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January 2025
The Science Policy Conference will take place on May 13th in the city of Portalegre, in collaboration with the EURASHE 34th conference on May 14th and 15th.
If you would like to participate in this conference, please contact eva.nikolopoulou@fhstp.ac.at. The conference will bring together policymakers, science advisors, researchers, ethics experts, and other professionals in science-for-policy ecosystems. The conference will be held in a hybrid format at the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (IPP) in Portalegre.
Portalegre is a small city in the south-central part of Portugal, located in the Alentejo region, district of Portalegre, with great historical importance. Its richness ranges from its architecture with numerous Roman remains and prehistoric monuments, to the diverse fauna and flora surrounding it. Convents and monasteries are some of the monuments that can be enjoyed in the city. Portalegre is also a city of good wines and rich gastronomy.
The LEARN team invites teaching experts, instructional designers, and academic staff to the first Academic Development Conference (ADC) on 27 February 2025 at St. Pölten UAS. Dive into key topics, network with peers, and get inspired!
The LEARN team is launching the Academic Development Conference (ADC), which will take place on 27 February 2025 at St. Pölten UAS from 09:00 to 17:30.
This event is designed for teaching and learning experts, curriculum developers, and staff engaged in enhancing higher education. The ADC provides an international platform to discuss strategic topics and exchange ideas.
The conference will be opened by Elmar Pichl, Director General for Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences.
Programme Highlights:
Structural Conditions of Teaching/Learning Development
Curriculum Development and Innovation
Digital Transformation in Higher Education
International Perspectives & Partnerships in Teaching
The event includes presentations, workshops, and networking sessions. A hybrid morning session is available for online participants, and the day will conclude with a conference dinner.
📅 Register by 20 February 2025
More info here.
St. Pölten UAS employees can attend for free. Please contact lisa.david@fhstp.ac.at for the voucher code.
For more details, visit the programme link.
(c) UAS St. Pölten
From December 4th to 6th, 2024, the Polytechnic University of Setúbal (IPS) welcomed the "Open Innovation Hub Workshop - Stakeholders Meeting," an initiative under the European University Alliance E³UDRES². The event brought together representatives from the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) in Latvia, alongside stakeholders from the Setúbal and Vidzeme regions.
The workshop aimed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship by strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions and the public and private sectors. This joint effort focuses on smart specialization and the sustainable development of the regions involved. During the sessions, IPS presented the Dinamiza platform, a tool designed to facilitate effective collaboration between regional actors and academia.
The program featured highlights such as visits to the Ninho de Empresas de Setúbal (a business incubator in Setúbal), the Livramento Market (a historic and iconic market in Setúbal, known for its traditional products and vibrant atmosphere), and StartUp Barreiro (a startup incubator located in Barreiro, where IPS also has one of its technology schools), showcasing and supporting local entrepreneurial initiatives and projects with significant regional impact.
This meeting reaffirmed IPS’s and E³UDRES²’s commitment to building a European ecosystem of innovation, driving the digital and sustainable transformation of higher education.
The E-Business Day, hosted by the Polytechnic University of Setúbal (IPS), serves as a vibrant platform connecting academia, innovation, and regional development.
Held on January 24th, the event showcased bold, creative solutions to pressing regional challenges, developed by IPS students. This highlights the institution’s dedication to nurturing entrepreneurial talent and fostering collaboration between academia and diverse stakeholders. By emphasizing the transformative potential of partnerships, E-Business Day promotes sustainable development and smart specialization for the regions involved.
More than just an event, E-Business Day is a collaborative meeting ground where opportunities are explored, strategies are debated, and synergies emerge to drive meaningful change. For the IPS and E³UDRES² communities, it strengthens a collective commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and creating a global impact through regional engagement.
As a flagship event within the Open Innovation Hub of the E³UDRES² European University Alliance, the E-Business Day event embodies the powerful synergy between education and real-world impact.
Join the "Data Unlocked" program at Vidzeme UAS (13-14 February) for hands-on workshops in data analysis, storytelling, and presentation. Open to students from all disciplines.
On 13-14 February, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences will host the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program "Data Unlocked: Mastering Data Analysis Methods and Storytelling."
This hands-on program includes interactive workshops focused on:
Quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Research storytelling techniques.
