Erasmus University

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Named after Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, this university is ranked among the top business schools in Europe.

30000

students

651000

inhabitants

image of the university

The University

  • Established in 1913 to bring high education to the industrial world port city of Rotterdam.
  • Social impact as the central university ambition. The university plays a central role in the post-industrial transitions of Rotterdam.
  • High percentage of non-traditional students, especially many first-generation students and students with a migration background.

The City

  • Historically developed as a harbour city (until today one of the world’s largest port cities), but especially since the 1980s going through a rapid phase of development, bringing reform to the structure of the labour market, economic differentiation, restructuration of the housing stock, and a growing role of knowledge-intensive economies
  • A truly superdiverse city, with 52% of the population having a first- or second-generation migration background (mostly labour migrants connected to the industrial character of the city)
image of the city

Erasmus University and UNIC

Erasmus University Rotterdam is committed to leading UNIC. As a truly superdiverse university in a truly post-industrial city, EUR strongly identifies with the other partner universities. Erasmus University values its participation in UNIC for the following reasons:

  • Jointly setting a European role model for university-city collaboration.
  • Unlocking unique mobility opportunities for our students and staff.
  • Jointly acting as a European role model for inclusive universities

Aims and Activities

Erasmus University Rotterdam brings a number of aims and activities that are directly relevant to the activities of the UNIC:

  • EUR Diversity and Inclusion Office. EUR strongly feels that Diversity and Inclusion provides added value to any organisation. Our dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Office has experience with a comprehensive review of research to identify challenges that need to be addressed and also to identify best practices in the area of diversity and inclusion. The key factor is reaching a collective responsibility for, and understanding of, diversity and inclusion.
  • Close Partnership with the City. Erasmus University Rotterdam has developed a very close partnership with the City of Rotterdam. This has already led to the establishment of various Urban Knowledge Labs. UNIC CityLabs are based on the Urban Knowledge Labs.
  • Leadership of IMISCOE, the largest European network of scholars in the area of migration and integration. EUR is coordinating the IMISCOE Research Network. This provides EUR with access to an almost unlimited pool of academic research and expertise on migration and integration. Models of practise and experiences will be directly shared and opened up to a larger research network. This is a clear added value for the UNIC University
  • Focus on societal impact. EUR has as its official university mission to create ‘positive societal impact.’ It is also developing a Design School that should become one of the world’s leading institutes on how to have ‘impact by design’, as a part of research as well as teaching.
  • Educational innovation. EUR has been organizing numerous activities to boost innovation in education. It has established Learning & Innovation teams in all EUR Faculties and has launched a masterplan to converge on impact and education.
  • Membership of various European innovation platforms. EUR is a member of numerous European platforms that give access to new ideas and instruments, as well as to provide platforms for dissemination of the models of practice that UNIC seeks to establish. This includes the European Association of Social Sciences and Humanities Universities, the European Universities Association, the European Universities Foundation and COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning).


Last but not least Erasmus University Rotterdam has been very active in the Erasmus + program and is involved in more than 20 Erasmus + projects (Knowledge Alliance, Jean Monnet, Mobility, Strategic Partnership, Sport) and wants to further disseminate and use the knowledge and expertise gathered in the European University. The extensive knowledge and expertise in the coordination, management, dissemination and sustainability of Erasmus + and other EU funded projects will be used by Erasmus University Rotterdam in the management and communication activities of the UNIC institution.

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