European Universities Initiative 5 Years On: A Research and Practice Symposium - call for abstracts
Institute of Communication and Public Policy
Start date: 6 February 2025 / 07:00
End date: 7 March 2025 / 23:30
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
June 2nd-3rd, 2025
Organised by: Dr. Agata Lambrechts (USI & Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training) & Dr. Alina Felder-Stindt (University of St. Gallen)
The symposium is guided by a scientific committee comprising leading international scholars in the field of EUI research:
- Dr. Daniela Craciun (University of Twente, The Netherlands)
- Antonin Charret (University of Oxford, UK)
- Nadia Manzoni (Central European University, Austria)
- Prof. Benedetto Lepori (USI, Switzerland)
About the Symposium:
The European Universities Initiative (EUI), involving some 570 higher education institutions in 65 alliances by 2025, marks a significant transformation in the European higher education landscape.
This symposium, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the first EUI alliances, offers a crucial platform for gathering evidence to be able to critically evaluate the EUI's impact, exploring its achievements and challenges, and shaping its future direction.
Key Research Questions: The symposium will address key research questions, including but not limited to:
- Impact and Effectiveness: Has the EUI truly revolutionised European higher education, or has it resulted in incremental change? What are the demonstrable impacts of EUI alliances on teaching, learning, research, and institutional governance? How effectively are the EUI's objectives being met, and what metrics are appropriate for evaluating success?
- Collaboration and Integration: How are EUI alliances fostering cross-border collaboration and integration in higher education? What are the best practices for building and sustaining successful alliances? What are the challenges to collaboration, and how can they be overcome? How is the EUI contributing to the creation of a genuine European Education Area?
- Innovation and Transformation: Is the EUI driving innovation in higher education? How are alliances fostering new approaches to teaching, research, and knowledge transfer? Are they leading to transformative changes in institutional structures and cultures? What role is the EUI playing in addressing societal challenges and promoting sustainable development?
- Future Directions: What are the future prospects for the EUI? What are the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? How can the EUI be strengthened and developed to maximise its impact? What role will the EUI play in the context of other European-level initiatives and policies?
Call for Abstracts:
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit 300-words abstracts for paper presentations related to the symposium theme and key research questions. We encourage submissions from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to higher education studies, European studies, political science, sociology, and related fields. Early Career Researchers (ECRs), PhD students and practitioners working in European University Alliances are particularly encouraged to submit.
Specifically, ECRs, PhD students, and practitioners are encouraged to consider submitting proposals for poster presentations showcasing work-in-progress, preliminary findings, or practice-based results where formal academic research may not yet have been conducted. This format offers an excellent opportunity to share insights, receive feedback, and engage in discussions with fellow attendees.
Submission Guidelines:
- Abstracts should be no more than 300 words.
- Abstracts must be submitted in English.
- Abstracts should clearly state the research question, methodology, key findings (if applicable), and implications for the field.
- Please indicate which of the four themes (Impact & Effectiveness, Collaboration and Integration, Innovation and Transformation, Future Directions) your proposal best fits into. Alternatively state ‘other theme’.
- Please indicate your preferred presentation format (paper/poster presentation).
- Please indicate your current position (PhD researcher, ECR, senior researcher, practitioner, other) and affiliation (if any).
- Submissions should be made via email to agata.lambrechts@usi.ch with ‘EUI Symposium’ in the subject line
Important Dates:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: February 28th, 2025 EXTENDED to March 7th, 2025 (midnight)
- Notification of Acceptance: March 14th, 2025
Fees & Funding Opportunities:
There will be a small registration charge to cover costs of lunch and refreshments (Reduced Fee of Chf 20.00 for students, early career researchers, unemployed/self-employed researchers and those based in an LMIC; Full Fee of Chf 50.00 for all others).
We are currently seeking external funding to support travel and accommodation costs for symposium participants. These funds, when secured, will be offered primarily to ECRs, PhD students, and practitioners based on the strength of their submissions and demonstrated financial need. Further information regarding funding availability will be communicated in due course.
Contact:
For any inquiries, please contact: agata.lambrechts@usi.ch
We look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to Lugano!
