History

By signing a memorandum of understanding on 6 October 1999, the IDEA League was formed by four major European technological universities (Imperial College London, Delft Univerisity of Technology, ETH Zurich, Aachen University RWTH) initiating their exchange of ideas and expertise. ParisTech joined in 2006 as fifth partner.

Tenth year - 2009

• The IDEA League sports event 2009 is hosted by RWTH Aachen.
• Under the leadership of the ETH and IC, four IDEA League partners are involved in a KIC proposal of the EIT on climate.
• The IDEA League was featured in the Handbook of International Associations of Higher Education.

Ninth year - 2008

• An international workshops on neuroethics by the IDEA League takes place at RWTH Aachen.
• IDEA League takes part in the public consultation on EIT of the EU Commission. 
• The IDEA League sports event 2008 is hosted by ETH Zurich.
  
• The IDEA League agrees on a new Excellence Cluster on Mobility.
• The Heads of the IDEA League endorse the Roadmap for IDEA League Excellence Clusters.
• The IDEA League meets with the board of the European Research Council in Brussels.
  
• Farewell to Hans van Luijk, who is retiring in March 2008.
• IDEA League funds one grant for senior scientists per partner university for research exchanges.
  
• The Excellence Clusters of the IDEA League hold workshops and define their joint research and innovation agenda.
  
• EU Commissioner Janez Potocnik visits the IDEA League at RWTH Aachen.
• Dirk Jan van den Berg, President of TU Delft, becomes the new president of the IDEA League.
• The Deutsche Welle in Brussels interviews some of the IDEA League OB members and the President for a radio feature broadcast on the 22 February, 2008.
  

Eighth year - 2007

• IDEA League establishes an Excellence Cluster on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
  
• IDEA League summer school 2007  "Succeeding in Europe" for doctoral students at Imperial College.
• The Brussels Panel on "Sustainable Transport" in June 2007.
• IDEA League sports event 2007 on June 13-15 at Imerpial College.
  
• IDEA League issues a response to the Green Book "The European Research Area: New Perspectives".
• IDEA League establishes three Excellence Clusters on Energy, Environment and Health.
  
• IDEA League announces the launch of three workshops in preparation for the EIT.
  
• On 6 March 2007 the last Heads Meeting took place. In the future Heads Meetings and General Assemblies will be replaced by a bi-annual Joint Boards Meeting.
  
• The Heads Board of the IDEA League deliberates about the mission statement.
• IDEA League issues its position paper on IDEA League and the European Institute of Technology (EIT).
• IDEA League defines its vision and mission, as weshort-term, mid-term and long-term goals on research, education and innovation in its strategy paper.
  
• IDEA League issues its doctoral position paper on the third cycle European Higher Education as defined by the Bologna Process.
  
• Announcement of the IDEA League summer school in material science at RWTH Aachen.
  
• IDEA League Equality Group receives €500.000 EU-grant for Tandem plus IDEA mentoring programme for female scientists. 
• The new organisational structure of IDEA League is based on three pillars: research, education and central groups.

Seventh year - 2006

• IDEA League commits to supporting at least one summer school per year.
  
• Imperial College hosts the IDEA League General Assembly 2006 on 15-16 November.
• ParisTech becomes a full member of IDEA League on 15 November 2006.
• Herma Büttner, the secretary general of IDEA League, is succeeded by Ulla Bidian.
• The first IDEA summer school "Biotechnology and Bioengineering Applications in Medicine" takes place on 18-22 September 2006 in Ascona, Switzerland.
  
• 120 student are fighting the elements at the IDEA League sports event 2006 hosted by TU Delft.
• On 10 May 2006 the Brussels Panel on “Reliable power- Europe‘s strength” takes place.
  
• The IDEA League introduces a grant scheme for the promotion of collaborations on research projects open for all student levels (bachelor, master, PhD) in June 2006.
  
• ParisTech (Grandes Écoles de Paris) is joining the IDEA League, signing of Memorandum of Understanding on 27 March 2006.
• Joint Master Course of Applied Geophysics goes online, recruiting students for September 2006.
• Collaboration on ethical issues: establishment of an IDEA League statement on ethics, preparation of a summer school for 2007.
• Transfer workshop on good practices in education: mathematics in engineering.
• Joint concerts by choir of RWTH Aachen University and orchestra TU Delft.
• Burkhard Rauhut, Rector of RWTH Aachen, elected IDEA League President for the next two years.
  