Research presentation skills.
Participants will work with publicly available public health data, offering a practical learning experience.
Designed to enhance research expertise, the program welcomes students from diverse study fields and promotes a multidisciplinary approach to data analysis and storytelling.
Find more info here.
From 13-17 October 2025, Vidzeme UAS hosts another edition of the E³UDRES² Science Festival. Highlights include the International Scientific Conference, Student Research Conference, and Research Leadership Forum.
Programme Highlights:
Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme for Students (October 13-17)
The 5th International Scientific Conference "Society. Technology. Solutions." (October 15-17)
The 14th Students' Research Conference (October 15)
Research Leadership Forum and Stakeholders' Forum (October 16-17)
The festival will bring together researchers, students, and professionals to explore innovative solutions and exchange ideas on society’s most pressing challenges. Whether you’re a student eager to present your work or a stakeholder looking to connect, this event promises to inspire and foster collaboration.
Find more information here.
(c) Vidzeme UAS
The E³UDRES² Executive Board met in Brussels at the end of November of 2024 to discuss the alliance’s progress and urgent priorities, collaboration, and alignment with European priorities. The meeting provided an opportunity to get some insights into relevant European policies.
Key Milestones Approved
The Executive Board meeting in Brussels also approved several key milestones that reflect E³UDRES²’s dedication to flexible learning, research and capacity building:
1. Micro-Credentials Framework:
A framework for designing and implementing micro-credentials aligned with EU standards and following guidelines. It provides clarity on what micro-credentials are, their purpose, and how they can offer flexibility to students, learners from the companies and communities and institutions.
2. Competence Catalogue:
A comprehensive guide mapping the skills and competencies needed to achieve E³UDRES²’s goals. It identifies gaps and proposes training to address them, developed through collaboration with task force leaders and partners.
3. Digital System Specification:
A foundational structure of the future digital platform to support education and research within the alliance. The system will feature tools for student engagement, tracking hosting programs and inter-institutional cooperation.
4. Future University Think Tank:
A launch of the E³UDRES² structure focused on exploring innovative concepts in higher education, research, innovation and stakeholders engagement including students. It will involve institutional experts in pilot projects and activities to drive progress in further stages.
5. E³UDRES² Research Strategy:
Approved online, after the meeting, this strategy aims to boost research collaboration and identify key relevant initiatives across the alliance.
Strengthening Collaboration and Shared Goals
The Executive Board spent almost a full day discussing the progress, identifying priorities and actions for the upcoming year, as well as necessary adjustments of the governance structure. While some issues remain open for further development, the conclusions confirm commitment of partner institutions and their leaders, call for enhancing focus on four core focus areas in health and social field, digital solutions, resilitent economy and innovation and creative industries.. There should be support for boosting collaboration in research and joint learning activities. E³UDRES² has to facilitate much more connections between partners’ regions and communities. .
E³UDRES² also welcomed further collaboration with other European alliances through initiatives like FOREU4ALL project which will support the exchange through communities of practice and shared goals across the higher education sector.
The guests speakers from different directorates general of the European Commission provided insights into several relevant policies and tools, namely Pact for Skills and complex skills agenda, support for inter-regional innovation investment, regional innovation valleys and a broader research and innovation agenda, as well as an update on European degree, the concept discussed with stakeholders and member states in order to allow further cooperation in trans-national higher education.
On Friday, 24 January 2025, the European Commission, DG EAC launched the study report on the “Outcomes and transformational potential of the European Universities initiative”. The report summarises experience, achievements, examples, yet also challenges of the European university initiative so far, considering mainly the first pilot stages. It proposes some policy issues for the long-term success. And while the report is based on data from 2022, it may show importance of considering the role and impact of the initiative, as well inspire internal discussions on transformation potential of individual alliances, like E³UDRES². The importance of understanding the impact raises in the light of the coming mid-term report on E³UDRES² 2.0 project, its progress, as well as any considerations for future plans and support. These issues will be included in the disucssions within the upcoming E³UDRES² Spring 2025 Summit in Enschede.
In December 2024, Media Technology student Alina Kieweg participated in the E³UDRES² Hackathon at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Under the motto “One World – One Protein – One Soil“, she developed an interactive platform for the promotion of a sustainable protein supply together with fellow students from all over Europe. In our interview, she talks about her experiences, challenges, and role within the team.
