This evening, Erasmus University alumni are gathering in the faculty club to join the dialogue about out alliance with the universities of Delft and Leiden. We will use this opportunity to also brief this important stakeholder group on our plans to establish a university college in central Rotterdam. We are seeing a growing trend in Europe nowadays for research-intensive universities to team up in alliances, federations or other forms of collaboration to secure a place in the global elite. Most universities make the case for collaboration while avoiding the M word (merger). I think that makes sense. It is better to explore the elements where we might come together for greater collaboration; I have called this “ambitious on content while staying light on the issue of structure.” Within 10 to 20 years, around 30 per cent of the top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education rankings will be from emerging economies. This is a formidable challenge which I really believe is best tackled by joining forces somehow. To be continued, no doubt.