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Imperial College London is a world-top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial is committed to developing the next generation of researchers, scientists, and academics through collaboration across disciplines. Located in London's heart, Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation, and commercialization, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges. Global research-driven universities like Imperial College London have a central role in helping humanity address these changes and challenges by making discoveries, educating leaders, and developing innovations that benefit society. However, these universities will need to change to contribute to this future. In our Strategy 2015–2020, we set out how Imperial will be a source of new solutions, a contributor to a better future, a trusted partner, and a new paradigm of the global university. We will support an atmosphere and culture that embraces discovery. We will continue to be guided by our mission of achieving enduring excellence in research and education in science, engineering, medicine, and business for the benefit of society. We will shrink the time and distance between fundamental discovery and societal benefit. We will provide our students with the knowledge and experiences that equip them for their future roles as leaders. We will have the courage to take risks. We will remain true to our mission. While we cannot envision all of the challenges ahead, we believe that Imperial can contribute by focusing our research around four themes: discovery and the natural world engineering novel solutions health and well-being and leading the data revolution. Great discoveries begin with great people: talented individuals steeped in the knowledge of their core discipline, confident enough to work on risky, unsolved problems, adept at understanding and working with others from different fields, and immersed in an atmosphere of excellence. They are underpinned by talented support staff who put their full energy and passion into their work and our mission. We will make supporting and enabling all these people central to what we do. Our bright and energetic students are integral to our mission. We will enhance their experiences by embedding their education in cutting-edge research and providing increasing opportunities for them to use their talents in new entrepreneurial, creative, and practical ways. The Dyson School of Design Engineering is an example of how we will nurture the multifaceted talents of our students and develop them into future leaders. We have a tremendous asset in our highly successful alumni and friends. We will revitalize our relationship with them and encourage them to be a part of the Imperial College London of today and the future. Their knowledge, expertise, and experience will contribute to the intellectual power of the College. Across the world, people recognize that the changes and challenges we face require us to work together more effectively. Universities must drive collaboration, work across disciplines, and seize opportunities in ways and at a pace unusual for academia. It is the only way that we can solve the world's challenges. At Imperial, we are good at working across disciplines and collaborating. In 2014 three-quarters of our research papers collaborated with external co-authors from over 140 countries and 6,000 different universities, businesses, and other research organizations. However, we can be even better and can lead to new areas. We will seek the very best from around the world, sometimes collaborating with our toughest competition to create a fantastic team. We will ensure that our reward structures provide incentives for sharing, collaborating, and building relationships. This means that we will recognize collaboration in our evaluations for promotions and awards, and we will advocate for funders and evaluators to support collaborative work. We will make all of our campuses into dynamic centers of collaboration and innovation. We will bring staff, students, entrepreneurs, and industry researchers together in modern purpose-built spaces where ideas can be developed and tested rigorously and where networks can flourish. In White City, we create a new campus where partnerships working on global challenges transcend departmental boundaries. Every day, individuals, policymakers, and business leaders face questions, the answers to which require an understanding of the natural world, technology, medical advances, and business analysis. We can make a tremendous difference by using our expertise and knowledge to provide factual evidence and advice to government and business decision-makers. Also, the world is full of people who are naturally curious and enjoy learning. We must excite and inspire the public, from potential new students to eager lifelong learners, by sharing what we do in ways that arouse curiosity, awaken a love of discovery, and broaden the understanding of an increasingly complex world. Researchers are courageous. We probe the boundaries of knowledge; we seek discovery and delve into the unknown. We take calculated risks when we know we are onto something important. We find collaborators readily. Individually we already know how to do this. Institutions are more conservative. We will ensure that Imperial creates an environment where researchers can be courageous and push back the boundaries of their fields. We will make working together easy and support judicious risk-taking and collaboration. The world is changing, and Imperial is changing too. We set out this Strategy 2015–2020 to help guide us in the next few years. We acknowledge that we do not know where the new challenges and opportunities will be. We do know that we have great people, and we will build a more agile, adaptive, and resilient organization so that we will be ready for whatever the future holds.

For nearly 140 years, Middlesex University London and its predecessor institutions have been home to innovators and change-makers. We are a progressive London university that puts our students first and provides expert teaching informed by inspiring research and practice. We boast one of the most diverse, multinational, and multicultural communities of students and staff of any university in the UK, with almost 19,400 students and 1,900 staff from 140 different countries based at our modern north London campus in Hendon alone. Middlesex University London generates more than £280 million a year for the Barnet economy, supporting some 3,800 local jobs. We work with employers to make sure that what our students learn is what employers need, and we strive to transform our students' lives so that they have an excellent experience while they are with us and a solid foundation for inspiring careers when they leave us. Middlesex's flagship London campus combines modern facilities and expert teaching with the advantage of studying in one of the most diverse and exciting cities on earth. In recent years we have invested more than £200 million to transform our London campus into a state-of-the-art center for excellence, with facilities and equipment that rival those of the world's top universities. That investment included a new purpose-built center for art, design, media, and performing arts students and dedicated labs and studios for those studying science, technology, and health courses. Our most recent addition, the Ritterman Building, is an award-winning, environmentally-friendly development packed with the latest equipment and teaching facilities. Whatever you study at Middlesex London, you will have access to the best possible tools to help you achieve success in your field. Middlesex London is also a beautiful place to study. At its heart is the historic College building, centered around an expansive courtyard where students and staff can meet in a relaxed atmosphere. There are also many other open areas where you can socialize in exhibition spaces, cafes, and parks. A short journey on the Northern line will take you into central London, where you can enjoy all the historical, cultural, and social experiences unique to our great city. Ranked as the Top Modern University in London. - (Complete University Guide, 2017) £200m invested in outstanding facilities for learning and teaching. 91% of all our graduates are in employment within six months of graduating. 90% of our research is internationally recognized. - (REF, 2014) Ranked Top 3 in London by our students in half of our subjects. - (National Student Survey, 2013) Ranked in the Top 10 for Graduate Salaries in the UK. - (The Times Higher Education, 2011) We offer more than 300 Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs. One hundred forty nationalities represented by students at our London campus.

The UAE's flagship university, UAEU, offers a full range of accredited, high-quality graduate and undergraduate programs through nine Colleges: Business and Economics Education, Engineering, Food and Agriculture, Humanities and Social Sciences IT, Law Medicine, Health Sciences, and Science. With a distinguished international faculty, state-of-the-art new campus, and the full range of student support services, UAEU offers a living-learning environment unmatched in the UAE. United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the first and foremost comprehensive national University in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1976 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAEU aspires to become a comprehensive, research-intensive university and enroll approximately 14,000 Emirati and international students. In its drive to achieve international research stature, UAEU works with its industry partners to provide research solutions to the nation's challenges, the region, and the World. The University has established research centers of strategic importance to the country and the region, advancing knowledge in critical areas ranging from water resources to cancer treatments. UAEU is currently ranked among the top research universities in the GCC and the Arab World and the top 25% globally. UAEU's academic programs have been developed in partnership with employers, so our graduates are in high demand. UAEU alumni hold key positions in industry, commerce, and government throughout the region. Our continuing investments in facilities, services, and staff ensure that UAEU will continue to serve as an innovation and excellence model. Values Respect for Heritage and Cultural Diversity: We respect the deep-rooted values and the UAE's rich heritage and seek to sustain them. Integrity and Transparency: We adhere to the highest ethical principles and work with integrity, transparency, and accountability to create trust and credibility. Collaborative Work Environment: We support one another at work through cooperation and teamwork. Student Focus: We recognize that students are at the center of the University's activities and ensure that our work contributes to continuous improvement in student success. Effectiveness in Decision-making: We focus on outcomes, base our decisions and plans on evidence and analysis, and develop and adopt efficient systems and procedures that support the University's core business. Effective Communication: We are committed to effective communication, through a variety of communication methods, with all our stakeholders (staff, students, alumni, partners, vendors, and the local and international communities). Dedication to Knowledge: We are committed to world-class education and scholarship relevant to student careers and community needs.

