As partner of ECIU University, the University of Twente has taken an active role in discussions on the future of European higher education collaboration. Last week, the European Commission hosted the European Universities Coordinators Working Retreat Brussels. UT employee Liv Hassinger joined.
The event brought together key stakeholders to co-create the next phase of the European Universities Alliances Initiative. The retreat aimed to build a clearer framework for alliance management and to help universities better anticipate upcoming challenges. ‘It was great to hear the EC strong commitment towards the further development of Alliances as role models of transnational collaboration covering all four missions of universities’, says Hassinger. (The article continues below the photo)
Alliances are well equipped to implement the free movement of knowledge across Europe and to build instruments to create an integrated, competitive and inclusive European Education Area (EEA) and European Research Area (ERA).
For the University of Twente, the discussions are particularly significant. As a university known for its entrepreneurial approach and strong links between research and real-world impact, it stands to benefit from enhanced frameworks supporting the free movement of knowledge across Europe.
These ongoing efforts position the University of Twente at the forefront of European higher education reform, reinforcing its commitment to collaborative innovation and its role in shaping the universities of the future.
‘We look forward to continuing the discussions on the holistic funding pathway, including the R&I component, in the forthcoming rectors’ conference together with the Commission on 10 June.’
ECIU University was represented by Olivia Daly (DCU), Liv Hassinger (UT), Lucie Hunter (FOREU4ALL/ECIU) and Katrin Dircksen (ECIU).
