December ENLIGHT European University alliance supports 12 projects at University of Galway

 Twelve teaching, learning and research collaboration projects at University of Galway are to be supported by the European University Alliance - ENLIGHT and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).  

ENLIGHT is an alliance of 10 universities, in 10 European countries, including University of Galway, which is supported by the European Commission and the HEA as it works towards the creation of a European University. 

As part of the 12 ENLIGHT projects at University of Galway, academics will work in collaboration with their counterparts in eight countries on areas such as ageing, plastic pollution impacts, decolonising higher education, human rights and sustainability. 

The projects are a result of a €4m fund being made available by ENLIGHT for collaborative projects in teaching, learning, research and outreach across the alliance, with more than €500,000 funding being allocated to support the 12 initiatives involving University of Galway and our ENLIGHT partners.  

The funding was announced as part of the ENLIGHT general meeting which took place last week at the University of Bern in Switzerland. The focus of the meeting was on embedding the alliance in each partner institution.   

Presidents from all ENLIGHT universities participated in discussions on priorities for the first half of 2025, including key topics such as increasing mobility, embedding education initiatives, supporting research and education collaborations, lifelong learning including Micro Credentials, sustainability, and impact of the alliance as a whole.  

Interim President of University of Galway Professor Peter McHugh said: “ENLIGHT is a hugely positive initiative and one that has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, not least with the significant support of the European Commission and the HEA. As our meeting last week sought to embed the opportunities for collaboration in excellence in teaching, learning and research it is a tremendous statement to be able to combine that agenda with the announcement of support for 12 research projects in partnership with our ENLIGHT partners.”  

Interim Deputy President and Registrar Professor Becky Whay said: “The focus of the ENLIGHT general meeting in Bern is on embedding the European University in each partner institution and in each country - our 12 projects are a wonderful symbol of just that, and the opportunities that our membership can bring. We look forward to seeing the collaborations with thanks to support at both the European and national level.”  

The 12 collaboration projects supported are:

• Kasia Whysall, College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, in collaboration with Bern, Groningen, Ghent, Tartu, University of the Basque Country - REACT - Research and Education in Ageing Collaborative Team

• Olivier Thomas, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering in partnership with Gent University; Groningen, University of the Basque Country on H2OPE: Human Health, Ocean Preservation and Food Ecosystems 

• Liam Morrison, School of Natural Sciences, College of Science & Engineering, in partnership with University of the Basque Country, Bordeaux, Ghent, Groningen, Bern, Tartu – on Fate and Impact of Plastics - from Macro to Nano - on Planetary Health 

• Manigandan Chockalingam, College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, in collaboration with Uppsala University on - ECCHOT: Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Intercultural Competence and Cultural Humility in Occupational Therapy 

• Illan Wall, School of Law, College of Business, Public Policy & Law in partnership with Ghent University, Bordeaux, Tartu on - CLS: Educational Network Teaching and Studying the Basics 

• Muriel Grenon, Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering in partnership with University of Bordeaux and University of the Basque Country on SHARE: Supporting Higher Education and Research through Engagement 

• Laura Loftus, Office of the Vice-President Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, in partnership with Comenius University Bratislava and University of the Basque Country, on GELIE: Gender Equality and LGBT+ Inclusive Environments 

• Dr Helen Maher, Vice-President Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with Ghent, Groningen, University of the Basque Country and Bordeaux, on DecCur: Decolonising and Diversifying our Curriculum, Research and Partnerships 

• Roisin Mulgrew, School of Law, College of Business, Public Policy & Law, with Uppsala, Groningen, Ghent, on WoSHuR2025: Workshop on the Online School on Human Rights 2025 

• Emma Holian, School of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering with Gottingen, Comenius University Bratislava on FOY (Figuring Out Y) 

• Michelle Comber, School of Geography and Archaeology, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies with Uppsala and University of the Basque Country on ITEM: International Training Excavation Module

• Richard Manton, Director Sustainability, Office of the Deputy President and Registrar, with Gottingen, Bordeaux, Comenius University Bratislava on GreENLIGHT: Engaging Students on Sustainability. 

In 2023, the European Commission announced ENLIGHT would be supported with a four-year, €14.4 million investment, with the intention that a significant portion of the funding would go towards academic initiatives, emphasizing the project’s commitment to supporting scholars.  

University of Galway’s involvement in the European University Alliance is also supported nationally by the HEA.  

The ENLIGHT alliance is made up of of 10 universities, in 10 European countries, with the shared goal of the creation of a European University. It includes: University of Galway; Comenius University, Bratislava (Slovakia); University of Groningen (Netherlands); University of Bordeaux (France); Gent University (Belgium); University of Tartu (Estonia); University of Gottingen (Germany); University of the Basque Country (Spain); Uppsala University (Sweden); and University of Bern (Switzerland).  

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