On 16 June 2020, the European Commission raised the status of The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) from “associate partner” to “full member” of CIVICA - The European University of Social Sciences.
In 2019 CIVICA was selected to be one of the first pilot European University alliances and is part of an Erasmus+ flagship initiative to support the building of strategic partnerships between European higher education institutions. Founded by seven leading higher education institutions specialising in the social sciences, LSE has been an associate partner of CIVICA since its inception.
Commenting on the news of LSE’s full membership in CIVICA, LSE Director, Minouche Shafik, said: “This is wonderful news. Our heartfelt thanks go to our CIVICA colleagues who shared our enthusiasm to become a full member and supported the bid to the EU Commission for approval. To combat climate change, recover from global health crises or tackle widespread inequality, we need the understanding and insight that come from the social sciences, humanities and the arts. And now, more than ever, it is essential we work closely with our CIVICA partners to overcome these enormous challenges.”
“We are delighted to welcome LSE as a full member into our European University alliance," stated the Presidents of the other seven full members of CIVICA. "CIVICA is now in an even stronger position to deploy its full potential for the greater benefit of students and faculty, and to make a positive impact on society through the social sciences and humanities. The excellent and complementary profiles of our eight institutions open up remarkable possibilities for education, research, innovation and civic engagement in Europe and beyond.”
By joining forces with LSE’s community, CIVICA currently connects 50,000 students and 10,000 faculty members across Europe.