Each Virtual Institute connects researchers, PhD students, and innovators across Europe around key societal challenges, fostering collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and excellence.

Whether you wish to join a PhD network, participate in joint research projects, contribute to thematic studies, or attend training activities and conferences, the EC2U Virtual Institutes provide a dynamic framework to advance your research and strengthen international partnerships.

Each Virtual Institute is a “laboratory without walls”, bringing together interdisciplinary teams of students, teachers, researchers, and innovators from all 9 EC2U universities through a network of research, training activities and collaboration opportunities. By fostering cross-border collaboration, knowledge transfer, Open and Citizen Science, and mutual learning, they enable EC2U universities to be pioneers in the knowledge square, integrating research and innovation into education and responding to societal needs.

EC2U Virtual Institutes encompass a wide range of activities, including (but not limited to): 

• The EC2U Joint Master's Programmes, which offer internship opportunities and research focused semesters
• Short-term training activities for students and academic staff, including Summer and Winter Schools
• EC2U PhD Networks and related activities to foster collaboration among PhD Students
• Seed research mobility for networking, skill development and sharing of best practices
• Cotutelle/joint PhD theses
• Joint research projects 
• Living Labs

Any student or academic/staff member of an EC2U university, or any other Alliance partner outside academia, can become a member. They should have participated in at least one activity or event organised in the context of the Virtual Institute (whether this participation was in-person, online or in a blended-format). Members are expected to share an interest in the Virtual Institute's topic and actively contribute their expertise.

Becoming a member of an EC2U Virtual Institute opens up personal and professional prospects, including access to a network of peers and to cooperation and mobility opportunities across the 9 EC2U universities.