With up-to-date service and superb facilities and benefits, the Institute of Applied Technology offers Career-based Technical Education (CTE) in English at the auxiliary and tertiary levels. Also, IAT incorporates deep-rooted higher learning programs in air travel, logistics, and nursing. The foundation has on the whole twenty campuses (fourteen schools, four colleges for Fatima College of Health Sciences and two institutes for Abu Dhabi Polytechnic), situated in the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Western Region, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras Al Khaima and Al Fujairah with its directorate situated in Abu Dhabi. The Institute was established in 2005 through the Royal pronouncement of His Highness Sheik Khalifa container Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi as a corporate body with full budgetary and authoritative autonomy. The Institute was founded in 2005 through the Royal decree of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi as a corporate body with full financial and administrative independence. Vision Make a world-class Career Technical Education framework that will deliver the researchers, engineers, and experts required for the UAE to fabricate a knowledge-based economy. Mission IAT's coordinated structure of Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways adds to the UAE's improvement by giving specific secondary school programs that incorporate professional and specialized training with a thorough scholarly center. Board of Trustees H.E. the Minister of Education, Eng. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) in the United Arab Emirates since its origin in 2005. H.E. Al Hammadi started his profession with the UAE Armed Forces in 1984 and started the quest for his optional post-instruction in the United States before long. In 1989, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. Responsibilities Understanding that training and learning add to a person's self-improvement, increment her/his efficiency and livelihoods at work, and encourage everyone's cooperation in financial and social life, the Government of Abu Dhabi set up the Institute of Applied Technology to lead the progression of the profession-based specialized training. This critical stride is acknowledged in the viewpoint that putting resources into teaching and planning is an interest later on information and aptitudes are the motor of financial development and social improvement. Academic Governance Institute of Applied Technology is entering a time of development and extension. Given its short history (IAT was built up in 2005), there is a dire requirement for lithe, inventive responsiveness to both inward and outside situations, opportunity, and change. Moreover, recent exposure to external accreditation principles has uncovered a few crevices in the Institute government that should be tended to. Because of these difficulties, IAT Senior Management, with direction and support from the Board of Trustees, has embraced a significant push to build up an administering model that considers a proficient and compelling scholastic decision-making procedure that is responsive and also participatory. Understand that teaching and learning add to a person's self-awareness, increment his/her profitability and wages at work, and encourage everyone's interest in economic and social life. The Government of Abu Dhabi has issued the Royal Decree (32)/2005 to set up the Institute of Applied Technology to advance vocation-based specialized training in UAE. Academies under IAT Fatima College of Health Sciences Set up in 2006, the Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS) intends to meet the United Arab Emirates' developing requirement for talented healthcare experts. The College by and by offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and Diplomas in Medical Service Programs, for example, Medical Laboratory Analysis, Biomedical Equipment Services, and Medical Assistants. FCHS is licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and is universally benchmarked through Griffith and Monash Universities in Australia. The College will likewise offer High Diploma and Bachelor degrees in various Health Sciences Specialties, including Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging, and Paramedics. Abu Dhabi Polytechnic The vision of Abu Dhabi Polytechnic is to make talented expert technologists and engineers equipped for performing at the highest global standards to fabricate an information-based economy in the UAE. Abu Dhabi Polytechnic was built up by the Institute of Applied Technology in 2010 to offer a dual academic-professional instructive framework with various cutting edge disciplines (specializations) to develop technologists and engineers to serve the UAE industrialized labor required for Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Since its foundation, the Applied Technology High School framework has offered Emirati youth a vocation-based specialized education. The framework gives strong and elevated Science and Mathematics educational modules that assist in making the researchers, engineers, and technologists expected to meet the UAE's knowledge-based economy.

The University of Sharjah was built up with the point and vision to add to the qualities shared by prestigious colleges around the globe. The training and research programs they offer tend to be extensive and multi-disciplinary. The University of Sharjah has 14 schools and offers 94 programs at the bachelor's, master's, doctoral and diplomas levels. The University of Sharjah is a complete scholastic institute with a particular learning style and a worldwide vision. It is a pioneer in the scholarly community, scientific research, and arts in the UAE and the GCC locale. All programs are licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The University of Sharjah was built up with an extraordinary vision to appreciate essential qualities shared by famous colleges worldwide. Such qualities empower these establishments to advance substantially speedier than others. The training and research programs they offer tend to be far-reaching and multi-disciplinary. They appreciate an impressive foundation for learning and research and figure out how to draw infamous staff with scholastic heft. They are intensely global in their viewpoint and vision and the composition of their student and staff population. They draw in skilled students from various foundations and test them both inside and outside the classroom. Lastly, they are free both scholastically and monetarily, which implies their choices are guided by the trustworthiness of best expertise and useful for developing learning, training, and research. The University of Sharjah has extended in a generally short period to incorporate 14 schools offering +85 various scholarly programs (majors) at various levels. At present, around 14,000 students enlisted at the college with scholarly instructions conveyed by 610 staff members having differing universal experience and prestigious stature. The University has long-term collaboration contracts and critical alliances with 31 leading educational institutes worldwide. These collaborations guarantee that the training our students get meets the most noteworthy global standards. The principal campus of the University of Sharjah (AUS) lies in the heart of the University City in the Emirate of Sharjah, a couple of kilometers far from the shores of the tactical Arabian Gulf. The University's design lends full expression to its Islamic and Arabic legacy with magnificent structures and charismatic scenery. The campus gives extensive, remarkable facilities that incorporate multimedia lecture rooms, sophisticated scientific and research laboratories, committed libraries rich with information assets, up to date IT infrastructure and computing labs, theatres, clubs, two main sports buildings, student centers with access to eateries, and an assortment of shops, and numerous other facilities. There are additionally separate residential areas for male and female students and the staff.

The Al Jaheli Institute of Science and Technology was established in 2008 by the government at the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to give extraordinary professional Education and guidance and train Emiratis to work adequately as a significant aspect of the UAE workforce. The study programs were characterized in association with the local business and a reasonable focus on the UAE job market. The Education and guidance we convey depend on managers' necessities and empower students to gain practical, business-related abilities, keeping in mind the end goal to guarantee a great degree. Al Jaheli Institute is a part of ADVETI, which is authorized by the Ministry of Higher Education, and our Certificate and Diploma programs are licensed to grant Levels 4 and 5 inside the Emirates Qualification Framework. Each program characterizes a qualification that will empower our graduates to enter specialized and professional work as technicians and managers or proceed with their advanced education studies. Al Jaheli Institute of Science and Technology is pleased to have an all-around qualified and exceptionally experienced personnel to ensure professional Education and preparation at a global level of greatness. Al Jaheli Institute of Science and Technology takes a commonsense approach with hands-on involvement in very much prepared research facilities and workshops. The practical part of the Education will lead the entire program, and internships in applicable enterprises are set up to guarantee that students gain essential abilities to improve their professional prospects. Extracurricular Activities and Events We provide extracurricular exercises to improve the student learning experience while learning at the Institute. The Students Activities Policy arranges an extensive variety of activities, for example, sports teams and clubs. Individuals might organize these exercises from staff or students through the Student Services Department. Special occasions and extracurricular exercises are held at the Institutes consistently over the year. These incorporate such occasions as the celebration of: UAE National Day, Flag Day, Martyr's Day, The Al Jaheli Career Fair, Health campaigns and Open days Apart from these occasions, the organization expects to deliver an assortment of workshops and seminars to improve the student's learning, capacities, and abilities. Examples consist of the following workshops: innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, defeating stress, developing self-confidence, time management skills, and fire safety measures. We encourage and commend student accomplishments both inside the Institutes and in the community. Students have the chance to take an interest in different games and recreational exercises and competitions.

