League of European Research Universities

{{Short description|Educational consortium}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2014}} {{Infobox organization |name = League of European Research Universities |image = LERU logo.png |formation = {{start date and age|2002}} |type = Education and research |leader_title = Secretary-General |leader_name = Kurt Deketelaere |headquarters = Leuven, Belgium |region_served = Europe |membership = 24 |website = {{URL|www.leru.org}} }}

The '''League of European Research Universities''' ('''LERU''') is a consortium of leading European research universities, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium.

==History and overview== The League of European Research Universities (LERU) is an association of research-intensive universities, founded in 2002 as a partnership among twelve multi-faculty research universities. In 2024 the number of its members expanded to 24, as the latest addition, ETH Zurich joined the alliance on 1 January 2024. The purpose of the League is to influence academic policies in Europe and to develop best practice through mutual exchange of experience. LERU regularly publishes a variety of papers and reports which make high-level policy statements, provide analyses and make recommendations for policymakers, universities, researchers and other stakeholders.

LERU is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. Kurt Deketelaere is the current Secretary-General.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leru.org/index.php/public/about-leru/office/Secretary-General/|title=Secretary-General – LERU: League of European Research Universities|publisher=leru.org|access-date=2011-01-27|archive-date=2012-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101002102/http://www.leru.org/index.php/public/about-leru/office/Secretary-General|url-status=dead}}</ref> Linda Doyle is the current chair.

==Membership== The Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, one of the 12 founding members of the LERU, voluntarily left the group in March 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The First Decade - LERU |url=https://www.leru.org/files/The-First-Decade-Full-paper.pdf }}</ref> The 24 member universities<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members |url=https://www.leru.org/members|access-date=2026-05-02|website=LERU|language=en}}</ref> as of 2026 are: {| class="wikitable" |+LERU Members !Country !Universities |- |{{BEL}} |KU Leuven{{ref label|coimbra|1|a}} |- |{{DEN}} |University of Copenhagen{{ref label|2017|6|a}} |- |{{FIN}} |University of Helsinki{{ref label|europaeum|2|a}}{{ref label|Utrecht|4|a}} |- | rowspan="3" |{{FRA}} |Sorbonne University{{ref label|2006|3|a}} |- |Paris-Saclay University{{ref label|2006|3|a}} |- |University of Strasbourg{{ref label|Utrecht|4|c}} |- | rowspan="3" |{{DEU}} |University of Freiburg{{ref label|2006|3|a}} |- |Heidelberg University{{ref label|coimbra|1|b}} |- |LMU Munich |- |{{IRL}} |Trinity College Dublin{{ref label|coimbra|1|a}}{{ref label|2017|6|a}} |- |{{ITA}} |University of Milan |- | rowspan="3" |{{NED}} |University of Amsterdam{{ref label|2006|3|b}} |- |Leiden University{{ref label|coimbra|1|c}}{{ref label|europaeum|2|b}} |- |Utrecht University{{ref label|2006|3|c}}{{ref label|Utrecht|4|b}} |- |{{ESP}} |University of Barcelona{{ref label|2010|5|a}}{{ref label|coimbra|1|d}} |- |{{SWE}} |Lund University{{ref label|2006|3|d}} |- | rowspan="3" |{{CHE}} |University of Geneva{{ref label|coimbra|1|e}} |- |ETH Zurich |- |University of Zurich{{ref label|2006|3|e}} |- | rowspan="5" |{{GBR}} |Imperial College London{{ref label|2010|5|b}} |- |University College London{{ref label|2006|3|f}} |- |University of Cambridge{{ref label|coimbra|1|f}} |- |University of Edinburgh{{ref label|coimbra|1|g}} |- |University of Oxford{{ref label|coimbra|1|h}}{{ref label|europaeum|2|c}} |}

== Locations == {{Location map+|Europe|caption=Locations of the LERU members|float=center|width=800|places= {{Location map~|Europe|lat=50.88|long=4.70|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-16px;left:-7px;">Leuven</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=60.17|long=24.95|position=top|label=<div style="position:relative;top:11px;left:-7px;">Helsinki</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.85|long=2.36|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-3px;">Sorbonne</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.70|long=2.17|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-14px;left:-20px;">Paris-Saclay</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.58|long=7.76|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-2px;left:-2px;">Strasbourg</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=47.99|long=7.85|position=left|label=<div style="position:relative;top:4px;left:1px;">Freiburg</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=49.41|long=8.71|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;left:-2px;">Heidelberg</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.15|long=11.58|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-16px;">Munich</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=45.46|long=9.19|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-16px;left:-5px;">Milan</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=52.37|long=4.89|position=top|label=<div style="position:relative;top:13px;left:6px">Amsterdam</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=52.16|long=4.49|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-2px;left:-46px;">Leiden</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=52.09|long=5.17|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-24px;left:23px;">Utrecht</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=41.39|long=2.16|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-12px;left:8px;">Barcelona</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=55.71|long=13.59|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;top:4px;left:2px;">Lund</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=55.67|long=12.06|position=left|label=<div style="position:relative;top:2px;left:1px;">Copenhagen</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=46.20|long=6.15|position=left|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-2px;left:1px;">Geneva</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=47.37|long=8.55|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-15px;left:-9px;">Zurich</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=51.50|long=-0.18|position=right|label=<div style="position:relative;top:4px;left:-1px;">Imperial</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=51.52|long=-0.13|position=bottom|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-16px;left:-15px;">UCL</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=52.21|long=0.12|position=top|label=<div style="position:relative;top:14px;left:-14px;">Cambridge</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=55.95|long=-3.19|position=top|label=<div style="position:relative;top:11px;left:10px;">Edinburgh</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=53.4|long=-5.9|position=left|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-2px;left:1px;">Trinity</div>}} {{Location map~|Europe|lat=51.76|long=-1.25|position=left|label=<div style="position:relative;top:1px;left:1px;">Oxford</div>}}}}

==Notes== #{{note label|coimbra|1|a}}{{note label|coimbra|1|b}}{{note label|coimbra|1|c}}{{note label|coimbra|1|d}}{{note label|coimbra|1|e}}{{note label|coimbra|1|f}}{{note label|coimbra|1|g}} These universities also belong to the Coimbra Group, a larger alliance of European universities. #{{note label|europaeum|2|a}}{{note label|europaeum|2|b}}{{note label|europaeum|2|c}} These universities also belong to Europaeum, another European university network. #{{note label|2006|3|a}}{{note label|2006|3|b}}{{note label|2006|3|c}}{{note label|2006|3|d}}{{note label|2006|3|e}}{{note label|2006|3|f}} These universities joined the League as new members on 1 January 2006. #{{note label|Utrecht|4|a}}{{note label|Utrecht|4|b}}{{note label|Utrecht|4|c}} These universities also belong to the Utrecht Network, another European university network. #{{note label|2009|5|a}} {{note label|2009|5|b}} These universities joined the League as new members on 1 January 2010. #{{note label|2017|6|a}} These universities joined the League as new members on 1 January 2017.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|www.leru.org}}

Category:College and university associations and consortia in Europe