The Guild

The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities (The Guild) is an organisation of European research universities established in 2016. The network, of which the University of Tartu is a founding member, currently comprises 22 universities.

The Guild was created to voice the opinion of universities with regard to EU research policy. The network aims to increase the volume of research funding, to promote the role of the humanities and social sciences alongside the natural sciences, and to foster business relations and innovation. To this end, it stays in touch with political decision makers and works closely with leading industrial and business partners, NGOs and other private and public sector bodies, both nationally and in Europe. Despite its short existence, the Guild has already proven itself to be an active and credible contributor to the European higher education and research communities.

The Guild is governed by a four-member Board of Directors, which is responsible for the implementation of the network’s strategic objectives and oversees its budget. The term of office of the Board of Directors is three years. The current membership of the Board includes Rector Toomas Asser. The Guild Office is located Brussels.