Jumeira University is an authorized, private advanced education establishment that trains students for professional jobs in Business, Education, Health Sciences, and Islamic and Arabic Studies. We are focused on giving progressive and steady learning conditions that distinguishability and support goals. We give first-rate innovation services with choices to study in English and Arabic and give separate teaching and spare time facilities for both male and female students. Jumeira University spreads across a 40,000 m2 plot of land in the bustling Al Quoz 4 area in Dubai. At present, the University covers 33% of the plot with tentative arrangements to cover the rest as the student numbers and program portfolio develops. Our campus is located in the heart of Dubai, UAE's most lively city. Being 20 minutes from significant business areas (DIFC, Business Bay, Media, and Internet City to give some examples) and private communities, it is no big surprise that our campus is a sought after destination. Everything is available, with shops, eateries, metro, public transportation, and bank cashpoints close to the campus. Jumeira University works on a gender segregation basis as it grasps and values Islamic customs and legacy. The whole campus is parallel for both male and female students and offers diversity in teaching and learning services, cafeterias, recreational and execution facilities and prayer rooms, and mosques. Our Vision: We have confidence in the Education that enables students to locate their ways to satisfy their fantasies and create deep rooted learners who are set up for the advanced world and besides the future and have a beneficial outcome in their community. Our Mission: JU endeavors to be n student-focused learning organization devoted to: Recognizing abilities and cultivating ambitions. Embracing and commending the distinction and uniqueness of our Islamic culture and qualities. Contributing to the human growth of the community in Dubai, UAE, and locale. Fostering traditions of proactive citizenship. Accreditation Jumeira University is authorized and accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) in the United Arab Emirates. People Our people are a representation of the diverse social composition of the United Arab Emirates. Jumeira University takes pride in the fact that our staff is from 12 unique nationalities, of which many are worldwide experts in their fields of mastery. Each contributes in their specific manner to make Jumeira University the socially distinctive, empathic, and inviting community that it is today.

HBMSU prides itself on being named after HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and HBMSU President. HBMSU was established in 2002 as the first institution with an e-learning platform in the UAE, thanks to a strategic initiative to encourage uptake and application of TQM thinking in the Arab World through innovative, affordable, and accessible means. The University has provided learning opportunities to all those aspiring to specialize in quality management and those associated with its implementation and management in various sectors of the economy. What is the University’s greatest quality/ strength? HBMSU is an institution with many opportunities on the horizon. Being one of the first movers in smart learning in the Arab World and having been the first accredited e-learning academic institution by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research has given the University a competitive advantage. The University’s commitment to transform education in the Arab World remains strong. Its mission focuses on lifelong learning & the technological dimensions of education becoming increasingly important in an increasingly competitive educational market.

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the first and foremost comprehensive national university in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1976 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAEU aspires to become a comprehensive, research-intensive university and enroll approximately 14,000 Emirati and international students. As the UAE's flagship university, UAEU offers a full range of accredited, high-quality graduate and undergraduate programs through nine Colleges: Business and Economics, Education Engineering Food and Agriculture Humanities and Social Sciences IT Law Medicine and Health Sciences and Science. With a distinguished international faculty, state-of-the-art new campus, and the full range of student support services, UAEU offers a living-learning environment unmatched in the UAE. In its drive to achieve international research stature, UAEU works with its industry partners to provide research solutions to the nation's challenges, the region, and the World. The University has established research centers of strategic importance to the country and the region, advancing knowledge in critical areas ranging from water resources to cancer treatments. UAEU is currently ranked among the top research universities in the GCC and the Arab World and the top 25% globally. UAEU's academic programs have been developed in partnership with employers, so our graduates are in high demand. UAEU alumni hold key positions in industry, commerce, and government throughout the region. Our continuing investments in facilities, services, and staff ensure that UAEU will continue to serve as an innovation and excellence model. Values Respect for Heritage and Cultural Diversity: We respect the deep-rooted values and the UAE's rich heritage and seek to sustain them. Integrity and Transparency: We adhere to the highest ethical principles and work with integrity, transparency, and accountability to create trust and credibility. Collaborative Work Environment: We support one another at work through cooperation and teamwork. Student Focus: We recognize that students are at the center of the University's activities and ensure that our work contributes to continuous improvement in student success. Effectiveness in Decision-making: We focus on outcomes, base our decisions and plans on evidence and analysis, and develop and adopt efficient systems and procedures that support the University's core business. Effective Communication: We are committed to effective communication, through a variety of communication methods, with all our stakeholders (staff, students, alumni, partners, vendors, and the local and international communities). Dedication to Knowledge: We are committed to world-class education and scholarship relevant to student careers and community needs.

American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. His Highness envisaged the university as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent higher education institution formed on the American model. It offers 26 majors and 52 minors at the undergraduate level, and 14 master’s degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of Business Administration. These programs are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic business and industrial environment. As a quality higher education provider in the Gulf, AUS is licensed. The Commission accredits its programs for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. AUS is accredited in the United States of America by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The bachelor of science degree programs in chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering offered by the College of Engineering are accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (www.abet.org). The bachelor of the science degree program in computer science offered by the College of Engineering is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org). The Bachelor of Architecture program of the College of Architecture, Art, and Design is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), as well as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees offered by the School of Business Administration, are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, set up in 2006, is an Emirati college that takes advantage of the 760 years of experience of the prestigious Sorbonne, with a new campus situated on Al-Reem Island that consolidates comfort with the effectiveness of innovations. The system, education, and degrees are French and issued by Paris-Sorbonne in the humanities field by Paris-Descartes for law, administration, and economics and by Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) in the sciences. Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is happy to proceed with a remarkable legacy of scholastic magnificence that has been sustained since the twelfth century and a similar quest for flawlessness that has made our parent organization in Paris one of the world's most prestigious signals of edification. At present, more than 700 students from more than 75 nations are selected at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. We give our students the world-class norms of Parisian training, offering a degree coordinate from the colleges in Paris at our exceptional and exciting area inside the Arab world and its new social center point, Abu Dhabi. This is the absolute best of both universes, and we guarantee that we are continually raising students to the pinnacle of their dream professions. Thanks to the Abu Dhabi Government, the Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has had the advantage of a fresh out of the box new campus on Al-Reem Island since 2009. This demonstrates the elevated expectations of resource improvement in the UAE as Abu Dhabi is putting resources into world-class training assets. This campus respects the traditional architecture with comparable design to the chapel of La Sorbonne in Paris while offering the facilities and innovations of a present-day campus. Sorbonne Abu Dhabi has an assortment of facilities at its Al-Reem Island campus, including: Large lecture rooms and an auditorium that accommodates up to 700 individuals. An exceptional exercise center and sports complex, with Abu Dhabi's most noteworthy indoor rock climbing wall. Music and Art rooms intended to cultivate inventiveness and coordinated effort. A Cafeteria is offering a wide variety of sound dishes for breakfast, dinners, and snacks at reasonable rates. A Medical Center is outfitted for emergencies with expert healthcare staff and offers a counseling facility every week. Underground parking that helpfully gives space to 1,000 cars. A majestic piano in the Atrium, open to skilled students to play at whatever time of the day. A Student Open Center (SOC) that likewise includes a majlis. Arabic and French gardens. Outside terraces space for students to assemble and study, talk, or simply unwind. ATM/cash machine facility available 24 hours a day.

