ERUA Summit 2025: Strengthening Sustainability, Innovation, and Student Agency in European Higher Education
From 4 to 7 November 2025, the University of the Aegean (UAEGEAN) hosted the annual ERUA Summit - ERUA Summit 2025 - on the island of Lesvos, Greece. Under the theme "Navigating the Edges," the event brought together more than 260 participants from across the alliance, including rectors, researchers, administrative staff, and students from all eight partner universities. The four day gathering became a powerful reflection on how universities can act as laboratories of inclusion, innovation, and reform in a fast-changing Europe.
This year’s Summit was enriched by the ERUA Winter School “Building ERUA Sustainable Future Learning Paths”, resulting in the participation of more than 100 ERUA students who engaged in a vibrant programme combining academic sessions with hands-on, real-world learning.
The delegation from the European University Viadrina played a central role in both the strategic management sessions and the student-led initiatives aimed at reforming the European higher education landscape.
Day 1: Strategic Foundations and Student Networking
The summit commenced with intensive working sessions focused on the alliance's infrastructure. For the Viadrina, Sandra Evans (Local Coordinator) and Sebastian Pfeifer (EU Project Manager) contributed to the ongoing preparations for the mid-term report and future EU funding, while Stefan Henkel (International Affairs) and Monika Stekowski (Innovative Learning & ERUA Campus) coordinated the expansion of Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) within the alliance.
In the afternoon, the first Annual Networking Fair for Students took place. Led by Irene Serra (Innovative Pedagogical Programs, Paris 8), the event, which was both streamed live and well-attended on-site, showcased ERUA’s "Innovative Teaching Initiatives." Students from three partner universities shared their firsthand experiences with various academic formats, such as summer schools and intensive courses. Among the presenters was Bikash Thapa from the Viadrina, who used short presentations and videos to illustrate the impact of these programs. The fair concluded with an interactive Q&A session. The audience engaged directly with the students about the practical benefits of the alliance’s diverse educational offerings.
Day 2: Innovation in Numbers and Alumni Connections
On day 2, the summit highlighted the tangible progress made by the alliance over the past, including:
- Expanded Academic Mobility: The number of traveling seminars has tripled, and 21 interdisciplinary research clusters now link over 250 academics across the network.
- Joint Degree Development: Significant progress was reported on the development of three new joint master’s degrees focusing on migration studies, climate action, and governance, positioning ERUA as an active contributor to the European Degree Initiative.
- Sustainable Financial Strategy: The establishment of ERUA’s new legal entity (AISBL) in Brussels is entering its final stage of formalization. As an instrument of continuity it ensures long-term coordination and financial sustainability beyond the current project funding cycles.
- Digital Innovation: The ERUA Digital Identity (ERUAid) Initiative was presented as a forward-looking tool for students. This decentralized identity wallet will allow students to access academic services and mobility resources seamlessly across all member universities.
These developments reflect a new model of cross-border collaboration, emphasizing openness and interoperability within the European Higher Education Area.
The day also featured the first Annual Networking Fair for Alumni. Monika Stekowski (Innovative Learning & ERUA Campus, Viadrina) introduced the newly founded alumni community on LinkedIn. Current students nearing graduation engaged in a lively exchange emphasizing the need to maintain international professional connections after leaving the university.
ERUA Summit 2025
Day 3: Leadership Handover and Public Dialogue
A defining moment for the European University Viadrina occurred on the third day of the summit at the Municipal Theater of Mytiline. The chairmanship of the Board of Rectors was officially handed over to Professor John McCourt (University of Macerata) and Prof. Dr. Eduard Mühle, President of the European University Viadrina. Taking over the Co-Chair, Prof. Dr. Mühle stated: “This magnificent group of unique universities across Europe, through close communication and cooperation, will sharpen their profile, improve their quality and increase their impact on their home societies as on Europe as a whole. I look forward to contributing to the ERUA community’s efforts to meet this challenge successfully.”
Student engagement was the heart of the summit. Muhammad Ismail, member of Student Engagement at Viadrina, addressed the audience with welcoming remarks, and emphasized the alliance's commitment to its members: “ERUA is a student-centred alliance, not just in words but in action.” This was further exemplified by the presentation of the Blue Commission Manifesto on Sustainability (PDF), presented to the Board of Rectors by ERUA alumnus Samuel Taviro Rodríguez-Brusco (ULPGC). In a panel discussion moderated by Margot Vanduynslager, a student of European Studies at KU Leuven, Niki Kasis (Viadrina), Head of ERUA Student Engagement, discussed better opportunities for student participation in the reform of the European higher education landscape with student representatives from ERUA and other university alliances.
The event, held in the hall of the municipal theater in Mytiline, Greece, was open to the public: one of the focal points of the day was dialogue with civil society actors, local businesses, and regional initiatives.
Day 4: Sustainability in Action
The final day focused on sustainability as a cross-cutting task within ERUA. Whether in research projects, in exchanges with civil society, or in very practical everyday issues such as waste separation on campus or avoiding plastic waste at events such as the Summit, the topic is ever-present. A survey by the ERUA Green & Inclusive Committee will soon provide information on how far each university has already progressed in the various dimensions of sustainability. In this regard, Sahra Damus (Social Change in the Region, Viadrina) emphasized using the student Blue Commission Manifesto now as a guideline for implementing green standards across all campuses. Finally, the students took part in an excursion to local recycling facilities and a refugee camp. To conclude, the students planted trees together to symbolize the alliance's roots in regional engagement.
Closing Reflections
The strongest impression from the summit will be the experience of a great sense of community within the alliance, and the certainty of working on a shared vision in many different places at the same time. This “spirit” must now be carried to Frankfurt (Oder) and implemented on campus. The local ERUA team would like to thank the UAEGEAN for their great hospitality and the AStA of Viadrina for their ongoing support of student-led initiatives.
Ευχαριστώ και τα λέμε σύντομα, Λέσβο!
Fritz Schlüter and Mariam Umar Farooq
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