ESMU was created in 1986 as an international think tank non-profit association to promote the strategic management of European universities. 

Over the years ESMU has developed a portfolio of activities to further promote strategic management practices in higher education through networks, projects, benchmarking exercises, seminars and training programmes. 

ESMU successfully managed the COMETT I and COMETT II programmes for the European Commission in the period 1987-1995.  These programmes made significant steps towards the development of new technologies in partnership with industry.  Some 203 UETP (University Enterprise Training Partnerships) were set up in the framework of the programme, 36 000 student placements in industry were developed and 1000 exchange of personnel in the field of technology transfer organised. 

ESMU has been one of the two members in the ETAPE consortium which has been assisting the European Commission with the management of the Socrates, Leonardo and Youth for Europe III programmes in the period from 1995 to January 2006. 

For more than 20 years ESMU has been bringing together senior decision-makers from HEIs to exchange experience and expertise on the strategic management of universities.