Freie Universität Berlin was founded in 1948 by professors and students, in response to the persecution faced by students who took a critical eye of the system at Universität Unter den Linden, at that time located in the Soviet sector of the divided city. The idea of founding a free university found widespread support in the international community, including financial support. This outpouring of aid helped pave the way for Freie Universität to become a university with an outstanding international reputation. The principles of freedom and internationality have guided the university's development ever since. Since the university's founding in December of 1948, the academic ethos of Freie Universität Berlin has always been defined by three values: truth, justice, and freedom. The years 1968, 1990, and 2007 mark turning points in the history of Freie Universität. The university was one of Germany's important sites for the student protests of the 1960s, which sparked a trend toward greater openness, equality, and democracy. Then, after German reunification in 1990, Freie Universität Berlin shifted its emphasis, increasing its research activities. The number of graduates, successful doctoral candidates, and publications also grew by a significant measure. The basis for the university's successful new approach was a series of fundamental reforms, including the introduction of modern management structures in the university's administration, reorganization of the departments, and use of funding to support specific aims. In 2007, Freie Universität Berlin was selected in the Excellence Initiative jointly sponsored by the German federal government and the federal states' governments. It was one of nine universities in Germany to receive distinction in all three funding lines, a step that has enabled the university to solidify and further expand its position as an "international network university." In 2012 during the second funding round of the Excellence Initiative, it was selected again and is now one of eleven universities of excellence in Germany. Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. One of the German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. Freie Universität can thus take its place as an international network university in the global competition among universities. Development and assessment of research projects occur within various focus areas, research networks, and platforms for interdisciplinary collaborative research. The Excellence Initiative's performance provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters. In particular, the graduate schools play a vital role in developing internationally competitive research centers of excellence. Freie Universität Berlin is a broad-based university with 15 departments and central institutes offering over 150-degree programs across a wide range of subjects. Freie Universität Berlin was founded on December 4, 1948, by students, scholars, and scientists to support the American allied forces and politicians in Berlin. The move was sparked by the persecution faced by students who took a critical eye on the system at the former Universität Unter den Linden, located in the Soviet sector of the divided city. Students and academics wanted to be free to pursue their learning, teaching, and research activities at Freie Universität without being subject to political influence. Generous donations from the United States enabled Freie Universität to build some of its central facilities, including the Benjamin Franklin University Hospital and the Henry Ford Building. In a nod to the university's founding history, the seal of Freie Universität still features the words truth, justice, and freedom. In 2007, the university dedicated a memorial to the founding students killed by the Soviet secret service. The university also presents its Freedom Award to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to freedom. To remain relevant and to compete academically and intellectually from its isolated position in West Berlin, Freie Universität made connections with academic institutions and leading literary figures in Germany, elsewhere in Europe, and worldwide. What started of necessity soon became a success strategy: Freie Universität currently maintains roughly 105 partnerships at the university-wide level and about 330 university partnerships within the Erasmus academic exchange network. 45 institute partnerships. Freie Universität is located in the southwest of Berlin, in Dahlem's garden district, which had already become a top-ranked location for research and study in the early 20th century. Academic activity in Dahlem was supported by Friedrich Althoff, Ministerial Director at the Prussian Ministry of Culture, who proposed the founding of "a German Oxford" at that time. The first new buildings housed government academic and scientific agencies and new institutes of the former University of Berlin. Also, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society – the precursor of the Max Planck Society – maintained various institutes in Dahlem from the time it was founded in 1911. A dynamic group of scientists, including Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, and Max Planck, performed pioneering research at the new site, earning multiple Nobel Prizes. In 1938, in what is now the Hahn-Meitner Building, nuclear fission occurred. Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner had spent more than two decades working together there toward that aim. Since it was first founded, Freie Universität Berlin has used former buildings of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and brought several architecturally innovative buildings of its own to the area. Freie Universität is made up of groups of buildings all located within walking distance of one another. The campus planners designed it along the American college campus lines, a novelty in postwar Germany. The permanent exhibition "Future from the Very Beginning" (Zukunft von Anfang an) in the Henry Ford Building of Freie Universität highlights the university's rich and varied history, from its founding in 1948 right up to the present day. Photographs, early films, radio reports, and contemporary printed materials show the university's position at the center of contemporary events right from the start. The Henry Ford Building exhibition is open to the public at no charge during regular building opening hours (Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin, 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday).

The University of Freiburg, officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the second university in Austrian-Habsburg territory after the University of Vienna. Today, Freiburg is the fifth-oldest university in Germany, with a long tradition of teaching the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The university is made up of 11 faculties and attracts students from across Germany and over 120 other countries. International students constitute about 16% of total student numbers. Named as one of Germany's elite universities by academics, political representatives, and the media, the University of Freiburg stands amongst Europe's top research and teaching institutions. With its long-standing reputation of excellence, the university looks both to the past to maintain its historic academic and cultural heritage and to the future, developing new methods and opportunities to meet the needs of a changing world. The University of Freiburg has been home to some of the greatest minds of the Western tradition, including such eminent figures as Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Rudolf Carnap, David Daube, Johann Eck, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Friedrich Hayek, Edmund Husserl, Friedrich Meinecke, Max Weber, and Paul Uhlenhuth. Also, 19 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Freiburg, and 15 academics have been honored with the highest German research prize, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize while working at the University of Freiburg.

With professional-oriented courses, 38 laboratories, and renowned research & development services amongst the international scientific and industrial community, Grenoble INP institute of engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes is one of the best engineering schools in France and the world. For over a century, Grenoble INP institute of engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes has been pursuing its first mission: to train engineers were. Others have quickly been added to this initial vocation: scientific and technologic research, doctoral training, further education, and industrial growth support. For more than 100 years, Grenoble INP has brought together renowned engineering schools close to the industrial world and open to the international market. Today, this Grand Institution of Higher Education has entered a new era, with six engineering schools. By integrating one of Grenoble INP's six engineering schools, you benefit from a unique research capacity in France and courses created to answer society's biggest challenges: energy, environment, digital society, micro and nanotechnologies, and globalized economy. Grenoble INP offers a range of Masters's courses in French and English in the fields of microelectronics, telecommunications, industrial engineering, nuclear engineering, or signal processing.

