Higher Education Informal Diplomacy: the case of the European Universities Initiative (EUI)

Project Information

HEIDI

Grant agreement ID: 101109231

DOI

10.3030/101109231

Project closed

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 1 September 2023

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 164 950,08

Coordinated by

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HEIDI (Higher Education Informal Diplomacy: the case of the European Universities Initiative (EUI))

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Higher education is undergoing a structural shift. Universities are no longer confined to teaching and research: through their “third mission” of engagement, they stimulate economies, strengthen international cooperation, and operate as trusted channels of soft power. Cross-border scientific collaboration is now indispensable to address climate change, health crises, and conflict. Yet, despite this growing importance, we know little about how higher education institutions (HEIs) combine political agency with knowledge production and act as informal diplomatic actors. EU science-diplomacy debates remain largely state-centric, despite the European Strategy for Universities and the EEAS’s increasing reliance on knowledge.

HEIDI positions HEIs within a distinct form of power—knowledge power—that complements and expands the concepts of Market Power Europe and Normative Power Europe. It defines higher education informal diplomacy as unofficial diplomatic activity in which universities mobilise knowledge to cooperate, negotiate, and shape solutions to global challenges. The project addressed three fundamental gaps: how universities exert influence, which stakeholders matter most, and what forms their diplomatic action takes.

The project examined these questions through the European Universities Initiative alliances (EUIA), launched in 2018 as a flagship EU policy. These alliances - 44 consortia with ~340 HEIs in 31 countries at proposal stage - serve as living laboratories of integration: joint degrees, mobility, governance, and partnerships with students, municipalities, NGOs, and business. Their scale and diversity make them the ideal setting to analyse universities as infrastructures of diplomacy.

HEIDI pursued three interlinked objectives:

Conceptualisation – define higher education informal diplomacy and situate it within existing frameworks (science, cultural diplomacy, soft power).

Mapping – provide the first systematic overview of universities’ informal-diplomacy practices via a Europe-wide survey.

Mechanisms in action – analyse through case studies and interviews how HEIs advance diplomacy, identify key actors, and draw policy implications.

The pathway to impact connected theory, survey evidence, and qualitative analysis. It delivered: (a) a conceptual framework recognising knowledge power as a lever in EU external action; (b) the first systematic map of alliance-based diplomacy in European higher education; and (c) actionable insights for EU and national policymakers, alliances, and universities on how to leverage these networks as complementary diplomatic channels.

Finally, HEIDI is SSH-driven and interdisciplinary, combining international relations, EU governance, and political economy with mixed methods (survey, 35 elite interviews, qualitative coding). Gender-sensitive design and open-science/FAIR practices ensured both academic and policy relevance.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The HEIDI project unfolded in three interconnected phases that combined theoretical development, empirical evidence, and practical validation.

The first phase focused on conceptualisation. Here the project developed a clear framework for higher education informal diplomacy, distinguishing it from adjacent concepts such as science diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, and soft power. This framework positioned universities as actors of “knowledge power,” capable of shaping cooperation and problem-solving beyond the limits of state-led diplomacy.

The second phase centred on empirical mapping. A large-scale survey gathered 294 responses from 201 institutions across 52 alliances, providing the first systematic dataset on how European Universities Alliances operate as infrastructures of informal diplomacy. The survey mapped objectives, activities, governance, and challenges, with data curated under FAIR principles to ensure accessibility and reliability.

The third phase advanced the analysis through case studies and qualitative interviews. A total of 35 semi-structured interviews with vice-chancellors, executive directors, rectors’ delegates and policy stakeholders explored alliances’ responses to crises such as the war in Ukraine, their partnerships with the Global South, and the tensions between academic autonomy and geopolitical agendas. Stakeholder input was first gathered at the KIND Conference (Florence, November 2024). Following the Spring 2025 interview wave, the consolidated findings were validated through dedicated roundtables with alliance leaders and policy stakeholders.

Together, these phases generated a set of main scientific achievements. HEIDI provided a new conceptual definition of higher education informal diplomacy and robust empirical evidence showing that alliances are central to internationalisation strategies but face persistent challenges of limited funding, uneven governance, and pressures on autonomy. The data highlighted the role of students as informal diplomats through mobility and intercultural exchange, and the influence of staff organisations in shaping governance. It also documented the global reach of alliances, with over 60% engaged in consortia beyond Europe, thereby extending EU soft power. Case-based insights, notably CIVICA for Ukraine, illustrated how alliances act as “knowledge corridors” sustaining academic continuity in times of war, while others such as Arqus and UNIC demonstrated the ability to respond rapidly to crises and build new forms of capacity. In policy terms, HEIDI confirmed that universities function as intermediaries between formal and informal diplomacy, offering actionable evidence for DG EAC, EEAS, DG INTPA and national ministries.

