European Universities Initiative 5 Years On: A Research and Practice Symposium
Institute of Communication and Public Policy
Start date: 2 June 2025 / 08:30
End date: 3 June 2025 / 16:00
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?
The Programme and Registration Information are available on our dedicated EUI Symposium webiste.
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)
Contact:
For any inquiries, please contact: agata.lambrechts@usi.ch
We are pleased to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Funding programme for Scientific Events (Swiss National Science Foundation). This support has been vital in enabling us to organise the Symposium and facilitate the participation of a diverse group of researchers and practitioners.
The Symposium experience will be further enhanced thanks to the generous support of the Institute of Communication and Public Policy, Università della Svizzera italiana, who are sponsoring the drinks reception after the key panel discussion on Monday, June 2nd.
We are also pleased to offer complimentary coffee throughout the event, thanks to the kind sponsorship of Chicco d'Oro, Switzerland.