CentraleSupélec is an internationally-reputed Higher Education and Research Institution. Its excellence lies in its combination of fundamental and applied sciences for innovation with societal impact. For almost two centuries, CentraleSupélec's top engineers have been practicing their skills and knowledge to develop corporate institutions and public organizations. CentraleSupélec is a public institution under the ministerial charter, devoted to the sciences and engineering. This charter is shared between the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Digital Technologies. CentraleSupélec was officially established on January 1st, 2015, bringing together two leading engineering schools in France, Ecole Centrale Paris, and Supélec. The cooperation between our two grandes écoles, known in the French system, had progressively gained momentum since 2009, with the sustained alliance in three core areas: engineering education, executive education, and research. Since 1969, our schools have shared the same admissions process by way of competitive entrance examinations. The similarities in our respective student populations naturally led to an absolute harmony in our approach to innovation, entrepreneurship, internationalization, and leadership development. Our journey towards becoming CentraleSupélec has allowed us to consolidate our research to cover all engineering and systems sciences. Today we boast multiple campuses across the country in the Paris region, Metz and Rennes. We have 4500 students and 370 faculty members and researchers, all of whom interact with our global network: three international campuses (China, India, and Morocco) and five associated laboratories (Brazil, Canada, The United States, and China). We also have successful partnerships with 176 international universities and 140 corporate institutions. Our academic and research excellence is nestled in our firm and fruitful cooperations with large national institutions such as the CNRS, CEA, INRIA, INSERM, and ONERA. 2018 will see the launch of the new CentraleSupélec Engineering Curriculum. It is designed to emphasize student agency within a skill-building academic program aimed at crafting expertise, fostering autonomy, and nurturing career development from the very start. At the heart of this program is the combination of the fundamental and the applied sciences, approached from a complex perspective within a multidisciplinary framework. These disciplines include mathematics, physics, computer science and technology, energy, mechanics, and industrial engineering. CentraleSupélec responds to the global scientific community's needs in shaping and supporting our students within the current needs of society while leading it towards future trajectories. Our vision is that of the whole engineer. One who is independent-thinking as well as being socially and environmentally responsible. Be he or she a creator or a business leader, the CentraleSupélec graduate, will be able to bring together scientific excellence, technical expertise, and an openness of spirit founded on humanism, respect, sharing and cooperation values that define us as an institution.' Hervé Biausser, President of CentraleSupélec. Ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide by QS, we have a network of 176 partner universities in 45 countries and 80 double-degree agreements. Our international student population is at 30%, with 20% international faculty members, as well. We have an alumni network of 35,000 people all over the world. We also continue to develop our presence in China, India, and other major countries of the future. In 2005, Ecole Centrale Paris, together with the Groupe Ecole Centrale, became the first top-tier French engineering school to export its pedagogical model abroad, creating Ecole Centrale Pekin in China. In 2014, Mahindra Ecole Centrale was launched in India, and in 2015, Ecole Centrale Casablanca was launched in Morocco. In addition to our overseas campuses, we also have active partnerships with academic and research institutions worldwide, with five associated international laboratories in China, United States, Singapore, and Canada. We are thus building a global group of schools and interconnected laboratories, which we intend to expand in the years to come. In October 2015, the École Centrale Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of São Paulo to open a school in Brazil one day. We are also working on the idea of a Southern African Ecole Centrale in Mauritius.

The University Grenoble Alpes is a major player in higher education and research in France. As the world is becoming more and more competitive, our institution aims to better respond to the challenges the world poses in universities today and in the future and be more visible and attractive internationally. The University Grenoble Alpes already features in the top 100 and top 200 universities in major international rankings (Reuters, Shanghai, Times Higher Education, and QS, for example) for some of its scientific fields. The UGA rivals the best universities in the world thanks to its research and the numerous educational innovations it has implemented. To strengthen its impact given the many challenges of the 21st century, the University Grenoble Alpes has created a partnership foundation, a strategic facility for innovation and development: using this foundation, the university intends to boost the impact it has on the challenges of today and tomorrow, regionally and internationally. The foundation aspires to combine sciences and cultures to advance knowledge and get young people ready to build the world of tomorrow. It encourages the emergence of pioneering projects and generates resources. The University Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is one of France's leaders in higher education and research. A comprehensive, global university, the UGA enrolls about 45,000 students each year in its high-quality academic programs and maintains 80 research centers in all disciplines. The UGA offers a wide range of programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels, open to all students regardless of nationality. We also offer a range of programs taught in English and a variety of innovative programs preparing students for study and work in a global marketplace. The UGA is an excellent choice for short-stay programs: students from our exchange partners can study abroad with us for either a semester or a full year, and the UGA Summer School combines high-quality scientific training with a variety of outdoor, cultural, and linguistic activities. Innovation and Research An international leader in both pure and applied research, the UGA also benefits from a uniquely innovative setting. Our researchers enjoy ties to a thriving local community of international businesses and industry, particularly in scientific and high-tech fields. We can also collaborate with major European research facilities located in and around Grenoble to produce outstanding results. Located on a self-contained, 175-hectare campus, the UGA offers a wide range of activities for students, faculty, and staff. Community members can volunteer, get involved in arts and culture, or participate in one of 35 different sports – there is something for everyone. International students can also join the university-sponsored, student-run international student association, IntEGre.

Université de Nantes has never stopped moving forward. In the last 50 years, Université de Nantes has taken training and research to the highest level. Facing a rapidly changing world, Université de Nantes invents a new model of University. This model places the student at its center and, more than ever, the human being at the heart of its ambitions. Rooted in Nantes - a city renowned for its vitality, culture, economic development, and its quality of life - Université de Nantes also radiates thanks to its two campuses in Saint- Nazaire and La-Roche-sur-Yon. With 34,000 students (including 3,750 international students) and 4,250 staff, 50% of which is dedicated to research, 1 out of 12 Nantes residents works or studies at Université de Nantes. Right cultural, sports, and society contributor, our University also encourages the revitalization of its region by enriching public debate and by stimulating creativity: conferences, up to date media equipment, artists-in-residence programs, high-level sports, student commitment through 150 student organizations. Within its campuses, different disciplines meet to enrich one another. Université de Nantes is one of the rare French universities to promote interdisciplinarity. Within 21 faculties and schools, 295 specialties are represented, and 63 laboratories work in all knowledge fields. 75% of them are A and A+ rated. Université de Nantes enjoys the significant assets needed to encourage local, national, and international cooperation and make interdisciplinary a factor of innovation and success. It contributes to the innovation of the socioeconomic make-up thanks to its researchers, laboratories, equipment, and state-of-the-art technological platforms. Furthermore, recent university graduates (8,000 every year) constitute a vast pool of skills and talent. By getting involved in local issues while keeping an international perspective, Université de Nantes shows its capacity to work with the new scales of territory. This is essential to any development. Research is a significant growth sector for Université de Nantes, with 75 accredited laboratories. Students will be awarded the diploma from each partner's universities (double degree or joint degree). Moreover, Université de Nantes offers some English taught programs. His academic year begins in September and ends in May or June, depending on the program. The year is punctuated by vacations, including two weeks at the end of the year (Christmas and New Year's). The two semesters are divided by a short break following final examinations at the end of the first semester. The summer vacation lasts more than two months and always includes the months of July and August. One finds two basic types of classes in French higher education, particularly in universities. Lectures are given in lecture halls accommodating from 100 to 1,000 learners. The professor speaks while his or her students listen and take notes. Professors often prepare summaries of their lectures to help students prepare for exams. In seminars, tutorials, and labs, small groups of students meet to apply or explore the material covered in lectures in greater detail. Attendance is mandatory, whereas attendance at the lectures is not. The system consists of course units. Each UE has a value defined in ECTS credits and corresponds to the number of hours of study (lectures, tutorials, practical work, personal projects). The student must complete obtaining a UE. A full year represents 60 credits or 30 credits per semester. No predetermined set of equivalences between French and foreign degrees is officially recognized in France. Each institution is free to set its admission criteria and make its own admission decisions based on each applicant's background and the program's demands to which the applicant seeks admission. That freedom allows French institutions to compose well-qualified and well-balanced student cohorts while also protecting the integrity and the reputation of the education offered.

