EULiST |

EULiST General Assembly in Athens

05/07/2023

The annual 2023 EULiST General Assembly was successfully hosted by the National Technical University of Athens between 25^th-27^th June 2023 in Athens. The committed and enthusiastic cooperation among the EULiST Members was evidenced by the sixty-five representatives from all ten universities who participated in the EULiST General Assembly, including the Rectors and Vice Rectors, Professors, Administrative Staff, and Students.

During the first working day, the General Assembly included meetings of the Coordination Office, the Student Board, the Management Board and the Governing Board. In particular, in the Governing Board participated Prof. Volker Epping (LUH President), Prof. Andreas Boudouvis (NTUA Rector), Prof. Juha-Matti Saksa (LUT Rector), Prof. Agneta Marell (JU President), Frédérique Vincent (IMT Vice-President), Prof. Ladislav Janíček (BUT Rector), Prof. Oliver Moravčík (STU Rector), Prof. Jens Schneider (TUW designated Rector), Prof. Javier Ramos López (URJC Rector), Prof. Maria Benedetta Mattei (UNIVAQ Vice-Rector).

An Open session with the title “EULiST towards linking Society and Technology” was held on Monday June 26^th afternoon, also livestreaming, where the EULiST strategy was presented, combined with focus presentations on the sustainable campus and the transfer of innovation in education and research. Τhe key-note speech on the European Universities Initiative was presented by Mr Jacques Comby, advisor at the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The EULiST Blended Intensive Program “Monitoring clean energy in the EULiST Universities”, organised by NTUA in the framework of the General Assembly in cooperation with six EULiST Universities, was enthusiastically presented by its students.

During the second working day, within the General Assembly, the critical role of students in strengthening the societal engagement across the universities of the Alliance was highlighted. The need for integration of EULiST in the academic activity of each partner University was emphasized. In addition, it was pointed that while EULiST has been designed and organised in a bottom-up approach, the activities planned for the next funded steps, now reflect the overall strategy, and common procedures, platforms and recognition developed among the ten universities.

The General Assembly was held at Zografou Campus, and it included separate hybrid meetings of WPs, a fascinating cultural Sunday walk in the historic center of Athens, two lively social dinners and an engaging visit to selected NTUA laboratories and the central Library.

Attachments

General Assembly Agenda

Open Session Agenda

Open Session Live Stream

Photos from the Event

EULiST General Assembly to be held in Athens

10/06/2023

Following the invitation by NTUA Rector, Prof. Andreas Boudouvis, and the confirmation by the EULiST Governing Board, the next EULiST General Assembly will be held in Athens, organized by the National Technical University of Athens, on June 26^th-27^th, 2023.

The first day of the General Assembly includes meetings of the Coordination Office, the Student Board, the Management Board and the Governing Board.

Moreover, an Open Session – Panel Discussion on “EULiST towards linking Society and Technology” is foreseen on Monday June 26^th at 16:30-18:30 local time. In this Open Session, addressed to the NTUA community and the wider society, EULiST strategy will be presented by the Work Packages leads and coleads, followed by presentations of case studies at NTUA.

The second day includes the General Assembly meeting, as well as WP meetings among EULiST partners, and a tour to NTUA laboratories and the Library.

Delegations from EULiST partners including Presidents, Rectors and Vice-Rectors, WP Leads and co-Leads, Local Coordinators and members of the Student Board have already confirmed their participation in the EULiST General Assembly in Athens, with the aim to further discuss and develop the join strategy and the next activities of the Alliance in Studying and Learning, Research and Innovation, Campus, Outreach, Engagement and Transfer, Linking Society and Technology.

Representatives from EULiST in NAFSA

02/06/2023

Representatives from JU, LUH, IMT, STU and URJC, all partners of the EULiST University Alliance, met at the Annual Conference & Expo at NAFSA, held in Washington between 30 May and 2 June 2023.

NAFSA is the world’s largest non-profit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA serves the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 3,500 institutions, in more than 160 countries.

At the conference forum, EULiST representatives had the opportunity to discuss the major challenges facing EULiST, such as student mobility, new forms of education, and in general all that is involved in working to advance policies and practices that build global citizens with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today’s interconnected world. One of the major challenges for EULiST is promoting and facilitating student mobility within the European Union and beyond. This involves addressing issues such as administrative barriers, recognition of qualifications, language barriers, cultural integration, and financial support for students. By streamlining processes, providing adequate support systems, and fostering collaboration among educational institutions, EULiST can enhance student mobility and promote a more inclusive and diverse learning experience.

