University of Banja Luka a Full Member of the Across Alliance

The University of Banja Luka is a full member of the Across Alliance, which was approved for funding by the European Commission in the previous Erasmus+ Call.

Across unites ten European universities, nine of which are full partners, as follows: University of Banja Luka, Bialystok University of Technology, Chemnitz Univeresity of Technology, University of Craiova, University of Girona, University of Nova Gorica, University of Perpignan, University of Udine, and “Angel Kanchev” University of Ruse, as well as the associated partner Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.

The mission of the Alliance is to provide students with a truly European learning experience, addressing unique challenges in border regions through cross-border collaboration. On the other hand, the aim is to cultivate lifelong learning environment that cater to diverse academic and professional needs, ensuring flexibility to accommodate individual life situations.

In addition, the main goals are aimed at expanding and strengthening collaboration at all levels of higher education, strengthening internationalization and digitization, creating joint study programmes, establishing better cooperation between the academic community, business and civil society, and many other activities, all with the aim of achieving the basic idea - higher education without borders.

Furthermore, what is important to emphasize is that the aforementioned goals of the alliance are in accordance with the main goals and development strategy of the University of Banja Luka, which, among other things, include the internationalization and innovation of study programmes as some of the most important activities.

The Across Alliance envisages the organization of summer schools, an e-campus, the "Week of European Universities" event, as well as a number of other activities.

All activities related to Across start on 1 January 2025, and Vice-Rector for International and Inter-University Cooperation at the University of Banja Luka Prof. Kristina Pantelić Babić, PhD, is currently at the working meeting of the Alliance at the University of Girona, where a consortium agreement and other activities related to the best possible implementation of the planned work packages are being prepared.

What are university alliances?

University alliances such as Across are approved under the European Universities initiative, which constitutes a special part of the Partnerships for Excellence category. The European Universities initiative supports the establishment of alliances of higher education institutions that will bring cross-border collaboration to a higher level through the development of common long-term strategies for exceptional education, research and innovation based on shared vision and values.

It is important to emphasize that the University of Banja Luka is the first and only university from the Republic of Srpska that became a full member of an alliance of European universities.