The largest multidisciplinary University in Ile-de-France, the Université Paris-Est Créteil, may be described as a bold yet successful enterprise. In little more than 40 years since its foundation in 1970, UPEC has managed to establish itself both as a regionally grounded institution and an internationally oriented university. Only 20 minutes from the heart of Paris, UPEC stands out with its 120,000 square meter campus, comprehensive programs, and state-of-the-art research. The University houses 31 research centers, and 15 components, for a student population of 30,000. Courses and training are specially tailored to meet international standards and cover an extensive range of disciplines, from technical degrees to doctorates (Ph. D). Besides, UPEC has signed more than 250 international agreements with universities and laboratories and enjoys governmental and European support. Due to its internationally focused policy, UPEC boasts a rich social diversity and welcomes 3,000 international students each year. Special services are dedicated to helping them with their everyday life, such as adapted French courses, easy access to healthcare for all students, and specific support for administrative procedures and accommodation. UPEC’s study also includes programs entirely taught in English, as the University welcomes numerous teachers and researchers from abroad. The five doctoral schools contribute to the development of Ph.D. candidates and their professional placement. The Science Council supports the international movement and collaborations of Ph.D. students via the mechanism of the Quality Research Bonus (BQR). Research staff is mainly engaged in European programs assisting doctoral schools.

The Université du Maine is a multidisciplinary institution founded in 1977. As a critical socio-economic and educational player in the Grand Ouest region, it is situated on two campuses 80 km apart, one in Le Mans and the other in Laval. The University offers a wide range of Labor-marketed oriented programs open to everyone. The University has numerous partners across five continents to encourage and develop its research and teaching activities for the students' sake. The University has signed 263 agreements, 89 of which are in Europe, and has increased its participation in international networks to facilitate student and researcher mobility. A member of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) has obtained the French-German University status and participates in AUF consortiums. It is also at the origin of network-to-network agreements (RUOA, G9 group of Spanish Public Universities. A member of the EUA, a member of the ISEP network (International Student Exchange Program), and Campus France, the University is heavily involved in developing 65 dual-degree programs, 5 of which have obtained the European label from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the first year of a Bachelor's degree to a Ph.D., the Université du Maine proposes programs adapted to the evolution of the French and global socio-economic world, guaranteeing its students their success in finding a job in one innovating activity sector. Several programs (ERASMUS and the Université du Maine Scientific Council among them) allow the Université du Maine to benefit for one week up to one month from the best professors and researchers from all over the world to extend international exchanges with foreign universities and to multiply research collaborations. These invited professors will also have the opportunity to teach and give conferences.

The University of Helsinki is an international academic community with more than 40,000 students and members of staff. It operates on four campuses in Helsinki and nine other localities in Finland. The University's 11 faculties are home to many departments. Furthermore, the University accommodates several independent research-oriented institutes, multidisciplinary research networks, campus units, and units attending to duties of a national authority. The University of Helsinki enjoys excellent visibility and influence all around Helsinki and in the rest of Finland. What kind of teaching will be offered, and what kind of research will be conducted at the University of Helsinki in 2020? In what ways will the University engage with the surrounding society at that time? How will we continue to achieve excellence? The image of the future the University pursues with determination – its vision of "Global Impact in Interaction" – can be realized by taking active measures. In these pages, we share stories of scenarios and wishes for the future and our passion for research, high-quality teaching, and social impact. These stories encourage us to make bold choices that will enable the University to contribute to global challenges. The University of Helsinki is the oldest and largest academic education institution in Finland, an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. In international university rankings, the University of Helsinki typically ranks among the top 100. The University of Helsinki seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for humanity's best. Through the power of science, the University has contributed to society, education, and welfare since 1640. The University of Helsinki is the only Finnish University to rank in the top 100 international university rankings consistently. There are approximately 18 000 universities in the world. In 2017, the University of Helsinki placed 56th in the Shanghai Ranking, 90th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking and 102th in the QS World University Ranking, and 81th in the Taiwan (NTU) ranking. The University of Helsinki aims to produce research of a high international standard in all fields. Research provides the University's scholars with substantial expertise to participate in society's development and the business sector in various national and regional cooperation projects. The University of Helsinki is a member of more than half of all national and Nordic centers of excellence research. It is also the only Finnish University to have received an invitation to join the League of European Research Universities (LERU), an association of the leading research-intensive universities in Europe. The University allocates funding to research based on competition and evaluation. Particular emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary initiatives within basic research. About half of the research conducted at the University of Helsinki is financed from the University's operating expenses and the other half from external funding sources. Teaching at the University of Helsinki is based on research. The underlying principle is that every teacher does research, and every researcher teaches. According to an international evaluation, teaching at the University of Helsinki is of a high European standard. As a research-intensive university, the University of Helsinki encourages most of its students to complete a second-cycle degree. The great variety of minor subject options continues to be an essential component in the high quality of degrees completed at the University. The Open University offers teaching by the University of Helsinki's degree requirements, and the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+ provides professional education programs in the various fields represented at the University. The University of Helsinki is a responsible social force, an advocate of science and scholarship, and a valued partner. The University boasts an extensive network of partners, including its alumni and friends, donors and funders, foundations and civic organizations, businesses, and the media and political decision-makers and civil servants in the public sector. The University's social engagement is manifested through its core duties of research and teaching, in addition to which the University and members of the University community interact with the surrounding society in numerous ways. Interaction with the University enhances its partners' operational conditions, the business sector, and society at large. Graduates serving as experts in various fields constitute the University's most significant contribution to society. Decision-makers consult the University's representatives, participate in public debate, and provide research information for public use. Productive, well-functioning partnerships generate solutions to the significant challenges facing not only Finnish society but societies globally. The University of Helsinki is the only Finnish University to be a member of the League of European Research Universities, or LERU, an association of 21 leading European universities promoting the conditions and opportunities for basic research in Europe. Of the University of Helsinki's teachers and researchers, 22% are from outside Finland. The University has 1 700 international Masters and doctoral students in 2016. Approximately 800 students embark on a student exchange every year. Meanwhile, the University of Helsinki receives approximately 1,000 incoming exchange students every year. The University of Helsinki was established in Turku in 1640, and the University continues to celebrate its anniversary on the date of the establishment of the Royal Academy of Turku, 26 March. The University moved to Helsinki during Finland's Russian rule in 1828, and when Finland gained its independence, it was renamed the University of Helsinki. The Royal Academy of Turku was one of the four national universities in the Swedish realm. Its academic community comprised 11 professors and 250 students. Teaching and research were connected to Lutheran theology and European humanism. Research topics of the time included the structure of the universe, the nature of matter, the rules of mechanics, and the earth's resources. After Finland became a part of Imperial Russia in 1809, the University was dramatically expanded. The Imperial Alexander University became a Humboldtian university of science and edification which studied humanity and its environment through the scientific method. Once Finland gained its independence in 1917, the University assumed a central role in building the nation-state and its welfare. Members of the University community promoted the fledgling state's international interaction and economic development.

