Our collective agenda for 2026-2027
30 September 2026
Executive Board of the Coimbra Group
The Executive Board is pleased to present the Coimbra Group’s strategic priorities for 2026-2027. They reflect the areas where our network intends to make a distinctive contribution this year, grounded in shared values, a science-based approach and the thought leadership of our member universities.
As every seven years, the European Union is entering what we hope will soon be the final phase of successful negotiations on the programmes and financial instruments that will shape Europe’s support for education, research and innovation from 2028 onwards. This time, however, our institutions face growing policy expectations, while citizens navigate profound societal change and increasingly question the role universities should play. Our communities — and particularly our students, researchers and staff — are themselves at the forefront of far-reaching technological and societal transformations.
In this context, the Coimbra Group will focus its collective efforts on a limited number of priorities where our network can make a distinctive contribution while continuing to bring the experience of our member universities to European policymaking.
Our first priority is climate change and sustainability. The Durham Declaration, endorsed by all Coimbra Group universities, provides a strong common commitment to action. We have a responsibility to pursue its implementation. In 2026-2027, the Coimbra Group will therefore strengthen its role as a platform for collective action, exchange and advocacy in this field. The strong interest in the Steering Group for the Implementation Roadmap of the Durham Declaration, which we are about to launch, is an encouraging signal. We will step up our efforts to coordinate our members’ and Working Groups’ initiatives, including our members’ engagement in the COPs, develop joint initiatives at network level (such as the MOOC), consolidate our partnerships with key actors, continue contributing to the Green Erasmus 2.0 project, and strengthen our policy and advocacy work. In doing so, we will continue to demonstrate the multifaceted contribution of leading comprehensive universities to a more sustainable future – as educators, innovators, investors and partners.
Our second priority is University-City cooperation and societal innovation. Through the Poitiers-Granada Declaration, adopted in June 2026, our members reaffirmed the importance of structured, long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships between universities and their local authorities. Our universities, most of them with centuries-long histories, are deeply embedded in the social, cultural and economic life of their universities make a profound contribution to their local ecosystems through their research, their innovation, and the full breadth of their missions, generating strong social value and impact. Yet this contribution is not always sufficiently visible in public debate or policymaking.
The Coimbra Group will therefore continue to develop this agenda, assess and demonstrate the impact of our institutions and strengthen the recognition of universities as indispensable, long-term partners in local and regional governance and in the life of their communities. We will also contribute to a broader narrative about the role of universities in society, one that moves beyond technological development to give greater prominence to societal innovation, social progress, values and interdisciplinarity. This will be an important theme in the preparation of our High-Level Seminar on Research Policy, to be hosted by Uppsala University in November 2027.
Our third priority for 2026-2027 is artificial intelligence. AI is transforming the way universities teach, train, assess, conduct research, organise their activities and engage with society. These developments create significant opportunities, but they also raise fundamental questions relating to ethics, academic integrity, learning outcomes, equality, inclusion, research practices and governance among others.
Coimbra Group universities are well placed both to contribute to this debate and to learn from one another. We intend to continue playing an active role in European and global discussions on AI, promoting responsible approaches that harness its potential while remaining firmly anchored in fundamental academic values. At our 2026 High-Level Seminar on Education Policy, hosted by Jagiellonian University in Krakow on 3-4 November 2026, we will bring together university leadership from across the Coimbra Group to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, with particular attention to the perspectives of students and educators. This will be followed by a series of thematic webinars. We will also continue to strengthen our cooperation in this field with the European Commission and the UNESCO.
Our fourth priority is academic freedom and campus democracy. Universities have always been places where ideas are debated and challenged, and where critical thinking is taught and cultivated. They are, in this sense, a foundational pillar of democratic societies. In a context marked by increasing polarisation and growing pressure on democratic institutions, including universities themselves, we believe a network such as the Coimbra Group has a particular responsibility to uphold academic freedom, bridge divides, foster constructive dialogue and practical solutions, and enhance civic engagement. The report arising from our 2025 High-Level Seminar on Campus Democracy will be published shortly and presented at relevant occasions. Through this work, the Coimbra Group will continue to contribute to European and international reflection on the conditions that enable universities to fulfil their democratic role.
Alongside these thematic priorities, 2026-2027 will also be a critical period for shaping the European framework for higher education, research and innovation beyond 2027. The Coimbra Group will continue to make its voice heard in the development of the financial decisions and programmes’ design that will directly shape the environment in which our members operate. We are calling for ambitious investment across the Knowledge Square and seek to ensure that the experience of our member universities informs the development and implementation of European policy. We will further advocate for a next EU Multiannual Financial Framework that provides favourable conditions for universities throughout 2028-2034, working in close partnership with key partners.
In research and innovation, we will continue to engage actively in the development of the future FP10 regulation and the European Competitiveness Fund, including through the forthcoming interinstitutional negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council. We will help our member universities prepare for the changes ahead. We will also remain actively engaged in strengthening the European Research Area, contributing in particular to discussions on its future architecture and the development of the European Research Area Act.
In higher education, we will contribute to shaping the next generation of Erasmus+ while also celebrating the programme’s 40th anniversary in 2027. Few European initiatives have transformed the lives of universities and students as profoundly, and this one has been closely associated with the history of the Coimbra Group itself. We will also continue to contribute to the development of the European Degree, including through participation in several exploratory actions as associated partners, and to discussions on the future of the European Universities Initiative, including its next 2.0 phase as announced recently by the Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen.
These thematic and policy priorities will be accompanied by a continued focus on the long-term sustainability and cohesion of the Coimbra Group itself. We will strengthen the network’s capacity to serve its members, further consolidate the work of our Working Groups and cooperation across thematic areas, and ensure that both our governance structures and Office are well positioned to deliver our collective ambitions over the long term. Our objective is to ensure that the Coimbra Group remains a strong and relevant platform for collaboration, able to anticipate emerging challenges, build common positions where appropriate, and translate the expertise of our universities into meaningful contributions to European policy. These questions will be at the heart of the Executive Board’s discussions at its closed retreat in Brussels on 8 October.
Our collective ambition and success depend on the strength of our community, the active engagement of all our member universities and the close cooperation with student organisations, policymakers and European and international institutions, and other relevant stakeholder organisations. Our agenda for 2026-2027 is about ensuring that the collective experience and values of our member universities continue to shape Europe’s future at a time of profound transformation.