On the other hand, the advancement of technology has led to the emergence of new forms of education, such as online learning, blended learning, and competency-based education. EULiST needs to address the challenges associated with incorporating these innovative approaches into traditional education systems. This includes ensuring access to quality digital infrastructure, supporting teachers in adapting to new pedagogical methods, addressing concerns about the digital divide, and ensuring the quality and recognition of online learning experiences.

Finally, in today’s interconnected world, it is essential to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to become global citizens. EULiST should focus on fostering global competence, intercultural understanding, and the development of critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving skills. This involves integrating global perspectives into the curriculum, providing opportunities for international collaboration and exchanges, and promoting cultural diversity and inclusion within educational institutions.

EULiST celebrates Europe Day!

30/05/2023

For Europe Day on May 9, three Members of the European university alliance EULiST (European Universities Linking Society and Technology) organized special events on European mobility that were attended by over 500 students in person and online. The Institut Mines-Télécom shared a video explaining the individual role that Europe plays for the French and newest EULiST Member.

On the campus of the German EULiST Member Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), the International Office organized an info-fair together with the Leibniz School of Education (LSE), the Leibniz Language Centre (LLC), and the European Information Centre (EIZ) of Lower Saxony.

Whether it is a semester abroad, a Summer School, staff mobility, an internship, or just a language tandem– students and employees of LUH were able to get a taste of Europe on May 9. The European university alliance EULiST presents 10 attractive locations and study opportunities in all corners of Europe. Upon her visit on the Hannover campus, Wiebke Osigus, Minister for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development, was also impressed by the diverse opportunities for students and employees to experience Europe: “Often, the EU is equated with new regulations and requirements in the outside world. Yet there are so many positive sides, as this Europe Day event shows. Students benefit from exchange programmes, language tandems and university networks. Studying across and beyond borders, which is often deemed normal by young people today, should not be taken for granted.”

Two of the European Members in the EULiST network, Madrid’s Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), simultaneously hosted an online information event on internship opportunities at EU institutions. In total, over 400 students from all across the EULiST universities participated in it. Marisa Humanes, co-organizer and Vice-Rector for International Affairs at URJC, appreciated “the lively interest of the students in these kind of easy access events that offer students the possibility to learn about internship opportunities at European institutions”. Students who had already completed an internship at the EU shared their experiences with the participants and gave tips for the application process.

The French Institut Mines-Télécom, uploaded a special video to celebrate Europe Day. Oliver Epinette, Director of International Affairs at IMT, highlighted the role that Europe plays for the French EULiST Member: “Europe is the playing field for IMT and our schools. It accounts for 50% of the destinations chosen by our students. Nearly 20 million Euros have been raised for projects over the last two years. [Europe] is at the heart of our strategy today in terms of training and research. Today, all of our programmes and activities at IMT are in the broadest sense impacted by Europe.” This includes the search for doctoral candidates and employees on the European job market.

Those who have now developed an interest in Europe can, for example, register for one of the many EULiST language tandems through the language centers of their individual university – or plan an Erasmus semester abroad at one or more EULiST locations. For shorter stays abroad, Summer Schools or Blended Intensive Programmes that combine online and in-presence instruction are the way to go. Information about these and other Learning Opportunities is regularly updated. The Erasmus coordinators and the EULiST coordinators of the EULiST Members look forward to helping students, researchers and employees plan their individual European experience.

EULiST Celebrates Europe Day!

11/04/2023

Europe Day celebrates European unity and diversity. This year, on May 9^th, 2023, EULiST organizes various on- and offline events on this special day.

EULiST aims at cultural and professional plurality across Europe, also through internships. In particular, a matchmaking internship platform will be established within EULiST, with a focus on climate action and social cohesion. Along these lines, within Europe Day 2023, EULiST organizes an online information event on Tuesday, May 9^th, 2023, from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST, with the title “EULiST and the European Union Careers Student Ambassadors on EU Internships”. The event addresses students interested in internship opportunities, providing information on the diverse internship options available, while offering the possibility to exchange experience with fellow students. The event will be held online via MS Teams and will also be livestreamed. In this event, the EC Career Ambassadors of the URJC and NTUA will be present, who will inform about the internship opportunities in European institutions and agencies, and with the presence of EPSO and DGs officers who will provide hints on how to apply and the type of work developed. We will also have the assistance of 4 students who are currently enjoying an internship and will give a first-hand view of the selection process, the work developed in the European institutions and the employment prospects after the internship. Finally, the event will close with an outlook by the President of the Office of the European Parliament in Spain. The event can be attended through this link.

