- The Strategy Board, made up of the rectors of the nine member universities, held its February meeting at the Turia Campus to take stock of the alliance’s first year and define its future direction
On Tuesday, Universidad Europea de Valencia hosted the meeting of the Strategy Board of ChallengeEU, the highest decision-making body of the European alliance of universities of which the Valencian institution is a member.
This meeting brought together the rectors of the nine universities that make up the network alongside UEV at the Turia Campus: Offenburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), University of Life Sciences and Technologies (Latvia), ECAM LaSalle (France), University of Warmia and Mazury (Poland), Mid Sweden University (Sweden), Southeast European University (Republic of North Macedonia), University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (Switzerland) and Universidade Europeia de Lisboa (Portugal), in a working session focused on future directions, strategic challenges and the evolution of the project.
The day began with a welcome coffee, during which Esther Gómez, Regional Secretary for Universities of the Generalitat Valenciana, gave a few words of institutional greeting to the Rectors of the alliance before starting the programme of activities.
During the working session, the Strategy Board was presented with the results of the alliance’s first year of operation and analysed its medium- and long-term strategy, focusing on consolidating its vision and priorities for the coming years.
The meeting also allowed progress to be made on the proposal to create double degrees between member universities, as well as exploring the possible incorporation of a Ukrainian polytechnic university as an associate member, in line with ChallengeEU’s commitment to broader and more diverse European cooperation.
The meeting was chaired by Tobias Hagen, Director General of ChallengeEU, and Secretary General Sofiia Hecker, both from the University of Offenburg (Germany), the institution responsible for the overall coordination of the alliance. Annette Klinkert, director of city2science, the technical agency that has accompanied ChallengeEU in its application and development process, also participated in the proceedings.
It was also agreed at the meeting that the Rector of Universidade Europeia de Lisboa, Helia Gonçalves, would take over the chairmanship of the Strategy Board during the alliance’s second year of operation, replacing Stephan Trahasch, Rector of the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany). Likewise, the rector of Mid Sweden University (Sweden), Anders Fallström, has been appointed as the new vice-president of the body.
