In 1998, at the University of Uppsala, a taskforce was set up to develop a comparative European Studies Programme. The overall concept for this project was to adopt a truly integral approach to European Studies, interdisciplinary within the institution and involving expertise of partner universities in different countries. A proposal for a course outline was developed and the Task Force European Modules at Uppsala University invited partners from the framework of the Institutional Contract of the Socrates Programme to cooperate on the European Studies Programme.

In the first instance the universities of Deusto-Bilbao/San Sebastian (Spain), Göttingen (Germany), Strasbourg (France), Udine (Italy), Uppsala (Sweden) and Groningen (The Netherlands) joined in the Euroculture network and decided to offer this interdisciplinary programme on European culture. In 1999 the programme was launched as a pilot-project and as of 2000 the participating universities started to offer the programme officially. During the period 2000-2004 the network has been strengthened with new partners: the Universities of Krakow (Poland) and Olomouc (Czech Republic).

In May 2005 a Euroculture Erasmus Mundus Consortium was established with 6 participating partner universities: Deusto-Bilbao/San Sebastian (Spain) (from 2009 onwards the programme will take place only in Deusto-Bilbao), Göttingen (Germany), Uppsala (Sweden), Groningen (The Netherlands), Krakow (Poland) and Olomouc (Czech Republic). Since the 2006-2007 academic programme these consortium universities have welcomed Erasmus Mundus students and scholars. In May 2008, Erasmus Mundus Action 3 was added to the programme. This entailed an integrated cooperation with four non-European universities: Osaka University (Japan), University of Pune (India), UNAM (Mexico City, Mexico) and IUPUI (Indiana, USA). Action 3 is a scholarship programme for EU Euroculture students and staff to spend three months at one of these partners.

Besides the Erasmus Mundus Consortium, there is also a Euroculture Network, consisting of the consortium universities plus the Universities of  Strasbourg (France) and Udine (Italy). This larger collaboration participates annually in the Intensive Programme, and students from the two network universities are able to visit one of the Consortium universities during the second semester.

All institutions of the consortium and in the network have a long tradition regarding teaching and research concerning European topics.