Since the early 2000s, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts has been planning the establishment of the university, occasionally with the subtitle of European University for Leadership. In 2010, Alma Mater Europaea was officially established, with leading Austrian surgeon Felix Unger being appointed as its first president, while the German political scientistWerner Weidenfeld became the first rector, and the Slovenian lawyer, university administrator and diplomat Ludvik Toplak the first prorector. At a meeting in Munich in February 2011, under the patronage of the presidents of 12 member states of the European Union, the board determined which courses the university would provide. These were to be taught in various cities across the union, in several languages, including English, German, and Spanish. In line with the international nature of the university, students, teachers, and prominent European thinkers would meet at an international symposium at the graduation. It was also decided that Alma Mater Europaea would be incorporated in European and international networks of universities through cooperation agreements. At the meeting it was decided that in the first stage, Alma Mater Europaea would start three 2-year master's degree programs. The university board stated that Alma Mater Europaea would be based on three so-called "W principles": Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft, Wirken. In German, this means: Science, Economy, Effect. In 2011, the university opened in Slovenia its first campus, located in the Slovenian city of Maribor. This campus enrolled about 500 students in 2011. In July 2011 the university also co-sponsored a summer school in St. Gallen, Switzerland. In the academic year 2012–2013, about 800 students were enrolled in Maribor, the campus in Croatian capital Zagreb was opened, and part of the master's degree studies were carried out in Brussels. In 2013, the Salzburg campus of Alma Mater Europaea was founded and about 1000 students were enrolled in various studies in Austria, Slovenia, and other countries in academic year 2013/14. In 2014, two higher education institutions joined Alma Mater Europaea. The first one is Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis, internationally renown graduate school of philosophy, with which Slavoj Žižek and numerous other world's leading philosophers had been affiliated. ISH was established in 1992. The other one is the Dance Academy, established in 2008. It is one of the fewEuropean institutions issuing government accredited degrees in dance arts. Also in 2014 the studies in Zurich started and in 2015 the Zürich campus was officially established. In 2015 New York based Global Center for Advanced Studies partnered with Alma Mater Europaea to start new masters and PhD degrees in humanities. In 2016 two new campuses were opened in Italy and Kosovo, respectively, in the cities of Ascoli Piceno and in the capital Pristina.
Locations and departments
Currently, the university has premises in Salzburg, Ljubljana, Maribor, and Murska Sobota. While administration and offices are mainly in Salzburg and Maribor, lecturing takes place mainly in Ljubljana and Murska Sobota. Lecturing in Salzburg, as well as some other European cities, will start in 2014.
European leadership program, producing future European thinkers; the studies focus in European leadership, culture, political sciences, law, and human rights.
European business studies, producing future European business leaders; This European MBA program would focus on political leadership and strategies, European identity and political culture, transformation and development of Europe, social reforms, sustainable development, globalization.
Theological studies, which would be studied at the newly set-up European Dialogue Center for Theological Studies. A network of dialogue between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Islam would be formed with a focus on question "What do the others think differently?"
