European university alliances are a significant part of the EU’s strategy for developing higher education, with 64 alliances currently in existence. These alliances include over 560 higher education institutions, out of approximately 5,000 across Europe. SAMK is now part of this select group of alliance partners.
With the Seal of Excellence, the DIVERSE Alliance—and consequently SAMK—can fully participate in the Commission’s European Universities programme. This marks a significant step for SAMK and the Satakunta region in terms of internationalisation, opening new opportunities for collaboration and investment in both education and research.
– The European University Alliance enables SAMK to engage in even closer collaboration with its European higher education partners. Alliance collaboration plays a key role in implementing SAMK’s new strategy. The goal of the new European Commission is to strengthen the collaboration between research, education, and business, and university alliances are pivotal in achieving this goal, says Jari Multisilta, Managing Director and President of SAMK
The DIVERSE Alliance is a genuinely European, multidisciplinary university campus with over 150,000 students and more than 15,000 staff members. The Alliance fosters collaboration between higher education institutions and the surrounding society. It trains experts to address major societal challenges, creating economically sustainable solutions that have a social impact and enhance the economic prosperity of the European Union and the well-being of its citizens. Students and staff will have increasing opportunities to internationalise and thus acquire the skills required in work, teaching, and research.
– DIVERSE enables a wide range of opportunities for postgraduate studies up to the doctoral level at partner higher education institutions through a common network of universities. This increases the appeal of the Satakunta region while contributing to the demand for a highly educated workforce. As one of the higher education institutions within the DIVERSE Alliance, SAMK serves the region and its economy more extensively and comprehensively in the field of education, explains Timo Mattila, Vice President for Education at SAMK.
The DIVERSE Alliance is also seen as highly significant for SAMK’s research activities.
– SAMK hosts six research centres that support businesses and organizations in developing their operations, identifying future business opportunities, and pursuing internationalisation. Collaboration with DIVERSE universities strengthens the research centres’ ability to secure international funding and conduct high-quality research that benefits the regional economy, says Cimmo Nurmi, Vice President for Research at SAMK.
The Alliance comprises the following higher education institutions:
- Griffith College – Ireland
- Istanbul Beykent University – Turkey
- Autonomous University of Lisbon – Portugal
- The European University of Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO) – Spain
- PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Belgium
- Satakunta University of Applied Sciences – Finland
- SMK University of Applied Sciences – Lithuania
- Winderheim University of Applied – the Netherlands
- Nuremberg University of Applied Sciences Georg Simon Ohm – Germany
- Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences – Germany
- George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures – Romania
- Algebra University – Croatia
Visit the DIVERSE Alliance website
For more information:
Managing Director, President Jari Multisilta
+358 44 710 3410
jari.multisilta@samk.fi