What motivated you to take part in the hackathon?
Kieweg: My interest in sustainability was a great incentive, as was the prospect of learning more about the nature of proteins. Moreover, I wanted to participate in a E³UDRES² programme in order to get to know international students – this is the same reason why I'm part of the iLab project semester. And then, of course, the chance to explore Budapest was a bonus.
Which project did you work on, and what was your role as media technician?
Kieweg: Our team developed an interactive platform that helps consumers understand the importance of a balanced protein intake through the consumption of seasonal and regional products. In terms of a solution, we planned to make information available via the website of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and to integrate it into an interactive map. This map was supposed to show which protein sources are seasonally and regionally available, and how they can be combined to ensure a balanced diet with regard to proteins and the amino acids they contain. My job as a media technician was to create screen designs for this website because we did not have enough time to programme it in full. The designs showed how we envisaged the implementation, and which functions our solution was to include.
Which challenges did you overcome?
Kieweg: Communication in the team was a challenge because we had different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It was often difficult to explain complex ideas in English in such a way that everybody would understand. Another challenge was to stay motivated – especially following long work phases. Distributing tasks helped us to work efficiently and to allow for breaks as well.
What have you been able to take away from the experience?
Kieweg: I learnt a lot about proteins and how important they are. At the same time, I learnt to stay more relaxed in challenging situations. Solutions are often found when you allow a little more time. I found the encounters with international students particularly valuable because they inspired me and opened up new perspectives.
About the E³UDRES² hackathons
In just 36 to 48 hours, interdisciplinary teams develop innovative ideas or initial concept drafts for real challenges at the hackathon. They are supported by experienced mentors and experts. Participation strengthens time management and organizational skills and helps to focus on the essentials of a project.
In contrast to many other hackathons, the focus here is not exclusively on IT topics. The challenges are based on current problems faced by local companies and institutions and vary depending on the event.
More information about the E³UDRES² hackathons can be found here: Hackathon | E³UDRES²
(c) Christoph Boehm
Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself (tell us about your home university, your studies, your passion or whatever else you would like to share).
Hello everyone, my name is Milan Wolf and I am a student Public Administration (BA) at Saxion University of Applied Sciences (UAS) from the Netherlands. In the past, I tried the teacher study and I have a degree in HR. I am twenty-six years old and I am a volunteer board coach where I coach students who are board members in Student Unions at both UAS and Research Universities. Saxion UAS is located in the east of the Netherlands in exactly three different cities, Enschede; Deventer; and Apeldoorn.
What motivated you to join the Student Executive Board and get involved with the E³UDRES² alliance?
I joined to Student Executive Board in the study year 2022-2023, back when the students got the opportunity to start the student boards. The moment I got to know E³UDRES² it instantly got all of my attention. Being able to make impact for students all across Europe, getting to know different people and their cultures and being able to get life long relations were very important to me. Due to my position as elected chair at my UAS central board, I was able to join the Student Executive Board both back then and now in this study year.
As the new chair of the Executive Student Board, what are your goals and expectations? What would you like to accomplish during your term, and what are your future aspirations?
I was chosen and trusted with the position of chair of the Executive Student Board at the start of December 2024. I used the rest of December to talk to Ferree as vice chair and to learn the internal E³UDRES² systems. As I promised to the students within the Executive Student Board, I want us as a full board to create a strong and sustainable foundation for future Executive Students and to create a sustainable approach for student engagement and student involvement. To achieve these goals, I also want to create internal taskforce like groups where Executive Students work together in a pressure cooker like way to achieve those goals in half a study year.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of being on the Student Executive Board so far?
In my opinion the open and transparent in combination with direct communication between the students makes sure that we as students work very efficient together. To see discussions forming where ideas, perspectives and opinions are shared is very rewarding to me as chair. I hope that we as Executive Student Board will maintain this workflow and ethics to create our E³UDRES² story.
Why should someone join the Student Board? What’s in it for students, and what do students gain from being part of E³UDRES²?
In my opinion, it is slightly odd that 8 students determine the direction of the student side of E³UDRES². That is why a lot of students should take the opportunity of voicing their opinions, vision and ideas to elevate E³UDRES² even further.
(c) Nicole Dietzel, Dinias
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