EULiST aims to a borderless mobility interlinking its ten universities. The International Office of Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) is using Europe Day 2023 as an opportunity to present cooperation and exchange opportunities with European universities from 11:00 to 14:30 CEST in the foyer of its main cafeteria (Callinstraße 23, 30167 Hannover). Next to presenting EULiST and its development of new international mobility and teaching formats, the focus of this in-presence event will be on the Erasmus+ programme, which promotes the mobility of university members in many ways: from student exchanges to internships, staff mobility and teaching mobility.

Join the Europe Day events, learn about EULiST and get involved!

Europe Day Agenda and Registration Form

EULiST General Assembly at URJC in Madrid

26/10/2022

The first EULiST General Assembly took place in Madrid between October 19^th to 21^st, 2022. The different meetings of the Presidents’ Board, the Management Board and the Coordination Office were hosted by University Rey Juan Carlos.

More than thirty representatives from all ten (10) partner Universities, participated in the discussions, including Rectors and Vice Rectors, evidencing thus the high degree of commitment among the institutions already working as an alliance to build a European University “Our present, your future”. Fruitful discussions were conducted and strategic decisions were taken on the preparation of the upcoming proposal within 2023 EUI Call.

NTUA participated with its Rector, Professor Andreas Boudouvis, the EULiST-NTUA Coordinator, Professor Katerina Adam, and Antonia Lampropoulou from the local Coordination Office.

Within the framework of the General Assembly, EULiST representatives were invited in the inauguration of the new Teaching Laboratories of Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics and Electronic Technology at the URJC School of Experimental Sciences and Technology at Campus de Móstoles.

Photos of the Event:

DesignBuild Summer School – Urban Conflicts

17/06/2022

On the week 5 – 12.06.2022 the “DesignBuild Summer School – Urban Conflicts” in the frame of EULIST and the International Conference “You promised me a city” took place in Hannover, Germany. The three EULiST Universities that participated were: Leibniz University Hannover (organizer), Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and National Technical University of Athens.

The workshop was funded by the Erasmus + as a BIP (Blended Intensive Program) with both physical and digital workshops. The program concluded at the end of June 2022 with a digital session.

Download the workshop brochure (pdf)

EULiST Distance Learning Workshop

10/06/2021

A European Workshop in Distance Learning, EULiST DL workshop “What is the New Normal in Distance Learning in European Universities”, was organized by EULiST WG Studying and Teaching, and successfully conducted on June 10^th 2021.

It was proposed by NTUA Rector and decided by Presidents Board and thus hosted by NTUA. 26 leading academic educators, IT experts and students from the EULiST partners discussed on Distance Learning as a new learning modality from social, technical and pedagogical perspectives. Success stories and lessons learnt in the COVID-19 era were shared to recognize opportunities and challenges for universities and work towards sustainable solutions for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Within the plenary session – including the key note speech “A strategic view on the future of higher education online learning” – three parallel panel discussions and the concluding session with next steps proposed, diverse viewpoints were discussed, both from STEM and SSH disciplines, regarding the enhancement of distance learning to achieve the best learning outcomes.

DL Workshop was live streamed and more than 330 attendees actively took part, while registrations reached 700. The majority of the participants were from the EULiST countries GR, CZ, SK, DE, FI, SE, ES, IT, AT. Participation was also noted from the UK, IN, TR, FR and PL. 150 participants actively shared their opinions and experiences in live polling during the workshop and 60 questions were addressed to the speakers and panelists.

This comprehensive array of material was recorded and edited into one unified video of 4 hours and 50 min, available on the website of the workshop http://dlworkshop.ntua.gr/

For the dissemination of the key points discussed and conclusions reached regarding next steps in distance Learning in EULIST, a short summary video of 10 min was also prepared, available in https://youtu.be/g9N_3U0Niqo, whereas the comprehensive array of material presented is available at the workshop’s website.

The opinions and views shared during the workshop have provided valuable material to be taken into account in designing future Education Strategies for EULiST Alliance. A second DL Workshop will be organized, focusing on “next steps” and the “future of DL”.