Policy papers & statements

#EUInvestInKnowledge - A joint statement of 15 European associations of universities (July 2020)

UNICA and 14 partner associations representing more than 800 universities call on European leaders to step up investment in research, innovation and education, both in the Multiannual Financial Framework from 2021 to 2027 and Next Generation EU, and to commit to putting sufficient resources behind common ambitions. You can read the statement here.

Joint statement for a strong post-Brexit future in HE (January 2020)

Joint Statements for the best Horizon Europe (2018)

• 03/05/2018: UNICA, together with 12 European Higher Education networks and associations, signed a joint statement calling upon the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council to double the budget for research, innovation and education in the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF). The statement was a result of an initiative by LERU and followed three consultation rounds in which UNICA actively participated.
• August-November 2018: UNICA, together with 13 European Higher Education networks and associations, signed two joint statements "Universities united for the best Horizon Europe" calling upon the European Parliament and the Council to introduce concrete changes to the Horizon Europe proposal published on 7 June 2018: joint statement of 31/08/2018 - joint statement of 08/11/2018

Inclusive Mobility

UNICA, as member of the Inclusive Mobility Alliance representing 21 organisations from the Disability, Student and Youth mobility fields, stands for an “Inclusive Mobility” the core elements of which are stated in the Inclusive Mobility Alliance Declaration.

UNICA Statement on Plan S (November 2018)

The Statement on Plan S to accelerate the transition to full and immediate open access to publications (15 November 2018). 

Prague Appeal 2018, signed by Coimbra Group, EUROPAEUM, LERU, UNICA and Charles University

The joint declaration (signed on the occasion of the Rectors’ Conference “University and the Republic:100 years of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic”, Charles University, Prague, 24-25 October 2018) expressed the concern regarding recent political developments, potentially leading to a division of the European Education, Research and Innovation landscape and called on the EU decision-makers to ensure that the future European programmes, Erasmus and Horizon Europe, will continue to allow, and even further develop, Education and Research agreements with non-EU countries. 

Prague Declaration 2016 signed by UNICA, Coimbra Group, and EUROPEUM university networks

The declaration (signed on the occasion of the  Coimbra Group-UNICA-EUROPEUM Rectors Conference “Legacy of Charles IV, Education and Academic Freedoms, Innovation and Open Society”, 13 May 2016) stressed the role of universities as guardians and advocates of universal values, such as tolerance, humanism, and openness. 

Minimum standards on access for persons with disabilities (September 2007)

Recommendations for UNICA members prepared by the UNICA participants during the “Education for all” conference, University of Warsaw, 10-12 September 2007.

Mission statement on equal opportunities (15 December 2000)

UNICA universities pledge themselves to the implementation of policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, age, disability, colour, ethnic origin, religious belief or sexual orientation. Consequently they will implement programmes to remove barriers to equality and to promote concepts of diversity and equality of opportunity in all their activities.

UNICA supported the statement of European University Association issued following the adoption of legislation intended to restrict the activities of the Central European University by the Hungarian Parliament on 4 April 2017

UNICA supported the EUA statement on Higher Education in Turkey following the resignation of more than 1500 university Deans (July 2016)