A major milestone for the eight Seal of Excellence alliances — including the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS) — as the European Commission officially acknowledges their role in shaping the future of European higher education.
The European Commission has confirmed that all 73 European University alliances — 65 funded under Erasmus+ and 8 holding the Seal of Excellence (SoE) — will now be presented together under a single European Universities umbrella.
This follows a joint letter sent in February 2025 by the SoE alliances to Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu and DG EAC, calling for greater recognition and visibility of their efforts. The Commission’s positive response, signed by Director-General Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, marks a new phase of inclusion and collaboration.
“Increased visibility is instrumental not only for recognising your engagement, but also for enabling further impact of your alliances,” the letter states, affirming that SoE alliances will now be systematically included in policy discussions, consultations, and communication activities alongside funded alliances.
A New Chapter for Cooperation
The Commission’s reply opens the door to continued dialogue on funding pathways and sustainability. Through platforms such as the FOREU4ALL Community of Practice, alliances will jointly explore how to access and combine EU instruments — from Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe to the European Competitiveness Fund — to advance their educational, research, and innovation missions.
ELLS and SUSTAIN-LIFE: Leading by Example
Among the Seal of Excellence alliances, ELLS stands out with its SUSTAIN-LIFE proposal, reflecting its commitment to sustainable and cross-disciplinary innovation.
With a strong record of utilising multiple EU funding instruments, ELLS can serve as an example of how alliances can effectively link policy ambitions with tangible results — and help shape future improvements to EU support frameworks.
