University mergers in Europe - The University of Strasbourg

“University mergers in Europe” is the second thematic report published by EUA as part of the DEFINE project. DEFINE explores strategies for efficient funding of universities in Europe, looking in particular at excellence initiatives, university mergers and performance-based funding mechanisms.
University mergers in Europe - The University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg was officially founded on 1 January 2009, after about three years of preparation once the decision to merge had been taken in 2006. The merger was primarily a project owned by the institutions themselves, in a context where the public authorities fostered clustering in the sector. The institutions involved took advantage of the reform of the regulatory framework initiated in 2007 by choosing to be part of the first round of universities entrusted with ‘enlarged responsibilities’ (notably as regards staffing autonomy and budget management).
The main driver behind the process was the willingness to improve the international attractiveness of a stronger, more visible institution with critical mass and comprehensive academic offer.
The process was steered by the leaders of the three merging institutions and managed and supported by an operational project leader and a coordination team. The structure also included a series of inter-institutional thematic committees and working groups within each institution. External consultants were invited to provide advice on the design and implementation of the new organisational structure. The European University Association accompanied the change process and subsequently carried out an audit of the merger.

Success factors
- Common vision of the leadership
- Favourable political and regulatory developments (autonomy reform; “operation campus”)
- Geographical coherence (same campus)
- No significant overlap in the academic offer
- Common history of the three partners

Challenges
- Limited human resources and significant additional workload for involved staff
- Change management methodologies not proportional to the ambition of change
- Change of leadership teams during the preparation process
- Diversity in the governance and administration profiles of the three partners
- Heterogeneous academic traditions and institutional cultures
- Pioneering merger process in France: no ‘best practices’ available. Download the report “University mergers in Europe”. More...