STARS EU is bringing May to a close with a series of activities and a call to action to commemorate European Diversity Month, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion both in the workplace and across society as a whole. The nine partners of the alliance are joining this year’s theme, “Building an inclusive labour market for all”, through a range of initiatives addressed to their university communities.

Your voice matters at STARS EU. For this reason, the alliance has launched the survey “Inclusion and Social Justice in your University”, aimed at gathering the opinions and suggestions of all members of our university community. This initiative will help promote more inclusive and diverse academic spaces committed to equality and social justice.

The aim of the survey is to better understand how students, academic staff and university personnel across the alliance perceive inclusion, fairness and participation within their institutions. The responses gathered will contribute to the development of shared strategies, the identification of common challenges and the promotion of evidence-based actions within the STARS EU framework.

To take part, click on Inclusion and Social Justice in your University. Completing the survey will take approximately seven minutes and will provide valuable information to help strengthen and advance a more inclusive and equal academic community.

Diversity beyond the screen

Another of the activities organised to mark Diversity Month focuses on digital detox. This in-person event will take place on Friday, 29 May, at Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania). Its aim is to reflect on life in a hyperconnected society and on the ways in which the digital environment affects mental health, human relationships and social inclusion.

The event, entitled Diversity beyond the screen: Digital detox for a more inclusive campus, will run from 09:00 to 12:00 (CEST) in the G2 building, located on the UAMD Spitallë Campus. The meeting is open to anyone interested in discussing the (excessive) use of digital technologies, an issue about which the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly raised concerns.

Research on diversity and inclusion

Moving towards a more diverse and inclusive alliance also involves exploring and applying new ideas and perspectives that can help foster fairer and more participatory environments. Therefore, if you are developing any research, project or initiative related to Diversity and Inclusion, you can contact Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Gjergo or send your proposal to ekaterinagjergo@uamd.edu.al.

Another initiative launched to promote inclusiveness and diversity within STARS EU is being carried out at “Aleksandër Moisiu” University. Focused on bullying prevention, the project is being developed by a group of university students in collaboration with secondary school pupils from different schools in the city of Durrës.

Hochschule Bremen (HSB) – City University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and Marie and Louis Pasteur University (UMLP), France, both partners in STARS EU, will launch a new academic collaboration within the Business Administration/International Management (BIM) degree programme, which will enable the development of a double degree programme between the two institutions.

Thanks to this agreement, students will be able to complete their studies following the so-called “two-plus-two” model: four semesters in Bremen and four at the partner university abroad, allowing them to obtain two official bachelor’s degrees.

The collaboration will take place within the framework of STARS EU, of which both universities are members alongside seven other European institutions. With UMLP joining the BIM programme as a new partner university, STARS EU moves closer to one of its key objectives: promoting joint degrees and greater academic integration across Europe.

“We are delighted to welcome UMLP as another strong partner university to the BIM network,” says programme director Leena Pundt. “This collaboration strengthens our international profile and opens up further attractive opportunities for our students to gain a truly binational education.”

Powerful linguistic approach

Julie Beugnot, professor and programme director at the French university, explained that UMLP has been working for several years to internationalise its academic offer. The university’s proximity to the German border, together with the existence of an ABIBAC double qualification programme (German Abitur and French Baccalauréat) at one of the largest secondary schools in Besançon, played a decisive role in UMLP’s decision to establish a double degree with HSB.

Ulrich Krüger, professor in the BIM degree programme and responsible for negotiating the new double degree agreement with UMLP, highlighted the importance of finding a partner university capable of helping further develop the integrated international programme. “As a member of the STARS EU alliance, UMLP is an ideal institution for offering a multilingual Franco-German double degree,” he said.

For her part, Célia Berger-Tarare (UMLP), who negotiated the agreement on behalf of the French university, explained that professors from both institutions already maintained strong links in research as well as in short-term training programmes. “We needed to build on this momentum through a long-term collaboration that would also involve students,” she noted.