Tampere University of Technology (TUT) joined the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) at the beginning of 2017. ECIU promotes the internationalization of its member universities and represents their interests at the EU level. ECIU is a growing consortium that currently comprises 12 research-intensive universities. It has a goal to bring members on board from each country in Europe. TUT was invited to join ECIU, as the University enjoys a strong reputation for industry collaboration and has been steadily climbing up global rankings. ECIU is more than a loose partnership between like-minded universities and an essential consideration for TUT. "ECIU is an active and well-organized international consortium established in 1997. All the member universities are expected to serve on its working groups," says Minna Haka-Risku, ECIU's local coordinator at TUT. "Judging by the number of international students and staff and the volume of English-taught courses and programs, TUT is one of the most international universities in Finland. While our professors and researchers maintain close collaboration with colleagues from around the world, it is also important to be involved in cross-institutional networks," says President Mika Hannula. Hannula believes that ECIU membership will help strengthen TUT's international profile. "We are looking to promote the international mobility of our teachers and identify potential partner universities with which to establish long-term research projects. After international tuition fees are introduced in Finnish universities, we are going to see even more competition for talented foreign students, so their recruitment is also a priority," says Hannula. ECIU's coordinator is placed in the University of Twente in the Netherlands. The practical work is undertaken by working groups made up of employees from the member universities. TUT is well represented and has a seat on both of ECIU's largest working groups. One of them focuses on innovation in teaching and learning and the other on entrepreneurship and societal impact. "As ECIU aims to increase students' exchange within the consortium by 20 percent, the member universities are developing customized programs for exchange students. TUT could, for example, offer a tailored package of currently available, English-taught bachelor's courses to students from the other member universities," says Haka-Risku. The members are also working on international double degree programs and an online course on entrepreneurship. Also, ECIU has launched a development program for teachers and education developers. The first implementation round of the program is currently underway, with two representatives from each member university. "To increase international recruitment, we have agreed to advertise all positions that become vacant in the member universities on ECIU's website." TUT has experience of previous collaboration with all of ECIU's member universities. Exchange agreements remain in place between TUT and almost all the members by ECIU's regulations. "UK universities have been reluctant to sign bilateral exchange agreements in the past. Thanks to ECIU, we now have the University of Nottingham as part of our network of potential host universities." Haka-Risku says that a crucial part of ECIU's mission is to influence EU policies relevant to the consortium. To this end, ECIU recently hired an employee to represent its interests in the EU. The sharing of acceptable practices is an essential aspect of all collaboration. "When universities come together to share experiences, we gain new insights and ideas for developing our University. We only have to make sure that the insights are put into action," says Hannula. TUT is located in Tampere, the Nordic countries' largest inland city, some 170 km north of Helsinki's capital. TUT's campus in the suburb of Hervanta is a community of 10,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students and close to 2,000 employees. Internationality is an inherent part of all the University's activities. Around 1,500 foreign nationals from more than 60 countries work or pursue studies at TUT. Tampere University of Technology (TUT) is an active scientific community of 1,600 employees and 8,300 students. The University enjoys a reputation as a sought-after collaboration partner in industry and academia and maintains close ties with some 200 universities worldwide. Internationality is an integral part of all our activities. TUT is a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU). The most extensive and established of our leading-edge international research fields are signal processing, optics and photonics, and intelligent machines. We aim to be counted among the world's foremost research institutions in these fields. TUT was established in 1965 and has operated in the form of a foundation since 2010. Our compact and welcoming campus is located in the city district of Hervanta and is easy to reach by public transport or by car. The Kampusareena building (photo) stands in the middle of the campus and is a vibrant meeting place for students, researchers, staff, companies, and alumni. The building was completed in autumn 2015.

The path to a great future is paved with skills and expertise. The Karelia University of Applied Sciences is proud to be part of this development by training skilled professionals. Karelia is a multidisciplinary, widely connected, international, and innovative organization offering education leading to bachelor's and master's degrees. Karelia operates in seven study fields offering 21 programs out of which five are masters. Study areas are health care and social studies, business, engineering, forestry, media, and hospitality management. Karelia operates on two campuses near the Joensuu city center in easternmost Finland. Karelia is a significant and well-regocnised actor in education and plays a vital role in regional development and research, development, and innovation activities (RDI). Karelia operates actively in various national and international networks. International partner networks include many Asian, African, European, and North- and South-American countries. China is one of the most prestigious partner countries where education cooperation is actively and systemically developed in collaboration with the partners. We offer excellent conditions for internationally oriented students who strive to be the experts of the future. At the Karelia University of Applied Sciences, all students work closely with local companies and other educational institutions on exciting research and development projects. Each student builds a solid grounding in their field throughout their studies. The curriculum is customized to each student's preferences and needs and is supplemented through close contact with prospective employers. A degree from the Karelia University of Applied Sciences degree will give the professional skills needed for a rewarding future. The aim of the quality management at Karelia University of Applied Sciences is to secure that the UAS operates effectively, functionally, and consistently with its strategy. Its operations are developed continuously. Development work is displayed in all processes and parts of the organization and everyone's work. The quality assurance system follows the PDCA continuous development cycle (Plan, Do Check, Act). The starting point is a continuous cycle of planning, doing, assessing, and developing, aiming at continuous learning and development of the organization. Karelia UAS alumni is a network for the graduates of Karelia University of Applied Sciences or any preceding institutes of Karelia UAS. It is the link between our educational institution and working life. Karelia UAS alumni activities aim at encouraging the graduates to continue their interaction with their former university and thus strengthen the collaboration between the staff, graduates, and students of Karelia UAS. The alumni of Karelia University of Applied Sciences include all graduates of Karelia University of Applied Sciences or any preceding institutes of Karelia UAS as well as foreign degree students and exchange students who have been studying at Karelia UAS. Furthermore, former employees of Karelia UAS can also be registered as Karelia UAS alumni. As an alumnus, you will become a part of an expert network. You can create new contacts and maintain contact with your fellow students. Our alumni are provided with current information on education, new research, recent projects, and publications. We also invite our alumni to join our activities and attend our events. You can choose the channel you would like to use to contribute to the development of education and enhance our students' working life knowledge. Karelia Work Smart Online Fair is a networking event organized by Business IT students from Karelia University of Applied Sciences. This is already the 8th time that the event takes place. It is a meeting place for companies and students to establish relationships and exchange information about job requirements and students' skills and competencies. Our cooperation partners are Joensuu Science Park, and Karelia projects SMErec and Work Smart. Internationality is present in everything that Karelia University of Applied Science (UAS) does. Internationality embeds education, staff, student competencies development, research, development actions, and expert services. Besides mobility, internationalization includes joint curriculum development, research and development projects, global education services, immigrant work, and competence development. Karelia UAS is very active in the international arena. It participates, e.g., in the Erasmus+, Nordplus, NPA, and FIRST programs. To mention some notable references, Karelia coordinates the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance project ERDI and Strategic Partnership project ECMT+. Projects are an essential means to support the strategic internationalization of Karelia UAS. The internationalization aims to strengthen both the professional and transversal competences of students and staff, provide an international aspect to curriculum development, increase competitiveness, and support the region's businesses. Karelia UAS has more than 100 partner institutions in 25 different countries. About 160 students from the Karelia UAS are either studying or doing practical training abroad, and about 120 international students are studying at Karelia UAS or doing practical training. Karelia offers courses and modules for incoming students and support in finding placements.

