What Is EELISA

“We are transforming today’s higher education
to impact tomorrow’s society”

The European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance (EELISA) is a consortium of ten higher education institutions (graduate engineering schools, technical and full-spectrum universities) from eight different countries in Europe with the common ambition of defining and implementing a common model of European engineer rooted in society and of bridging engineering, sciences and humanities for inclusive, sustainable and digital societies.

EELISA Governance and working teams' members. Erlangen (Germany), 2024. Photo by Giulia Lannicelli.

In the framework of the roll-out of the European Universities initiative and the broadened ambition of the EELISA 2.0 Mission Statement, EELISA aims to transform European higher education mobilising all university missions at the service of society by:

  • Leveraging engineering, sciences, and technology, embracing social sciences and humanities to tackle the EU grand challenges, particularly the ecological and digital transitions.
  • Transforming education and training towards challenge-based learning and a strong education ecosystem built around research and innovation.
  • Improving European competitiveness and well-being and contribute to a more resilient and inclusive Europe.
  • Fostering excellence in research and contribute to the continuum of research-education-innovation. 
  • Strengthening the dynamic integration with industry and business organizations’ needs following the future trends and perspectives of the global and European job market.

EELISA’s acronym pays tribute to women engineers through the memory of Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu (1887-1973), one of the first women to obtain an  engineering degree in the world. She also embodied the values of multiculturalism, inclusiveness, innovation, excellence, and social commitment that EELISA holds today.