Unite! plays a key role at EAIE 2025 in Gothenburg
From 9 to 12 September 2025, Gothenburg hosted the 35th EAIE Conference, bringing together a record 35 European University alliances. Among them, Unite! stood out with a strong presence, showcasing its commitment to innovation, inclusiveness, and international collaboration.
Last week the city of Gothenburg hosted the 35th Annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, a flagship event for the internationalisation of higher education. This year’s edition saw a record-breaking presence of 35 European University alliances, nearly double that of 2024, representing over 300 higher education institutions from across the continent.
Among them, Unite!, the alliance of European technological universities, stood out with a strong and visible presence, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, inclusiveness, and global collaboration.
Active involvement in high-level sessions
Throughout the conference, Unite! members took centre stage in key sessions, sharing impactful projects and strategies on EU funding, strategic research partnerships, and intercultural competence.
Andreas Winkler, Secretary General of Unite!, took part in three high-level sessions at EAIE 2025: he moderated the panel on European funded programmes (10 Sept), discussing the future of Erasmus+; spoke on leveraging EU funding and maximising synergies within alliances (11 Sept); and joined a panel on strategic approaches to international research partnerships (12 Sept), where he shared insights on enhancing coordination and impact across institutions.
In addition, Barbara Guyomarch (Grenoble INP – UGA), also a Unite! member, moderated the FOREU4ALL campfire session “How to engage the university community in alliances” (10 Sept, 13:30 CEST), focused on strengthening grassroots involvement within university alliances.
Interculturality and global competence
Unite! is also at the forefront of rethinking how global and intercultural competencies are developed in the European classroom. Three members of the alliance—Björn Kjellgren (KTH, Sweden), Sophie Bélanger (Grenoble INP – UGA, France), and Carlos Augusto Castro (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)—delivered two inspiring sessions about Unite!’s ongoing work to foster equity, diversity, and deep intercultural learning, key values in a truly inclusive European Higher Education Area.
Unite! and FOREU4ALL: building networks with impact
As part of FOREU4ALL, the Community of Practice that brings together all European University alliances, Unite! also played a key role in a joint session with the European Commission on 10 September. The interactive World Café format invited participants to explore the collective knowledge, tools, and experience of the alliances on topics such as micro-credentials, joint degrees, skills development, and new collaboration models.
This session was aimed especially at institutions not yet part of the initiative, showcasing how the European Universities Initiative can have a broader systemic impact across the higher education landscape.
Creating the future of higher education together
This year’s EAIE theme, “Go-Create”, resonated strongly with Unite!’s mission. Through active contributions to discussions, presentations, and community events, Unite! once again demonstrated its role as a catalyst for transformation in European higher education.
By promoting cross-border collaboration, impactful research, inclusive teaching, and a future-focused vision, Unite! continues to be a driving force in shaping a more connected, sustainable, and innovative European Higher Education Area.