The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Alliance consisting of seven long-standing, education- and research-led, locally and globally engaged universities: the University of Coimbra (Portugal), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi (Romania), the University of Jena (Germany), the University of Pavia (Italy), the University of Poitiers (France-Coordinator), the University of Salamanca (Spain) and the University of Turku (Finland). It represents a community of 160 000 students and 20 000 staff, in direct reach to more than 1 600 000 citizens. The Alliance’s ambition is to develop an innovative space allowing mobility to flow freely between the seven universities and associated cities. This model of openness will contribute to overcome clichéd views of regional and national identities and achieve a united and stronger Europe.