On June 10-11th, 230 people arrived at University of Trento (Trento, Italy) for ECIU University Forum 2025 – a yearly networking event that unites the entire ECIU University community. Now in its second year, the Forum brought together learners, teachers, staff, researchers and external stakeholders from all over Europe and Tecnológico de Monterrey (ECIU member from Mexico)  to connect, lay a foundation for pioneering ideas, and inspire change.

‘It’s not just a regular conference, but a community-building and strengthening event,’ explained Maurizio Marchese, University of Trento’s vice-rector for the Development of international relationships, in his opening speech. ‘We're here to connect, network, exchange opinions and share our best practices with each other. And of course – to have fun.’  

This year’s topic was Innovation for Sustainable Futures, with 23 training sessions, workshops and discussions taking place across 4 different venues. The goal was to inspire collaboration for a sustainable future, all while connecting across different disciplines and cultures.  

For two days, attendants participated in diverse parallel panels and events, from training on design thinking and an inspiring conversation about AI trends in learning to a real-life game of Ooga-Booga created by ECIU University students' ambassadors.

But it was not just about learning and sharing perspectives. The Forum has also created some incredible memories – be it the captivating opening session that included a Trento University choir performance led by charismatic Albert Hera or student ambassadors showcasing the ECIU University hoodies they designed together with the ECIU University marketing team.  

Another highlight was the Team Impact Award, an award that recognises and celebrates teams that show exceptional collaboration, creativity, and dedication in addressing real-world challenges.  

This year, the winner was the team from Dublin City University that shared their experience developing and participating in the Ecotech Challenge. Learners, teamchers (teachers who guide students during the learning opportunity)  and external stakeholders worked together to design solutions for ensuring vulnerable communities’ access to clear water.

In students' own words, it was about more than just developing a solution; they gained important new skills, experience and confidence for their future work as well.  

‘Challenge-based learning is not just an approach,’ says dr. Cliona McParland, one of the teamchers. ‘It’s a mindset shift. And the Challenge proved how impactful this shift can be.’

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With attendees praising the two-day event's interactive format and cross-university exchange, ECIU University Forum 2025 became a source of inspiration for its participants. Not only did it encourage exciting discussions about sustainability and innovation, but it also created new connections and deepened the existing ones, all thanks to the joint passion for change.  

‘The 2025 Forum demonstrated the ability and readiness of ECIU University member institutions to tackle the challenges of competitiveness, innovation and preparedness in Europe by developing new modes of academic activity that include AI, innovation, entrepreneurship and mobility’, points out ECIU University director Niall Power.  

‘As the higher education sector changes rapidly, we continue to cherish and promote such values as critical thinking, active citizenship and academic freedom’, he notes.

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And while the Forum has ended, this is just the beginning. The ECIU University community members will come together again for the ECIU University Forum 2026. And in the meantime, the connections forged by them are bound to flourish into exciting partnerships.

Sincere gratitude to the colleagues at the University of Trento for hosting ECIU University Forum 2025. We will cherish the incredible moments we created together this year and can’t wait to meet again to keep making a difference.

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Photos by: Pierre Teyssot, Alessio Coser
The author: Anastasia Bukhtiarova