This new partnership not only expands the international exchange opportunities available through the double degree programme but also brings the alliance closer to its main objective: facilitating joint study programmes throughout Europe. At the same time, it strengthens the programme’s distinctive language-based approach, as students will complete their studies bilingually in German and French while also receiving additional training in English, providing them with the foundation for a trilingual international career.

European students and academics are addressing sustainable innovation and bioeconomy during the Blended Intensive Programme “Circular Bioeconomy and Sustainable Innovation”, taking place this week at the Cracow University of Technology (Poland) within the framework of the STARS EU Alliance. The training initiative enables international teams of students to work together on projects tackling real-life sustainability and circular economy challenges, while developing innovative and practice-oriented solutions.

The initiative has brought together 28 students and 12 lecturers from seven STARS EU partner universities: Cracow University of Technology (Poland); University West (Sweden); Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands); Hochschule Bremen-City University of Applied Sciences (Germany); Polytechnic University of Bragança (Portugal); Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic); and Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (Albania).

The programme, who’s in-person phase is taking place in Krakow from 18 to 22 May, includes interdisciplinary collaborative work sessions, mentoring activities, expert lectures and a study visit to the company KLGS, located near the city. In parallel with these activities, participants also have opportunities for intercultural exchange, networking and collaboration among students and academic staff from across the STARS EU alliance.

Over the past weeks, participants have attended international lectures and workshops focused on circular economy, sustainable business models, life cycle analysis, biomaterials, biotechnology, renewable resources and sustainable innovation strategies. Following the mobility week in Krakow, teams will continue working online until the end of June, when the final presentations of the projects and reports prepared by each group will bring the activity to a close.

“Circular Bioeconomy and Sustainable Innovation” is coordinated by Katarzyna Matras-Postołek, Associate Professor at CUT, together with academics and experts from STARS EU partner universities, including Annabella Loconsolo (University West), Pavel Adamek (Silesian University in Opava), Daniela Hendrikse (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), Anja Noke (Hochschule Bremen), as well as representatives from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and other partner institutions.

This BIP is yet another example of how the STARS EU Alliance connects students, researchers and universities around shared European values, innovation and sustainable development.

Around 60 students, doctoral candidates and lecturers from nine European universities recently took part in the Ou[te]r Campus BIP project, the STARS EU initiative aimed at developing a collaborative, interdisciplinary and transnational European campus model. During the event, hosted by the Bremen University of Applied Sciences, six concepts were developed focusing on new forms of interaction between physical spaces and the digital opportunities offered by STARS EU.

The aim of this workshop, which became a blended intensive programme, was to build on the momentum generated by the collaborative “Interspace” project — also held at HSB in 2025 — in order to further develop these ideas and translate them into long-term structures with a “solid institutional foundation”. This represents a clear step towards a “co-creation campus that transcends disciplinary and geographical boundaries”, according to Janina Ebner, member of the Co-creation Campus at STARS EU.

Alongside her, Professor Maria Clarke, also involved in the initiative, highlighted that the workshop helped strengthen the project for the future. “Bringing together more than 60 interdisciplinary participants — students, doctoral candidates and members of academic staff — from the nine partner institutions was no easy task.” “During the workshop, there was a clear willingness to collaborate, build networks and work together to address the complex question ‘What is a European campus?’ and to find answers to it.”

The focus has been placed on strengthening STARS EU, and therefore the groups created continue to work on the six concepts developed, which explore proposals for physical spaces and digital possibilities. The outcomes of the Ou[te]r Campus teaching and knowledge-transfer project will be exhibited from 1 to 9 July 2026 in an exhibition at the Transferlabor (formerly AB Galerie) at Hochschule Bremen.

Interspace 2025

Ou[te]r Campus BIP stems from the collaborative project carried out in 2025 under the name “Interspace”, which explored ways of creating shared and connected campus spaces within STARS EU. The initiative brought together an international group of students from the HSB School of Architecture and the Integrated Design programme at the University of the Arts Bremen (HfK), who developed the first ideas. Among them was the STARS EU intercultural pavilion, conceived as a meeting place, which is currently on display at the Higher School of Engineering of the University of La Laguna.

The universities participating in this second phase are: Aleksander Moisiu University (Albania); