University of Mostar- The first university in Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive support from the European Commission for the EUPeace project  

The European Commission has announced the results of the 2023 call for proposals for the Erasmus+ European University Initiative, which provides support for alliances of higher education institutions. As one of the nine partners of the European University for Peace, Justice and Inclusive Societies (EUPeace), within the "European Universities" Erasmus+ initiative, the University of Mostar is among these seven new alliances, being the only university from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The list has been expanded with seven new alliances of European universities, bringing the total number to 50 alliances covering over 430 higher education institutions in 35 countries. The goal of the European university strategy is to expand to 60 alliances of European universities with over 500 universities by mid-2024.

The project is led by the Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany, with which the University of Mostar has a signed agreement, and an amount of almost 14.4 million euros is allocated for the initial four-year funding period. The partners of the University of Mostar within this initiative are the University of Marburg - Philipps-Universität Marburg (Germany), the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (Germany), Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain), Çukurova Üniversitesi (Turkey), the University of Calabria (Italy), the University of Limoges (France), the University of West Bohemia (Czech Republic), and University of Prishtina „Hasan Prishtina“ (Republic of Kosovo).

EUPeace follows a socio-political approach that will provide future Europeans with skills and knowledge to contribute to the promotion of peace, justice, and inclusive societies in Europe and the world. The call for proposals for the year 2023 has, for the first time, opened the opportunity for higher education institutions from the Western Balkans countries to participate as full partners. Universities play a strong role in the development of teaching, research, and public engagement activities that foster the necessary conditions for peace.

The international partnership between the University of Mostar and the University of Marburg, which is the lead institution for the EUPeace project, was established for the first time within the signed Memorandum of Understanding for the European University for Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Societies, along with eight other European universities.

The alliances of European universities bring together a new generation of students who can study and work in different European countries, in different languages, and in academic disciplines. Thanks to these alliances, students can obtain a degree by combining studies in multiple European countries, contributing to the international competitiveness of higher education institutions in Europe.