IE University hosts its Annual CIVICA Meeting to reflect on future challenges and opportunities in European Higher Education

Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University, and Maria Eugenia Marin, Vice Provost for Global Academic Partnerships and Alliances, and a member of the CIVICA Steering Committee, kicked off the meeting at IE Tower, the vertical and technological campus of IE University in Madrid. The event gathered representatives from all IE schools and members involved with CIVICA —an alliance established, as Muñiz reminded attendees, to promote an unprecedented level of collaboration among Europe’s leading social sciences universities.

"Our goal is to strengthen collaboration among institutions and advance CIVICA's mission of fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence in social sciences across Europe," highlighted Muñiz. 

"CIVICA aims to tackle the most complex challenges of our time and foster solutions that positively impact communities, guided by four key pillars: empowering future leaders, pursuing research excellence, strengthening European collaboration, and securing strategic support."
Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University

At the midpoint of a four-year funding renewal from the European Commission, CIVICA has engaged over 95 participants at IE University, received more than 200 applications for its programs, and fostered research and teaching collaborations involving 22 faculty members. Notable achievements include the selection and funding of two IE University projects and the positive impact of the Advancing Climate Economics initiative.

Also, in June of this year, IE University hosted CIVICA leaders during the Presidents’ Committee, an opportunity to address key issues facing higher education globally, including the future of democracy and the role of higher education, the impact of artificial intelligence in education, and the importance of diversity, inclusion, equity, and sustainability.

Manuel Muñiz encouraged attendees to connect, collaborate, and build CIVICA’s vision, using the event as an open forum for dialogue on how CIVICA can continue to be a catalyst for international academic cooperation and growth. He noted that CIVICA is gaining weight in the European educational environment and its responsibility to build bridges is more critical than ever, with a need to foster collaboration, globalization, diversity and internationalization, and to fight the fracture between academic institutions.

Muñiz and Vice Provost Maria Eugenia Marin announced the upcoming CIVICA Global Forum, scheduled for May 2025 at IE University. This two-day landmark event aims to bring together academic leaders, policymakers, distinguished keynote speakers and students in an interdisciplinary dialogue on the most pressing global issues, further positioning CIVICA as a hub for impactful research and public policy discussions. 

Maria Eugenia Marin introduced the European Universities Initiative, for which the European Commission from 2018 invested 1.1 billion euros. Currently, the initiative includes 64 European alliances and over 560 higher education institutions, with Spain ranking third after Germany and France for participation in European alliances. 

Additionally, Marin provided an in-depth explanation of IE University's mission in CIVICA as the leader of Work Package 10: Global Outreach & Partnerships. "Our mission is to elevate the global presence of CIVICA alliance and forge meaningful partnerships that will drive our collective success," she expressed. 

"We can´t operate in silos, we need to build strategic partnerships beyond the academic world to be part of a broader ecosystem and truly make an impact."
Maria Eugenia Marin, Vice Provost for Global Academic Partnerships and Alliances at IE University, and a member of the CIVICA Steering Committee

She also highlighted that IE University has a dedicated team spearheading efforts to develop and implement coordinated actions aimed at increasing the global visibility of the alliance and ensure a bright and prosperous future for CIVICA.

Celia Rubio, CIVICA Project Manager, concluded the presentations with a summary of 2023-24 achievements and a preview for 2024-25. She mentioned significant accomplishments, including increased student and faculty participation, successful research calls, and expanded collaborative events, all reinforcing CIVICA’s mission to drive excellence in social sciences across Europe. 

The meeting offered an ideal opportunity to reflect on a year of growth and collaboration, reinforcing IE University’ role in advancing CIVICA’s mission while setting the stage for future initiatives and collaborative efforts in 2024-25.