Centria University of Applied Sciences is a multi-disciplinary, dynamic, and international higher education institution. We pride ourselves on offering students and staff an environment that is innovative, caring, and multicultural. Centria International administers mobility programs, supports internationalization at home on our three campuses, and supports the degree programs in their international projects. Centria has exchange agreements with over 100 partner institutions around the world. Every year we welcome about 100 exchange students to study for three months, a full semester, or an entire academic year at one of our three campuses. Similarly, every year we send out over 100 students on study exchange or work placements to partners worldwide. Suppose you are interested in coming to Centria as an exchange student, either for a study exchange or a work placement. In that case, you will find more information about what we can offer and apply under Exchange students. Centria University has an extensive network of partner universities worldwide; however, we are always interested in forming new partnerships that benefit our students and staff alike. If your institution is interested in a partnership, please contact us. You will find our contact information under Contacts. Centria University of Applied Sciences has operations in the three towns of Kokkola, Ylivieska, and Pietarsaari. This region is characterized by the old towns, the sea with its archipelago, and vivid bilingualism and the long river valleys, traditional country life, and bustling local cultures. Kokkola, a pleasant town of 47,000 inhabitants, has ample leisure and outdoor activities all year round. The owner of Centria University of Applied Sciences is Centria University of Applied Sciences Ltd. Stakeholders are the Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia, the Federation of Education in Jokilaaksot, the city of Jakobstad, Raudaskylä Christian College, and Central Ostrobothnia Conservatory. CEO of Centria University of Applied Sciences Ltd. is rector Kari Ristimäki. UAS's organization is built on processes, and the main processes are learning and research, development, and innovation processes. Studies at Centria University of Applied Sciences are very practically oriented: students work on real-life cases, visit companies, and undertake work placements. Students are personally guided throughout their studies, both by a student counselor and an allocated teacher tutor that advises them on all issues. Upon your arrival at Centria, student tutors will welcome you. They will show the newcomers around their new town and explain to them how to get around. The student union COPSA organizes events throughout the year to help students get to know each other, such as outdoor activities, games, parties, etc. Kokkola is a human-sized town, which is extremely safe for all: the crime rate is meager, and it is safe to walk around at any time. The city is surrounded by nature and close to the sea students can enjoy the pure fresh air and the outdoors at any time! Studies at Centria University of Applied Sciences are very practically oriented: students work on real-life cases, visit companies, and undertake work placements. Students are personally guided throughout their studies, both by a student counselor and an allocated teacher tutor that advises them on all issues. Upon your arrival at Centria, student tutors will welcome you. They will show the newcomers around their new town and explain to them how to get around. The student union COPSA organizes events throughout the year to help students get to know each other, such as outdoor activities, games, parties, etc. Kokkola is a human-sized town, which is extremely safe for all: the crime rate is meager, and it is safe to walk around at any time. The city is surrounded by nature and close to the sea students can enjoy the pure fresh air and the outdoors at any time!

Novia University of Applied Sciences acts along with the Swedish-speaking parts of the Finnish coastline. With over 4000 students and a staff of about 300, Novia is the largest Swedish-speaking university of applied sciences in Finland. High-class and state-of-the-art degree programs provide students with a good platform for their future careers. Novia UAS is an essential developer of working life and industry near-by the campuses. In our strategic focus areas, we are among the top of the nation and internationally recognized. Novia University of Applied Sciences was formed on August 1, 2008, by merging the Sydväst Polytechnic and the Swedish Polytechnic, Finland. Novia UAS offers multidisciplinary higher education with a practical orientation, training professionals for expert and development posts based on working life requirements and its development, on scientific research and artistic principles. Novia is the largest Swedish-speaking UAS in Finland, with about 4000 students and 300 on five campuses in Vaasa, Turku, Raseborg, and Jakobstad. Our geographical focus areas are the Nordic Countries, the Baltic Sea Region, Europe, and China. Novia UAS has a national responsibility within higher education offered in Swedish in Finland. Thus, a special mission is to respond to the unique workforce demands and challenges in Finland's Swedish-speaking and bilingual coastal areas. Being a Swedish-speaking UAS, Novia has an established position in cooperation within the Nordic countries. Novia is active in the Erasmus program and strives to build up a strong network of strategically essential partner institutions throughout Europe. Novia has established long-term relationships with HEIs in China: in the Fujian Province and Shanghai. Novia aims at long-term cooperation with HEIs, enterprises, and education and research institutions. Novia will form strategic partnerships and participate in international projects that enhance the quality of education, especially within our focus areas: Sustainable Energy Technology Bioeconomy Health and Welfare Maritime Simulation Culture and Entrepreneurship Projects, including mobility initiated around a theme or subject area at the degree program level, are carried out by academic staff with administrative support from the International Relations Office. Short term international projects, such as intensive courses with HEIs, are seen as an essential instrument for Internationalization at Home, and students and staff are encouraged to participate. International research projects are carried out and administered by R&D. we aim to offer a qualitative higher education adapted to the globalized working life and further education tailored to customer needs. We aim to have a strong regional connection based on continuous interactive cooperation with strategically important partners. Practical training is a compulsory part of the studies at Novia. Students may opt to do their internship or write their final thesis in a regional, national, or international enterprise or organization, leading to employment after graduation. Our close cooperation with working life is permanently present in our daily activities and attuning curricula to labor market demands. Novia strives to foster entrepreneurial skills and attitudes and offer courses in entrepreneurship. Partnership with enterprises like Ramboll enables us to develop new learning opportunities. The agreement enables students to do their internship in one of Ramboll's regional, national, or global unit or write their final thesis for the company. This cooperation is beneficial for students and staff alike. It strengthens the future vision of the unique cross-scientific strength and potential we have when cooperating with working life on both a regional and a global level. Novia is a share-holder of the Giga Mare Inc., offering education within the Philippines' maritime cluster. The ownership is seen as a strategic means to promote internationalization and strengthen our position in Asia. Staff is offered the possibility of in-house training in companies. Staff from enterprises is invited to teach at Novia.

Mikkeli Campus is located at a former military base with beautiful buildings and surroundings. It has a truly international atmosphere as there are over 300 international students from many different countries on campus every year. There are 3500 students and 300 staff members on the campus all together. There are two bachelor's degree programs taught entirely in English: Environmental Engineering and Information Technology on the Mikkeli campus. Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences (Kyamk) and Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences (Mark) merged at the beginning of 2017. The new university of applied sciences is South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk). Xamk is an innovative higher education institution driven by the idea of unlimited lifelong learning and study. The passion to learn is not bound to time, place, or method – it is a way of looking at the world. We promote well-being and sustainable development through global networking and by creating new digital solutions. The strategic objective is to be among the top five universities of applied sciences in Finland regarding student satisfaction, studies, and graduates' employment rate. One of the goals is to be the largest Finnish university of applied sciences in RDI activities and education provided through the Open University of Applied Sciences. The new university of applied sciences wants to be a strong and responsible partner that fully exploits its geographical location. South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences is a pioneer in digital learning, entrepreneurship, and Russian co-operation. Xamk is a higher education institution that focuses on sustainable well-being and technology. Mikkeli is a lively town with the most beautiful lake scenery, a combination of exciting history and traditions, active business, high education and research, culture, nature, and internationality. Mikkeli has approximately 50 000 inhabitants, and over 6000 students are studying in the city. Mikkeli is located in Eastern Finland in an area with many lakes and forests. The town is located not so far away from the metropolitan area, so one can quickly get there by bus or train. Mikkeli has a fascinating history since the town served as the Finnish army's headquarters during three wars. That is why you can see 'Headquarters' mentioned in many places. Mikkeli is a lively town not only in summer but also in winter. We have enjoyed beautiful ice sculptures the last winter as part of the international ice festival arranged in the center of town. In addition to different festivals, you can enjoy various happenings throughout the year, the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra being a good example.