The project also produced tangible outcomes. It created the HEIDI dataset (294 respondents, 201 universities, 52 alliances), published a HEIDI Survey Report and a CIVICA-focused internal report, and organised the KIND Conference with four panels engaging European and Ukrainian institutions alongside policymakers. Findings were disseminated through major conferences (ECPR, SISP, CIVICA Global Forum, Alumni EUI, British Council dialogues) and invited speeches in Siena, Lugano, and Paris. Early publications are underway, including journal articles, book chapters, and an edited volume.

Overall, HEIDI delivered both conceptual innovation and original empirical evidence, showing how European universities and alliances are evolving into informal diplomatic infrastructures. These achievements establish the scientific and policy foundations for future research and for integrating universities into EU and national strategies for cooperation and conflict mediation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The HEIDI project delivered the first systematic conceptual and empirical analysis of universities as informal diplomatic actors. It demonstrated that higher education institutions, and particularly European Universities Alliances (EUAs), are not only drivers of academic excellence but also infrastructures of diplomacy, cooperation, and global engagement.
A major result is the creation of a comprehensive dataset: a survey of 294 respondents across 201 institutions in 52 alliances generated unprecedented insights into governance, autonomy, partnerships, and global reach. This quantitative evidence was enriched by 35 interviews with vice-chancellors, executive directors and alliance leaders, which offered strategic perspectives on crisis response, institutional autonomy, and the evolving role of alliances in global engagement. Together, these sources revealed a number of important findings.

First, EUAs are powerful instruments of internationalisation: almost 90% of respondents reported new European collaborations and over 40% highlighted new extra-European partnerships. Membership also enhances visibility and credibility, with more than 90% reporting reputational gains. At the same time, students emerge as informal diplomats, fostering intercultural dialogue through mobility and exchange programmes, even though their influence in formal governance remains limited. Alliances also act as knowledge corridors, most prominently through initiatives such as CIVICA for Ukraine, which sustained academic continuity during wartime and served as a model for crisis-driven cooperation.

However, the evidence also highlights structural constraints. Funding shortages (cited by over half of respondents) and ethical concerns (raised by more than 80%) limit the sustainability of alliance activities. Moreover, institutional autonomy is strongly influenced by national governments and EU bodies, raising questions about the balance between academic independence and political agendas.

The potential impacts of these results are significant. Conceptually, HEIDI has initiated a new debate on the role of universities as diplomatic infrastructures, shaping the scholarly and policy lexicon in higher education, EU studies, and international relations. At the policy level, the results provide concrete evidence for EU institutions (DG EAC, EEAS, DG INTPA) and national ministries on how to leverage alliances as complementary channels of cooperation, particularly in crisis contexts and in partnerships with the Global South. Institutionally, universities and alliances can draw on the findings to strengthen governance, broaden student engagement, and design more sustainable internationalisation strategies. At the societal level, the project has shown how alliances contribute to peacebuilding and resilience by sustaining education during conflict and expanding cross-border trust.

To ensure further uptake, several needs must be addressed. Sustainable, long-term funding frameworks are required to replace short-term grants and ensure continuity of joint research and mobility, especially with crisis-affected institutions. More inclusive governance should empower students and local stakeholders as active contributors to alliance strategies. Broader engagement with global consortia and with financial and trade actors would allow alliances to reinforce their bridging role in international diplomacy. Finally, recognition frameworks are needed that valorise informal diplomatic contributions within academic evaluation and EU policy, moving beyond narrow bibliometric indicators.

By addressing these needs, HEIDI not only advances academic knowledge but also lays the foundation for universities and alliances to be recognised as legitimate and supported actors in European and global cooperation.

ECPR conference panel organisations alliances_082025

speaker CIVICA GLOBAL FORUM Madrid_052025

Alumni conference_uni as diplomatic actors in conflict_0625

key note speech paris British Council_universities and informal diplomacy_0625

EAIE Conference Toulouse_Internationalisation of Alliances_0924

ECPR conference Dublin _082024

podcast interview universities and informal diplomacy_0825

key note speech Siena_informal diplomacy_032025

Africa conference uni and informal diplomacy_042025

KIND conference group photo_EUI president_ukrainian representatives_1124

Thailand conference diplomacy_0725

press quotes HEIDI research_1124

KIND CIVICA Conference_1124