The Coimbra Group (CG) is a network of European universities that gathers 38 universities, some of which are among the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. It was founded in 1985 and formally constituted by charter in 1987.
The group took its name from the city of Coimbra, Portugal and the university located there, itself one of the oldest in Europe. The University of Coimbra celebrated its 700th anniversary in the same year the group was founded.

Mission
In pursuit of its Mission the Coimbra Group aims to:

Facilitate knowledge transfer between its constituent universities by means of staff and student interchange so that they can benefit from the added value given by membership of the Coimbra Group, whilst respecting the cultural and national identities of individual universities and their individual freedom in learning and research.
Work with European Union (EU) institutions with a view to participating in or organizing EU higher education and research projects to the benefit of Coimbra Group members.
Contribute to the debate within Europe on quality in higher education and promote the adoption of quality assurance mechanisms within its member universities.
Become a driving force in the creation and further development of the European Higher Education Area and promote the academic expertise of its members within this area and the European Research Area.
Be recognized as an expert body, able to advise its members and EU institutions on various matters relating to higher education, such as information technology (IT) as applied to new teaching methods and lifelong learning.
Encourage co-operation in cultural, social and sporting activities between its members.
Promote the Coimbra Group worldwide as a source of academic excellence in Europe, with a view to attracting students to the universities in the Coimbra Group and encouraging academic collaboration and interchange with its members.