About Us
The Europe Unit is a sector-wide body which aims to raise awareness of the European issues affecting UK higher education and to coordinate the UK’s involvement in European initiatives and debates. Launched in January 2004, the Unit seeks to strengthen the position of the UK higher education sector in debates on the Bologna Process and EU policy. The three European Union institutions working in the field of higher education are the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
It is jointly funded by Universities UK, the three higher education funding councils of England, Wales and Scotland, GuildHE and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
In representing the sector as a whole, the Unit works closely with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Europe Unit also cooperates with a large number of UK HE organisations, including the Association of UK HE European Officers (HEURO), the UK Research Office (UKRO), the British Council, the UK HE International Unit, Welsh Higher Education Brussels (WHEB), the University and College Union (UCU) and the National Union of Students (NUS), and the British Academy.
The policy positioning of the Unit is informed by a High Level Policy Forum and an officer-led European Coordinating Group, both comprising representatives from key sector organisations.
The Unit publishes a fortnightly newsletter 'European HE Matters' which provides an update for the sector on recent HE activities in Europe. We also regularly distribute Europe notes which provide the sector with more detailed information on specific issues.
