Slovak Universities engaged in European Alliances Met at STU Bratislava to Address Common Challenges

On Monday, October 12, the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU)—a core member of our EULiST Alliance—hosted a key national gathering of Slovak higher education institutions involved in European University Alliances. Organized by the dedicated EULiST team at STU, the event brought together university representatives, students, and national education officials to share expertise, address shared hurdles, and explore new avenues for collaboration.

Empowering Students and Fostering Dialogue

The program was opened by STU Vice-Rector for Public Relations and International Cooperation, Assoc. Prof. Ing. arch. Katarína Smatanová, PhD. In her opening remarks, she highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces for institutions to openly share best practices and tackle challenges together, while emphasizing the pivotal role of student engagement.

“Students’ opinions are key to shaping the future of European alliances, as well as of universities themselves,” emphasized Katarína Smatanová.

A major novelty of this year’s gathering was the active participation of students involved in alliance operations. Their fresh perspective brought actionable insights into making alliances more accessible to the broader student body, leveraging their potential to build strong international and campus-level communities.

Micro-credentials and Joint Study Programs in Focus

The working session featured two thematic discussion groups facilitated by professional facilitators from PDCS, o. z.:

• Micro-credentials: Participants compared institutional readiness, exchanging practical approaches and identifying obstacles in developing and implementing these modern educational tools.

• Joint Study Programs: Discussions centered on targeted communication strategies to highlight program benefits, as well as financial mechanisms—such as scholarships—to enhance program accessibility and attractiveness for students.

Student attendees focused specifically on raising awareness of European alliances among their peers and utilizing alliance frameworks to foster personal growth, mobility, and academic collaboration.

Insights from the Field: 4EU+ Alliance Case Study

The afternoon session offered valuable external inspiration through a presentation by Karolína Šedivcová, M.A., head of the local 4EU+ alliance office at Charles University in Prague. She shared practical experiences regarding European Commission funding, proposal preparation, and institutional integration.

“The university administration views membership in the alliance as an integral part of the university’s future and therefore allocates a significant amount of funding to its operations,” noted Šedivcová, underlining how strategic internal support is as critical as securing external grants.

EULiST Driving Systematic Cooperation

As an alliance connecting technology, society, and interdisciplinary innovation, EULiST is proud to support initiatives led by our partner institutions that strengthen the bridge between education, research, and societal needs.

The event organized by the STU EULiST team introduced an enhanced format centered on targeted discussions, facilitated knowledge exchange, and concrete proposal development. By uniting institutional leaders with active student representatives, the gathering marked an important step toward more systematic, long-term cooperation across European university networks.