IUC 2026 - Phase-in of new IUC partnerships
This page provides an overview of the selected IUC 2026 Concept Note proposals which started an IUC Phase-in in October 2025 leading to the development of an IUC fully-fledged proposal, and hopefully the upstart of an IUC Phase 1 as of September 2026. During this Phase-in the operational set-up of an IUC partnership is prepared.
The following IUCs are selected for the Phase-in:
In terms of main steps, the Phase-in consists of:
Set-up and installation of the IUC management systems and the Project Management Support Unit (PSU): organizational set-up goes hand in hand with complementary checks of various systems and procedures at level of (financial) management (VLIRUOS will consider developing a checklist for this purpose), selection of PhDs, communication policies, purchase policies, etc. The Project Support Unit is created as a minimal management structure for the IUC, embedded in the partner university, and an IUC management manual is developed in which the main managerial processes and procedures are outlined (financial and operational procedures, communication, scholarship selection procedures, agreements on publications, procurement policy, integrity policy etc.)
Kick-off meeting in Belgium: The IUC Kick-off and Training Event will take place from 19 to 21 January 2026. Most activities are intended for the delegations from partner universities, as well as the Flemish counterpart coordinators and team leaders. On Wednesday, 21 January, a public event will be held in the afternoon, open to a broader audience. More details will be shared soon.
Formulation travel of the Flemish team (coordinator, team leaders, ICOS, selected team members) to the IUC partner university, to jointly elaborate the Fully Fledged IUC proposal. These formats will become available prior to the IUC Kick-off event in Belgium. The fully fledged project proposal requires more detailed methodological approaches, proposed intermediated changes per subproject and also foresee in detailed operational planning and budgeting at project and sub-project level. This travel not only serves proposal development but is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted and create the renowned IUC team spirit.
Start with the organisation of PhD trajectories (incl. arrangements on timing and organisation of PhD selections), and in case relevant/applicable the start of preparatory selection procedures and Pre-PhD programmes.
Insights from Universities of Applied Sciences: Why Participate in an IUC Project?
