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Currently, 64 European University alliances have
been approved by the European Commission since 2017,
consisting of more than 560 higher
education institutions from 35 countries.
The third country in the European Union with
the most relations in this area is Spain.
54 Spanish universities participate in 52 of these alliances.
Its aim is to improve the quality and
competitiveness of European universities
through cooperation in the joint development of research,
innovative educational programs and technological advances.
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It is in this international context that OpenEU was born,
following the approval of the European Commission in July 2024.
It is the first step towards the only pan-European
university based on open, distance and digital education,
thus filling the gap left by other university alliances.
OpenEU brings together 14 universities,
9 of them leaders in distance education
and 13 academic, business, rural, municipal
and civic associations from all over Europe.
UNED is a full member of OpenEU.
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OpenEU's mission is to promote quality European higher
education for all people throughout their lives,
at any time and from anywhere, regardless of
their personal or professional circumstances,
age, gender, nationality, time constraints
or place of residence, leaving no one behind.
To this end, OpenEU establishes an international
network of digital, inclusive and sustainable learning,
providing its students with tools that
enable them to make the most of their skills
and thus increase their employability
in the European Union and beyond.
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OpenEU offers joint programs, both official,
with joint bachelor's and master's degrees,
and unofficial, including micro-credentials,
and promotes multilingualism through advanced tools
for use in the Alliance's multilingual community
and a wide range of courses for learning the 12 OpenEU languages.
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OpenEU democratizes the internationalization of higher education,
offering multiple mobility options for students,
professors and administrative and service staff.
In particular, thanks to digital technologies, it takes
advantage of the possibilities of virtual and hybrid mobility,
offering international experiences between universities
and partners of the Alliance, without leaving home.
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OpenEU also contributes to the digital transformation
of European higher education institutions,
supporting the integration of emerging
digital technologies in education
and mobilizing the results of research and innovation
in education, including artificial intelligence.
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OpenEU promotes Democratic and European values
and is committed to fighting climate change through the creation
of an active and innovative European university community.
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OpenEU is governed by a model based on five pillars.
Quality, through a global and transversal
quality assurance plan throughout the Alliance.
Ethics and integrity, based on an ethical
and responsible use of technologies
and the promotion of community welfare in the digital environment.
Equality, diversity and inclusion, promoting student participation
and equal opportunities, for example, with the gender equality plan.
The promotion of open science and innovation and
environmental sustainability in all processes.
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OpenEU is the future of open, digital
and distance higher education in Europe.
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UNED is called to be a key player in the process,
which requires the involvement and commitment
of the entire university community.
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We are not lagging behind.
It is a unique opportunity that must be seized in
order to remain at the forefront of higher education.
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