On UNE & our mission statement

The University of New Europe (UNE) is an academic solidarity network managed by a cross-European team of scholars who share a long-term vision of establishing a new academic institution which will offer research, teaching, and dialogue on European politics, culture, society, and climate from a global perspective. Our shorter-term activities aim to:

  • promote democracy and civic education across Europe, 
  • create sustainable support networks for as well as partnerships with students and scholars at risk, and 
  • build critical knowledge about the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the long-term vision of a new university in mind.

Together with our international partners, UNE seeks to transform the way Europeans understand their continent through interventions in higher education.

Our NGO Stichting UNE Foundation is registered in the Netherlands. The UNE steering board consists of seven members based in Vienna, Amsterdam, Leiden, Potsdam/Frankfurt an der Oder, London, and Bern.

Contact details

Stichting UNE Foundation 
RSIN number: 864333535 
PO Box 10278
1001 EG Amsterdam
The Netherlands
communications@neweurope.university

Bank details

Name: Stichting UNE Foundation
IBAN: NL67TRIO0320631265
BIC: TRIONL2U
Bank: Triodos

Vision & aims

UNE seeks to produce knowledge, forecast risks, and create networks and partnerships with scholars at risk, with the long-term vision of establishing a new European university, at a time when Europe faces multiple political, societal, and ecological challenges.

In cooperation with our international (academic, (N)GO, political, and media) partners, we:

  • curate an academic book series entitled New Europes, which focuses on European history and society from a transnational perspective, and is published open access at transcript Verlag in Bielefeld,
  • organize several lecture series,
  • host winter and summer schools, 
  • offer a mentoring programme and resource database for academics and cultural workers at risk, and
  • lobby and raise funds and support for the future University of New Europe.

Our projects help us to accomplish our larger mission of creating a new academic institution which will offer research, teaching, and dialogue on BA, MA, and graduate levels, devoted to European politics, culture, society, and climate. In this institution, UNE seeks to allocate a fixed number of positions to students and staff from those parts of the continent where intellectual capital and intellectual freedom are at risk. By also allocating at-risk positions to students and staff from conflict zones outside Europe, we aim to create an inclusive, globally oriented space for knowledge and debate. We engage in the list of more short-term (and, in part, emergency) initiatives above with this longer-term vision of a new institution in mind.

Directors of Stichting UNE Foundation

Prof. Ellen Rutten (president)
Dr Dorine Schellens (secretary)
Dr Gulnaz Sibgatullina (treasurer)

Funds & renumeration policy 

The UNE Foundation works with donations, which are managed through a centralized UNE bank account. The allocation of these donated funds is conducted in collaboration with an external financial advisor and the three directors overseeing the foundation. The foundation does not aim to make any profit and it functions independently in fulfilling its responsibilities. The directors of the foundation carry out their duties on a voluntary basis and do not receive any financial compensation for their work.

Activities

Via our homepage and social media channels, we inform audiences about the foundation’s recent, ongoing, and upcoming activities. For more details, we refer to our homepage and to our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.