This comparative case study for the HEInnovate initiative addresses the goal of improving the quality of education through internationalisation initiatives undertaken by higher education institutions (HEIs). Internationalisation has been an essential part of higher education throughout the years, with universities and colleges encouraging student mobility, staff mobility and international partnerships. In recent years, the European Commission has sought to give internationalisation an extra boost by means of its European Universities Initiative (EUI). The EUI is the European Commission’s ambitious strategy to integrate universities across Europe into transnational alliances centring on common organisational, thematic, or challenge-focused missions. Over consecutive rounds beginning in 2019, the now 44 selected alliances are forming deep institutional partnerships. Enhancing the quality of teaching and learning is at the top of the list of benefits expected from the EUI. The EU education and mobility programme Erasmus+ became the central programme for the implementation of the initiative.