Sixth year - 2005

• Joint statement on the doctorate was issued by the IDEA League partners.
• IDEA Forum to discuss our strategy for the next ten years.
• Discussion of the guidelines for extending IDEA League.
• Fact-finding tour to IITs and IISc in India.
• Transfer workshop on good practices in education:‘ensuring quality standards’
• Summer School in 'Biotechnology and Bio-engineering Applications in Medicine' goes ahead in 2006.
• Student councils create an IDEA League representation: Idealistic.
• Student councils suggest the introduction of a database of research projects.
• IDEA white paper concerning the research strengths of the partners.
• Agreement on a standard for a diploma supplement between the partners.
• Negotiations with ParisTech to join the League.
• IDEA position paper on a European Institute of Technology (EIT) and participation in EU public consultation.
• Setting up of a Joint Master Course in Applied Geophysics (between Aachen, Delft and ETH).
• Agreement introducing a grant scheme for research projects for students.
• The IDEA League Sports 2005 event was hosted by ETH Zurich in Davos.
  

Fifth year - 2004

• Joint master courses are being set up.
• Scholarship programme launched.
• Cooperation in international activities is under discussion.
• The number of working groups comparing study programmes increases further.
• The mobility managers met to discuss the implementation of the scholarship and mobility in general.
• The IDEA League Sports Event 2004 was hosted by RWTH Aachen.
  
• Media relations and alumni activities are discussed in separate groups.
• Transfer workshop on good practices in education: 'towards quality assurance in the IDEA League education'.
• Olaf Kübler, President of ETH Zurich takes over as President of the IDEA League for the next two years.
  

Fourth year - 2003

• IDEA League web site goes live.
• The number of working groups comparing study programmes increases further.
• An e-learning database is set up.
• Increase of extramural activities: Imperial College London hosts the first IDEA League sports event and there are concerts of Delft's student orchestra with Aachen's student choir.
• TU Delft's student association in chemical engineering organises an international design competition (fuel cell).
• A working group looks into the exchange of good practice on equality issues.
• At the general assembly an agreement on convention of titles is signed which forms the basis for the introduction of a scholarship to foster vertical mobility.
• At the general assembly an agreement on the introduction of an IDEA scholarship for master programmes is signed.
• IDEA League Scholarship set up for Master Programme.
  

Third year - 2002

• The first 'heads-only' meeting to discuss the overall strategy for the IDEA League was held. It was agreed to:
  - use the collective power of the alliance for better access to funding;
  - attract the best students;
  - influence policy in education and research in Europe; and
  - continue to share best practice in an even wider range of activities.
  
• In May, there was the first meeting of the student councils.
  
• The number of working groups comparing study programmes has grown to eight. They work closely with the quality management group to establish common competence profiles of the graduates of a particular programme.
  
• This has led to the development of a joint diploma supplement which is expected to be applied in the next academic year.
  
• We set up our website following the communication plan set out by the heads of the four communication offices.

Second year - 2001

• The IDEA League initiated an E-learning collaboration. The first workshop led to various joint projects, including:
  - developing a joint distant-learning programme;
  - libraries collaborating in virtual knowledge centres;
  - sharing software tools in evaluation schemes.
  
• The sport centres have organised two competitions and more are planned.
  
• More study programmes were scrutinised, including areas outside engineering, such as life sciences.
  
• There was further elaboration on the quality management principles. One important topic was to enshrine and assure the aims and objectives of the study programmes. A desired academic profile for graduates was jointly defined and is now being put into effect.
• Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of Imperial College London, elected new President of the IDEA League.
  

First year - 2000

Two working groups were defined.

• The first focused on quality management, with the aim of developing a system of quality procedures which can be applied in a similar way in each of the partner universities. This has been achieved and is now being successfully implemented in the four institutions.
  
• The degree system was reviewed with the aim of adopting mutual recognition in the future, and to establish the mobility programmes. Comparison of study programmes started with chemistry/chemical engineering and electrical engineering.