History of CEUS and the European Focus of Saarland University

The Cluster for European Research emerged in early 2021 from the Collegium Europaeum Universitatis Saraviensis (Europa-Kolleg CEUS), which was founded in December 2012. The founding of the Europa-Kolleg aimed to bring the numerous institutions that have existed at Saarland University for decades into even closer collaboration. The network served to initiate and coordinate Europe-related teaching (European Studies) and collaborative research ('Europe as a subject of research'), alongside partner institutions with a European focus in the wider region. With the transformation and further development of the Europa-Kolleg into the Cluster for European Research, the European focus of the university was further strengthened and expanded dynamically. 

Since it was founded in 1948 as a partnership between Saarland and France and by virtue of its particular geographical location in the border region with France, Luxembourg and Belgium, Saarland University has maintained a strong French and European focus in research and teaching, one that remains embedded in its institutional identity to this day. In his inaugural address of 1950, Rector Angelloz affirmed: "Europe! That is the word we choose as our motto and watchword, as we declare ourselves a European university." The founding European idea was also reflected in the broad international composition of the chairs, which persists to this day.

Currently, Saarland University has four Francophone professorships: two in the field of law at the Centre juridique franco-allemand, which offers a Franco-German degree, and two professorships in the field of literary studies within the Faculty of Humanities. Saarland University also offers an exceptionally broad range of international study programmes with bi- and trinational degrees and international flagship programmes such as the European visiting professorship, the LL.M. study programme in European and International Law at the Europa-Institut, a Jean Monnet Chair and the Europaicum certificate students can work towards alongside their current programme. Numerous Europe-related institutions complement the European profile of the university.

Saarland University has a strong presence in international networks. Cross-border networking is anchored at the university through the University of the Greater Region (UniGR) alliance with partner universities in Kaiserslautern and Trier, the Université du Luxembourg, the Université de Lorraine and the Université de Liège. In the UniGR focus area Border Studies, there is intensive collaboration in research and teaching. Significant milestones include the establishment of the Interreg-funded UniGR Center for Border Studies and the introduction of a trinational Master's study programme. Furthermore, LOGOS is a cross-border school for doctoral research students.

For its Transform4Europe – T4E university alliance, Saarland University has also succeeded in securing the European University label and the corresponding funding in the second call of the European Commission. The Transform4Europe alliance unites ten partners: In addition to Saarland University, these include the University of Alicante (Spain), the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn (Estonia), the University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland), Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski (Bulgaria), the University of Trieste (Italy), the University of Primorska (Slovenia), the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon (Portugal), Université Jean Monnet University in Saint-Étienne (France) and Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Lithuania), as well as Mariupol State University (Ukraine) as an associate partner. The initiative will make a significant contribution to the further development of the university's European profile through innovative measures.