The ENGAGE.EU Annual Conference held in one of Europe's most beautiful capitals of Europe – Vienna - in October 2024, marked one more milestone in the Alliance's development. Traditionally, the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and Vice-Rectors from our University were also among the participants in the Conference. Hosted by Vienna University of Economics /WU/, the three-day event gathered together over 170 participants.
The event was not just an annual meeting but an evidence of a shared vision to foster the collaboration, innovation and societal impact across Europe. "The ENGAGE.EU Annual Conference in Vienna highlighted the remarkable progress we have made as a European University Alliance. The joining of the University of St. Gallen, the progress on the development of the Master`s degree programme in Global Sustainability Management and our continued focus on digitalization, research and public engagement confirm our ambitions to shape the future of education and collaboration across Europe. Together we discover new opportunities, foster innovation and empower the next generation of leaders to tackle with the global challenges. It is an exciting time for ENGAGE.EU and I am proud that our university has a significant contribution to all this", said Prof. Dimitrov /in the picture below in the middle/.
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An important milestone in the Annual Conference was the inclusion of the University of St. Gallen /Switzerland/ as an associate member of the Alliance. Its accession brings the number of institutions in ENGAGE.EU to ten, uniting some of the most prestigious economic and business universities in Europe: University of Mannheim /Germany/, Hanken School of Economics /Finland/, Luiss University /Italy/, Norwegian School of Economics /Norway/, Tilburg University /Netherlands/, University of National and World Economy /Bulgaria/, Ramon Llull University /Spain/, Toulouse Capitole University /France/, Vienna University of Economics and Business /Austria/ and University of St. Gallen /Switzerland/.
Mrs. Iliana Ivanova - European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth - also officially addressed to the participants during the event. She outlined the importance of the European Universities Initiative, in particular ENGAGE.EU, and the role of the University of National and World Economy in it.
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Another important topic was the associated partners of the Alliance, among which is also Sofia Municipality. Its representative Mrs. Maria Goncheva also took part in the exploration of innovative formats for public engagement, showing the importance of interaction with the communities outside academia.
Two new members of the Alliance's senior management were introduced during the event. Sabine Saint-Rose is the new Secretary General of ENGAGE.EU. With over 25 years of experience in international education, Mrs. Saint-Rose will officially take office in January 2025 and will work in collaboration with representatives from the other management divisions. Moritz Fleischmann who holds the position of Vice President for Sustainability and International Relations at the University of Mannheim is now the new Coordinator of ENGAGE.EU and his leadership will further strengthen the strategic direction of the Alliance.
A key highlight of the Conference was the agreement on the structure of the Master`s degree programme in Global Sustainable Development Management /GSM/. Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2026 it represents a benchmark initiative for the Alliance. Having one compulsory semester abroad and one elective semester, the programme will be appropriately integrated into the academic offerings of each of the partner universities to contribute to cross-border education and cooperation in sustainable development. The programme is a practical expression of the core mission of ENGAGE.EU to cope with the global challenges of sustainable development to societies in different countries.
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During the Conference were also discussed strategic initiatives focused on digitalization, research and public engagement. The Alliance adopted guidelines for shaping future digitalization efforts to improve the accessibility and connectivity of ENGAGE.EU activities. One of the main objectives of the European Alliance is to foster the collaboration between the PhD students and young scholars and for the purpose a platform has been created where they can connect and exchange experiences and ideas.
The Conference also provided a format in which to review the current status of ENGAGE.EU initiatives in the areas of learning, research, innovation and public engagement. Although the monitoring of the EU funding of main stages of the project remains a priority, the Alliance's aspirations extend far beyond reporting formal results. The common shared mission is the even closer integration of partner universities and the creation of even more opportunities for collaboration.
The ENGAGE.EU Annual Conference 2024 outlined the Alliance's commitment to foster the innovation and societal impact. With new members in the leadership, the joining of another university and relevant and Master`s degree programmes, the future of ENGAGE.EU is a good example of what the European universities could achieve through collaboration and a shared mission.
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