Board Meeting in Brussels: ECIU Strengthens Its Position in EU Education, Research and Innovation

Last week, the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) held its Board meeting in Brussels. On 25 March, more than 200 participants joined the high-level impact event to discuss how European Universities Alliances can boost European Competitiveness and drive meaningful societal transformation.

Ahead of the Board meeting, ECIU’s Vice-Presidents of Education and Research gathered in Brussels to engage with stakeholders as part of ongoing efforts to align ECIU’s activities with major political developments in research, innovation, and education.

The ECIU Board met on 26 March with Manuel Aleixo, Cabinet Expert of Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, to discuss how ECIU can support DG Research and Innovation in implementing the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Innovation Act. ECIU's longstanding commitment to fostering regional innovation ecosystems was highlighted, with Board members sharing impactful examples of public engagement and knowledge valorisation from ECIU member universities.

Discussions focused on translating research and innovation into tangible benefits for society and the economy, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and education. ECIU’s active participation in the Commission’s AI task force was noted, reinforcing its role in shaping responsible digital transformation. The importance of European Alliances in implementing ERA was emphasised, with the Board underlining how long-term, systematic partnerships foster mobility, interdisciplinarity, and sustainable networks for researchers across Europe.

In a subsequent meeting, the Board engaged with Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Member of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, to address the EU education agenda and the crucial role of European Alliances. Topics included the ECIU University’s connection to the Union of Skills, future funding in the Investment Pathway, and ECIU University’s pioneering role as the first European University to centrally issue micro-credentials. The Alliance expressed its readiness to collaborate on developing the European label for micro-credentials.

In addition to engaging with EU stakeholders, the Board held a workshop with student representatives. Lodz University of Technology shared its talent development strategy with the Board. Updates on ECIU University’s progress and strategic direction were presented, including recent milestones such as the submission of the ECIU University extension phase, the EIT HEI project application, and participation in the European Degree label calls.

The meeting concluded with presentations from the 20th cohort of the ECIU Leadership Development Programme (LDP), which brought together 19 participants from 10 ECIU partner universities. The cohort focused on strategies to address the decline in prospective traditional students and adapt to urbanisation trends in Europe, presenting recommendations for enhanced collaboration among partner universities. The ECIU LDP, established in 2003, remains a flagship initiative for developing leadership and fostering knowledge exchange across Europe’s higher education landscape. Recruitment for the 2026/2027 edition will open soon.

Photos by Elodie Vilain