‘To survive, you must tell stories.’ Comparing success narratives of local university alliances and networks in European capital cities

The study of local university alliances and networks is gaining less attention compared to European university alliances, despite their complexity and actuality, especially in capital cities. They are specific in that they superimpose different scales, and thus require a deeper understanding of their structures and impact in an increasingly interconnected academic landscape. When faced with them, what are the stated objectives, and to what extent do they narrate these as having been achieved? The paper aims to identify the (self-perceived or real-life) success factors for local university alliances and networks through a comparative study of eight alliances in European capital cities. This organisational theory-based study includes examples from Lisbon (Consórcio da Região de Lisboa do Projeto Universities Portugal – Connecting Knowledge), Madrid and Barcelona (Alianza 4 Universidades), London (University of London), Paris (Université PSL), Brussels (Brussels University Alliance), Bratislava (Accord Project), Stockholm (University Alliance Stockholm Trio), and Berlin (Berlin University Alliance). By analysing public documents and press reports, our research explores how these organisations establish standards, promote collaboration, and foster their legitimacy while examining their self-evaluations and success narratives.