League of European Research Universities
Formation	2002
Type	Education and research
Headquarters	Leuven, Belgium
Region served	Europe
Secretary-General	Dr. Kurt Deketelaere
Website	www.leru.org

The League of European Research Universities (LERU) is a consortium of Europe's most prominent and renowned research universities.

Contents 1 History and Overview 2 Membership 3 See also 4 External links 5 Notes

History and Overview

The League of European Research Universities (LERU) is an association of leading research-intensive universities that share the values of high-quality teaching within an environment of internationally competitive research. Founded in 2002, as a partnership among twelve of Europe's top multi-faculty research universities, in 2010 it expanded its membership to twenty-one universities. LERU advocates education through an awareness of the frontiers of human understanding; the creation of new knowledge through basic research, which is the ultimate source of innovation in society; and the promotion of research across a broad front in partnership with industry and society at large.

The purpose of the League is to advocate these values, to influence policy 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 in-depth analyses and make concrete recommendations for policymakers, universities, researchers and other stakeholders.

LERU is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. Prof. dr. Kurt Deketelaere is the current Secretary-General.

Membership

The 21 member universities as of 2011 are:

 Belgium

• KU Leuven^[1]

 Finland

• University of Helsinki^[2][4]

 France

• Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University^[3]
• University of Paris-Sud^[3]
• University of Strasbourg^[4]

 Germany

• University of Freiburg^[3]
• Heidelberg University^[1]
• University of Munich

 Italy

• University of Milan

 Netherlands

• University of Amsterdam^[3]
• Leiden University^[1][2]
• Utrecht University^[3][4]

 Spain

• University of Barcelona^[5]

 Sweden

• Lund University^[3]
• Karolinska Institute^[3]

 Switzerland

• University of Geneva^[1]
• University of Zurich^[3]

 United Kingdom

• Imperial College London^[5]
• University College London^[3]
• University of Cambridge^[1]
• University of Edinburgh^[1]
• University of Oxford^[1][2]

See also

• IDEA League (a strategic alliance of five of Europe's leading technical research universities)
• International Research Universities Network

External links

• LERU website
• e-LERU Virtual Campus
• Bright Students’ Conference

Notes

1. ^{a b c d e f g} These universities also belong to the Coimbra Group, a (larger) alliance of European universities.
2. ^{a b c} These universities also belong to Europaeum, another European university network.
3. ^{a b c d e f} These universities joined the League as new members on January 17, 2006.
4. ^{a b c} These universities also belong to the Utrecht Network, another European university network.
5. ^{a b} These universities join the League as new members on January 1, 2010.