XIV Unite! Dialogue at KTH: turning collaboration into lasting change
With more than 300 participants from nine partner universities, the XIV Unite! Dialogue at KTH celebrated shared achievements and the students at the heart of the alliance, while looking towards what comes next.
Students, researchers and staff gathered in Stockholm from 12 to 14 October 2026 around the theme Turning pilot into practice. The focus was on building on ideas already tested across the alliance and finding ways to make successful collaborations last.
Stories, ideas and student voices
In U! Stories, participants shared what working together through Unite! has made possible. Students spoke about how they became involved in SURE!, the alliance’s student representative body, and the opportunities that can grow from creativity and collaboration across Europe.
Students are central to Unite!, and their role in shaping the alliance is growing. SURE! now has five seats on the Unite! Academic Forum, giving students a greater say in its development. Their experiences brought a concrete perspective to discussions about how more students can take part in Unite in the years ahead.
Panel discussions explored the alliance’s international outlook. Participants also considered how to build on the results of Unite! Seed Fund projects and strengthen their local impact. Community-led workshops covered topics ranging from collaborative courses and digital learning to sustainability and student representation. By comparing approaches across universities, participants could learn from one another and bring new ideas back to their own work.
Building connections in doctoral education
Doctoral education was another focus of the Dialogue. Representatives from the partner universities developed plans for joint activities to help doctoral students and early-career researchers develop skills, exchange knowledge and establish research collaborations across the alliance. More information about the activities will follow in the coming months.
Discovering KTH
The programme also offered a chance to explore the host university. Guided campus tours introduced visitors to KTH’s architecture, art and history. Visits to the R1 Reactor Hall took participants to a very different part of KTH. The underground hall once housed Sweden’s first nuclear reactor. Today, it is a space for culture, events and experimentation.
Celebrating the Unite! community
The Unite! Awards recognised nine recipients this year for their contributions to the alliance. The awards have become a moment to celebrate the people whose ideas and commitment help Unite! grow.
Next stop: Wrocław
The XIV Unite! Dialogue brought the alliance together as one project period drew to a close. A new two-year phase begins in November 2026, building on the work developed across the nine universities. The next Dialogue will be hosted by Wrocław University of Science and Technology in Poland. As the first Dialogue of the new project cycle, it will be another chance to meet, share progress and turn plans into practice.