The grant, worth EUR 7.2 million, awarded under the Erasmus+ programme, will enable CIVICA to deepen cooperation in the social sciences and advance an academic community that spans ten universities.
Over the next two years, CIVICA will expand opportunities for students, faculty and staff, ensuring greater numbers benefit from the chance to study and collaborate across ten universities, in nine countries. Alongside consolidating its existing portfolio, CIVICA will pilot an inclusiveness programme and explore the European Degree Label. Key priorities ahead also include developing innovative educational pathways, strengthening research ties, further embedding open science and expanding lifelong learning opportunities. There is also an ongoing commitment to the partnership with five Ukrainian universities, supporting their closer integration into the European Higher Education Area. Lastly, CIVICA’s scientific priorities have been renewed, with the addition of a fifth priority dedicated to security and resilience, as well as a more direct reference to the role of Artificial intelligence in the social sciences.
Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po, which operates as CIVICA alliance coordinator welcomed the announcement from the European Commission: “the renewed selection of CIVICA under this competitive Erasmus+ call demonstrates the strength of our shared European ambition for higher education and research in the social sciences. At a time when Europe faces profound geopolitical, technological and democratic challenges, universities have a unique responsibility to generate knowledge, foster critical thinking and contribute to informed public debate. By bringing together Europe's leading social science institutions, CIVICA strengthens our collective capacity to educate future leaders, advance excellent research and contribute to Europe's democratic resilience, competitiveness and global influence.”
Aurélien Krejbich, CIVICA’s Executive Director, said the decision reflected both the strength of what the alliance had achieved and future promise: “We are deeply grateful to the European Commission for its renewed confidence in CIVICA. We also want to congratulate and thank our alliance partners. Six years of collaboration have been genuinely fruitful, built on close working relationships on all sides. CIVICA has matured into a model of how European universities can work together, durably and at scale. At a moment when Europe faces extensive structural pressures, sustained transnational investment in the social sciences is timely and will support the dissemination of knowledge.”
The 2026-2028 phase builds on six years of collaboration to deepen institutional integration across the alliance. The ambition is to establish CIVICA as a leading global voice for the social sciences, providing the next generation of Europeans with the critical skills needed to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world.
