Abstract:
This poster will explore how European University Alliances—funded through the Erasmus+ programme—can serve as models for forging sustainable and inclusive academic partnerships between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. These alliances promote deep transnational collaboration through joint curricula, inter-university campuses, mobility integration, and collaborative research. With a strong policy and governance foundation, they respond to global challenges through academic innovation and cross-border cooperation. Drawing on concrete examples from Portuguese institutions engaged in the UNITE! and SEA-EU alliances, the session will present their internal transformations and global engagement strategies. The discussion will reflect on the role of national agencies in fostering capacity building, promoting internationalisation beyond Europe, and supporting long-term partnerships.

Emphasis will be placed on potential synergies between European alliances and Asia-Pacific networks, with particular attention to how these collaborations can advance equitable mobility, institutional resilience, and digital transformation. The session will provide participants with a transferable framework for structuring multilateral partnerships aligned with the conference theme—Asia-Pacific Partnerships for the Global Good—and invite reflection on how inter-regional alliances can drive global solutions through shared values, innovation, and mutual benefit.

Learning objectives:
– Understand the policy context and strategic aims of European University Alliances under the Erasmus+ programme.
– Explore how alliances foster long-term academic cooperation through joint curricula, mobility integration, and research collaboration.
– Identify the internal benefits and institutional transformations experienced by alliance member universities.
– Analyse how the European alliance model can inspire structured partnerships with Asia-Pacific institutions.
– Examine the role of national agencies in supporting capacity building and inter-regional dialogue.
– Discover opportunities for synergies between European alliances and Asia-Pacific networks.
– Reflect on how transnational alliances can address global challenges through inclusive, innovative and sustainable cooperation models.
– Gain transferable insights into governance, sustainability, and partnership strategies for global higher education.

Target audience:
Higher education professionals involved in international strategy, academic cooperation, and policy development; representatives of international offices; those working with European programmes, global partnerships, transnational education (TNE), and the SDGs through institutional alliances.