Since September 2019 the HafenCity University is part of the Erasmus+ project CA²RE+ (Collective Evaluation of Design Driven Doctoral Research). The focus is on the supervision and promotion of creative, design-based, artistic promotions. A total of 9 European universities and 2 associations are involved in the project. At the HCU the program is lead by Prof. Matthias Ballestrem.

The Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership CA²RE+ develops a collective learning environment through Evaluation of Design Driven Doctoral Training. Design Driven Doctoral research (DDDr) is taken as a multidisciplinary example of an experiential learning-through-evaluation model, appropriate for identification and promoting relevance of research singularity, its transparency and recognition, to award excellence in doctoral training for creative and culturally rooted solutions of contemporary design driven developments.

The CA²RE+ Strategic Partnership of 11 outstanding HE organisations and associations from 8 EU countries is running for 3 years. Its backbone is a series of biannual international and intercultural INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAMMES for doctoral candidates, guided by experienced evaluators from participating universities and invited experts. The doctoral work-in-progress of 27 DDDr candidates (24 from abroad, 3 from the host) is evaluated by 18 experienced evaluators (16 / abroad, 2 / host) through presentations, performances, exhibitions and critical discussions, following the iterative CA²RE+ development steps: observation, sharing, comparison, reflection, reformulation and recommendation. To introduce new experts with lower evaluation experience into the process. JOINT STAFF TRAINING is developed at each venue.

The CA²RE+ Strategic Partnership builds on the experience of the CA²RE community and its biannual Conferences on Artistic and Architectural Research since Autumn 2016, organized in association with ARENA (Architectural Research European Network Association), EAAE and ELIA. The Ghent CA²RE represents the first CA²RE+ event, where the Erasmus+ financial support can be provided for 3 candidates from each of the CA²RE+ participating higher education institution: the University of Ljubljana (LJUBLJANA), the Aarhus School of Architecture (AARHUS), the KU Leuven (GHENT), the Politecnico di Milano (MILANO), the TU Berlin (BERLIN), the COFAC – Lusofona University (PORTO), the Hafencity University Hamburg (HAMBURG), the Norwegian UnIiversity of Science and Technology (TRONDHEIM) and the TU Delft (DELFT). EAAE and ELIA are CA²RE+ full partners as well. The associate partnership includes the CA²RE participants.