Membership Policy

SGroup Membership Policy

  1. Introduction

 The SGroup – Universities in Europe – is a European-based university network with a global outlook. Thus, it predominantly consists of universities from Europe (75%) as full/European members, but aims at a reasonable number of associate/global members from beyond Europe (up to 25%), disseminated dynamically over all continents.

This policy defines the basic outreach and recruitment principles, consecutively taking academic, institutional and ethical criteria with regard to quality and suitability of HEIs as potential members into account, in order to consequently follow all defined and approved procedures guiding membership and partnership activities, ensuring transparency, strategic alignment, sustainability, adequate composition of and long-term value creation for the association. SGroup’s recruitment efforts respectively adapt to membership circulation.

Furthermore, SG is open to collaborating with comparable global networks and associations.

 

  1. Quality

The quality criteria for eligible HEIs are well-defined and unchanged in the statutes and the relevant questionnaire for candidate institutions.

 

  1. Structured Recruitment

3.1. Strategic Pathways

3.1.1. Completing the Map of National Representation in Europe

SG aims at having as many European countries as possible, ideally all, represented in its ranks. Thus, the structured recruiting constantly undertakes research and recruiting activities in order to complete the map of European countries represented through full members.

3.1.2. Enhance non-European Representation Globally

In the last decade since 2015, SG has developed its global profile by inviting HEIs from beyond Europe, i.e. Africa, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region to join the network as associate members. SG intends to moderately widen the portfolio of its associate members aiming at a reasonable dissemination of HEIs within the respective target regions and considering a total number of associate members up to a maximum of 25% of SG’s total number of members. This allows SGroup to benefit from the expertise available in the regions where many of our Full members already cooperate.

3.1.3. Recruiting New Members Through and Beyond European University Alliances

SG has proven its added value to members as a productive and innovative format of European University Networks that is coequal and complementary to the emerging European University Alliances. However, SG intends to a) use the 23 European University Alliances represented through its members in the network to recruit other suitable HEIs of the respective same alliance or even alliances not yet represented in our association to become a member of SG too, and b) to particularly reach out to HEIs that are not, not anymore or not yet a member of a European University Alliance in order to give them the opportunity to connect and benefit from SG’s wealth of expertise, experience and best practice through knowledge transfer and peer learning in a non-competitive and collegial atmosphere of an association based on decades of trust.

3.2. Outreach

3.2.1. The Membership and Partnership Working Group

The Membership and Partnership Working Group (MPWG) strives to pursue all above-mentioned pathways through strategic research of and structured outreach to potential members, through timely follow-up on recommendations by SG members as well as on unsolicited approaches by HEIs. The MPWG operates in close coordination with the SG office and the EC. It consists of two EC members as well as further interested LOs and GA representatives, ideally representing a reasonable geographical spread and different formats and durations of membership of their respective HEIs.

 3.2.2. Outreach through Members

LOs and GA representatives of all SG members are kindly asked to support the membership policy by recommending potential new members to the MPWG through the SG office. If applicable, the respective representative of a recommending SG member can have an informal collegial conversation with a trusted contact person at the HEI they intend to recommend in order to “test the waters” of their potential interest and capacity to join SG. However, every formal approach and outreach to the recommended HEI is executed by the MPWG, preferably with participation of the recommending LO or GA representative in the initial correspondence, conversation or meeting in order to use the existing contact and trust to make the connection smoothly and thus increasing the prospect of success of the respective endeavour.

  3.3. Recruitment

The recruitment process is straightforward and is handled by the MPWG, the EC and the SG office. Interested HEIs fill in the combined application/information form available at SG’s website in order to provide SG with the necessary details about their institution’s relevant capacity, identity and intention to build the case of their candidacy. Candidates send the form to SG’s office, which transfers it to the MPWG. Once the MPWG has assessed the general quality and eligibility of the application according to the basic criteria, it recommends this case to be considered by the EC. The EC discusses whether to endorse the application. In the case that the application is not endorsed by the EC, candidates will be informed accordingly by the office stating that SG respectfully has decided not to continue with the application. In the case that the application is endorsed by the EC, the office kindly asks the candidate institution to provide SG with an official and formal application letter by one of its legal representatives addressed to the SG president. Once this letter has arrived, GA representatives are informed about the candidature and asked for their feedback, ideally combined with the respective vote in the context of the annual meeting or through circular vote in exceptional cases.

 

  1. Membership Policy

4.1. Principles

  • SGroup is primarily a European network but has extended its reach to global higher education institutions (HEIs).
  • Two membership categories exist:
    • Full Members: HEIs from Europe.
    • Associate Members: HEIs from outside Europe.
  • Membership recruitment prioritises:
    • European HEIs from countries not yet represented.
    • Globally recognised HEIs from strategic regions beyond Europe.

4.2. Eligibility Criteria

4.2.1. Full Members (Europe)

An applicant institution must:

  • Be in a European country.
  • Provide Bachelor, Master, and PhD programmes in the national language and in English.
  • Demonstrate strong research output and international visibility, preferably through recognised rankings.
  • Show a track record of international cooperation, including prior collaboration with SGroup members.
  • Be endorsed by at least two full members or demonstrate significant cooperation with an existing member.
  • Demonstrate a clear commitment to:
    • Academic freedom, ethical conduct, and research integrity.
    • Civil and social responsibility, equity, diversity, and fairness.
    • Active and sustainable engagement in the SGroup community.

4.2.2. Associate Members (Outside Europe)

An applicant institution must:

  • Represent a region or country strategically prioritised by SGroup.
  • Meet the same eligibility criteria as full members.

 

Governance and Oversight

  • WG MPPGO: Leads scouting, evaluation, and issues recommendations.
  • Executive Committee (EC): Responsible for final decisions on membership and partnerships.
  • General Assembly (GA): Ratifies membership applications and provides strategic oversight.
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