ENHANCE

As a member of the ENHANCE Alliance along with six other technical universities, RWTH is involved in the EU Commission’s European Universities program and actively contributes to the European Higher Education Area. The main objective of the alliance is to expand mutual collaborations to provide an even more comprehensive range of educational, mobility, and participation opportunities for extended target groups. This is intended to improve the positive interaction between research, innovation, and local communities.

As major educational institutions, the seven members not only transfer knowledge and skills, but also foster the values and a culture of togetherness. All of ENHANCE’s activities are based on the European values as formulated in the Lisbon Treaty: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of people belonging to minorities.

ENHANCE sees equality and human rights for all citizens as fundamental for European integration. The aim is to make educational opportunities and exchange within European universities accessible for everyone, regardless of their economic background, special needs, or family circumstances. The ombudsperson for Gender Diversity and Equality seeks to make sure that these aspects are taken into account during all activities. A work package falling under the responsibility of RWTH has been defined for this important topic. ENHANCE has also defined three focus topics for the collaboration during the three-year pilot phase, two of which are UN SDGs: Climate Action (SDG 13) and Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions (SDG 11).