One year of OpenEU: consolidating the alliance that will transform higher education in Europe

OpenEU, the alliance working towards the creation of the first European open university, held a coordination meeting on 5–6 February 2026 in Lisbon, hosted by Universidade Aberta. The meeting marked the conclusion of OpenEU’s first year and the start of its second work cycle, at a key moment for transforming European ambition into concrete impact.

Over two days, alliance partners reviewed the progress achieved during the first year and approved the work plan for year two. Discussions focused on moving from consolidation to delivery, with the shared goal of reinforcing the role of open and distance universities within the European Higher Education Area. This role is increasingly essential in responding to rising demand for flexible learning pathways, lifelong learning and continuous reskilling.

Solid bases for scaling up

During its first year, OpenEU established solid governance and coordination mechanisms across diverse institutional contexts and delivered a series of pilot initiatives. These achievements provide a strong basis for advancing towards large-scale implementation in its second year.

Key achievements include the piloting of joint research workshops, the delivery of 11 shared doctoral courses with more than 80 enrolled students, and the organisation of the first OpenEU International Winter School. The inaugural edition brought together in Athens nearly 100 doctoral and early-stage researchers, strengthening collaboration and connectivity within the European research and doctoral training community.

In parallel, the alliance approved several shared frameworks and policies that support future development. These include progress towards joint degrees and internationalisation, as well as the conceptual design of strategic initiatives such as the Professional GPS and the Lifelong Learning Portfolio.

OpenEU’s selection as an Early Adopter of the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework (HEIF) has further strengthened the alliance’s visibility and strategic positioning at European level.

As highlighted by Àngels Fitó, president of OpenEU and rector of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC):

This first year of OpenEU reaffirms the commitment of European open universities to driving the European Education Area towards a more inclusive, digital, and green environment. We have the responsibility and the opportunity to lead the digital transformation of higher education, breaking down geographical, cultural, and social barriers to provide answers to the challenges of an ever-evolving Europe.

Lisbon sets the direction for year two

Building on these foundations, the second work cycle launched in Lisbon aims to translate OpenEU’s collaborative scale into more visible opportunities for students, staff and society. Priorities for year two include enhanced mobility schemes, stronger links between skills development, employability and micro-credentials, increased collaboration between academic communities, and the exploration of new shared initiatives such as an online employment fair and the alliance’s first joint bachelor’s programme.

Collaboration within the alliance will be further strengthened through five Staff Weeks planned for 2026, to be hosted at different OpenEU partner institutions, promoting staff mobility, peer learning and institutional alignment.

The long-term objective remains clear: to progress towards a pan-European open university capable of offering flexible and adaptable learning pathways that allow learners to access and advance in higher education without having to choose between education, work and everyday life.

About us

OpenEU is an alliance of ten European open and distance universities working to establish the first pan-European open university. With the support of the European Commission under the European Universities Initiative, OpenEU aims to transform higher education through a more inclusive and digitally enabled model focused on lifelong learning. The alliance represents a community of more than 368,000 students and 24,000 professionals. Overall, the alliance comprises 28 academic and non-academic organisations.

Coordinated by: Universidade Aberta, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Core partners: Bifröst University, Daugavpils Universitate, FernUniversität in Hagen, Hellenic Open University, Open Universiteit, Open University of Cyprus, UNED - Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain), Universidade Aberta, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, University of Veliko Turnovo St Cyril and St. Methodius.

The alliance also includes associated bodies such as the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) and the International Association of Universities (IAU), and collaborating universities from the United Kingdom (The Open University), Albania (Fan S. Noli University), the Republic of North Macedonia (MIT University), Italy (Uninettuno), and Ukraine (Ukrainian Engineering Pedagogics Academy)