stockholm University actively contributes to creating innovative and interdisciplinary opportunities for students, staff and researchers:

CIVIS – European Civic University Alliance logo
CIVIS – European Civic University Alliance logo

The alliance promotes joint educational programmes, interdisciplinary research initiatives, mobility schemes, and partnerships with local and international stakeholders. Through this, CIVIS aims to strengthen the role of universities in addressing global challenges and shaping a more united and sustainable Europe.

 

Transforming higher education

CIVIS is built on the ambition to transform higher education by:

  • Enabling seamless mobility and academic exchange across member universities.
  • Developing transdisciplinary programmes addressing major societal challenges.
  • Supporting collaboration with civil society and local communities.
  • Fostering inclusion, multilingualism and intercultural competence.
 

Challenge-based education

Challenge-based education is a pedagogical approach that draws on knowledge across disciplines and involves collaboration with stakeholders. It enables students to apply what they learn by tackling real-world problems. Key elements include transdisciplinarity, teamwork, applied knowledge, self-reflection, and active, collaborative learning.

Students engage with a relevant, real-life challenge that demands action. Through this process, they explore the problem, interact with affected communities, and develop a solution—typically through a project—by analysing, designing and proposing practical outcomes.

The alliance focuses on five global challenges:

  • Cities and mobility
  • Climate, environment, energy
  • Digital and technological transformations
  • Health
  • Society, cultures and heritage
 

Cooperation across national borders

The purpose of CIVIS is to facilitate cooperation across national borders and to increase the mobility of students, teachers and other staff. The collaboration creates opportunities for research, teaching, cultural exchanges and citizen engagement from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, with connections to the whole world.

On 11 March 2022, CIVIS signed an ambitious partnership agreement with six prestigious African universities. Since September 2024 these universities are Associate Member institutions of CIVIS. European and African universities in CIVIS commit to a comprehensive cooperation agenda by developing joint programmes and activities in education, research, and societal outreach.

Closer cooperation among European universities also opens the door on global partnerships - Stockholm University

Visit from six African universities sparks academic exchange - Stockholm University

 

Initiatives by Stockholm University

As part of the CIVIS Alliance, Stockholm University has been leading a number of targeted projects, including:

CIVIS launches MOOC on climate and energy

Master's Programme in Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment and Energy

Stockholm University also regularly participates in the co-creation of several Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs). For the full list of available courses, please see the CIVIS course catalogue: CIVIS Courses

 

European universities

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

The alliance is supported by the European Commission via the Erasmus + call "European Universities" which aims to increase collaboration between European universities and thereby increase the quality and attractiveness of higher education in Europe.

The European Universities initiative

More information:

 

Contact

General questions about Civis:
Email: civis@su.se 

Questions about exchange within the framework of Civis:
civismobility@su.se 

Last updated: June 11, 2025

Source: Communications Office

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