The Slovak University of Technology (STU) in Bratislava hosts the first-ever “Staff Week” of the EULiST alliance of European universities from 16 to 20 October 2023. The aim of the meeting of almost fifty representatives of ten member universities is to get acquainted and create common ground for the newly adopted alliance within the framework of the European University Initiative.
EULiST Staff Week started on Monday afternoon at the STU Rectorate, where the participants were welcomed by the Vice-Rector for Promotion and Foreign Affairs Ľubica Vitková and introduced them to the university. In the ensuing discussion, representatives of the member universities of the EULiST alliance agreed on the topics and objectives of the first meeting.
As stated by the local coordinator for EULiST Natalia Gurska: “The EULiST Alliance received the title of Alliance of European Universities in July 2023. Currently, at the level of the alliance and partner universities, we are intensively preparing for the start of the project phase, which is expected to start in November this year. The ongoing Staff Week gives us space and time for deep conversations and strategic decisions that will have a big impact on the future of our alliance and partnership. We are very honored that this historic first Staff Week of the EULiST Alliance can take place at STU.”
Ten universities are represented at the event by vice-rectors, managers, professors, researchers and students. The aim of EULiST Staff Week is to get acquainted and create common ground for the new alliance adopted within the framework of the European University Initiative. The meeting also aims to establish common frameworks within the alliance and working groups. The content focuses on a common understanding of goals and working relationships within partner universities. This implies a common understanding of roles, responsibilities and governance structure. By the end of the week, the representatives of the alliance should have precise tangible goals and a roadmap for achieving the milestones and deliverables set for the first year of the EULiST phase.
The EULiST consortium consists of 10 universities from ten European countries:
BUT – Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic)
IMT- Institut Mines-Télécom (France)
JU – Jönköping University (Sweden)
LUH – Leibniz University Hannover – Senior Coordinator (Germany)
LUT – Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland)
NTUA – National Technical University of Athens (Greece)
STUBA – Slovak University of Technology (Slovakia)
TUW – Technical University Wien (Austria)
University of L’Aquila (Italy)
URJC – Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain)
The EULiST university consortium started to form in 2020. It was established as a transnational alliance of higher education institutions in May 2021. The alliance aims to develop long-term cooperation in education, research and knowledge transfer and to provide innovative solutions to existing and emerging societal challenges.