The University of Zurich Secures Funding from Movetia for Una Europa’s Una.Via Project

The University of Zurich (UZH) has secured funding from Movetia to participate in Una Europa’s two-year Una.Via project. By participating in the Erasmus+ project, UZH will generate significant added value for the Swiss higher education system.

Una Europa is an alliance of eleven leading research universities working together to build the university of the future. Since joining the alliance in 2022, UZH has played an active role in collaborative teaching, research, innovation and mobility initiatives across Europe. Through its engagement, the university has expanded opportunities for students, researchers, and professional staff while strengthening its international profile.

In July 2026, the European Commissionannounced  that Una Europa had been awarded funding through the competitive Erasmus+ 2026 European Universities call, enabling its EU partner universities to implement the Una.Via project. Further details on the project and its significance for the alliance were shared by Una Europa in theirown announcement. For Swiss universities, participation in Erasmus+ projects require complementary national funding mechanisms, provided throughMovetia, the national agency for the promotion of exchanges and mobilities in the education sector. In October 2026, UZH was also awarded funding by Movetia for the Una.Via project.

Over the next two years, the Una.Via project will pursue three core objectives:
•    Efficiency: Streamlining governance and strengthening sustainable international cooperation.
•    Embeddedness: Upscaling and integrating high-impact joint formats in education, research and societal outreach among the alliance’s 11 partner universities.
•    Impact: Strengthening Una Europa’s capacity to deliver, assess and enhance alliance-wide and external impact.

The two-year Una.Via project will ensure both continuity and renewed momentum as the alliance looks towards longer-term alliance funding under the European Commission’s next Multiannual Financial Framework in 2028.

Thelocal Una Europa team within UZH brings together colleagues from Global Affairs, academic staff from different faculties, professional staff from across the university, and students who contribute to UZH’s representation and engagement within the alliance. Additionally, from 2027 onwards, Gabriele Siegert, Deputy President and Vice President Education and Student Affairs, will take on the role of Chair of the Una Europa Board of Directors. Together, the UZH Una Europa team plays a key role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of alliance activities beyond the current funding period by embedding governance, education, research, and outreach initiatives within UZH's regular structures and processes.

During the Una.Via project, emphasis will be placed on integrating successful joint programs and formats, including the

• Joint Bachelor’s in European Studies (BAES)
• Joint Bachelor’s in Sustainability (BASUS)
• Doctoral Programme in Cultural Heritage (Una-Her-Doc)

These activities and more will be aligned with the UZH Global Strategy 2030, ensuring that alliance activities are fully integrated across the university.

Continued participation in Una Europa will provide benefits across the UZH community. Students at Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral level will continue to access joint educational opportunities such as summer and winter schools, micro-credentials, and virtual learning formats like theDSAI Module Exchange, which is coordinated by UZH. Researchers will benefit from the six interdisciplinary Hubs, which strengthen collaboration and long-term sustainability in research and education, while professional staff will expand their networks and expertise through shared services, peer learning, and active engagement across the alliance.

By participating in Una Europa and the Una.Via project, UZH is helping shape the future of European higher education while creating added value for the Swiss education and research landscape. Through the Una Europa alliance, UZH contributes to innovative teaching and mobility formats that enhance the quality and international reach of higher education in Switzerland.

The project also strengthens Switzerland’s visibility as a destination for education and research by connecting students, researchers, and professional staff with leading universities across Europe. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and international learning experiences, members of the Una Europa community develop key skills needed to address global challenges, including sustainability, digitalization, and societal transformation.

Una.Via also supports long-term institutional partnerships, fosters collaboration in research and education, and contributes to Switzerland’s continued excellence and competitiveness withing the European Education and Research Area.