In the last decade, an upsurge of new nationalisms and geopolitical shifts have amplified Eurosceptic opposition and challenged the values of integration at the root of the European integration project. These transformations in the political world in which universities operate exert a growing pressure on the openness of higher education and research and are affecting academic freedom, open science, institutional autonomy, and international engagement, including mobility opportunities. The University finds itself entangled in contrasting visions of Europe: between one of deeper political integration and openness and visions where European nation-states (re) gain power as the locust of political sovereignty or where protectionism, regionalism, and security politics challenge open exchange with communities outside the EU.

The action brings together an inter-disciplinary group of researchers to explore the shifting dynamics between the University, the nation-state and the European integration project. Through knowledge-exchange and collaboration, the network will converge diverse pan-European and interdisciplinary perspectives on the neonationalism-higher education relationship and accompanying geopolitical pressures. The network will strengthen and showcase European scholarship, and liaise with stakeholders in the domain of higher education and research to generate ideas for addressing and alleviating the growing threats to the University’s openness and global cooperation capabilities. In doing so, the network will develop sustainable and transferable analytical and conceptual frameworks for future studies and collaborations, including mentorship programs for early career scholars.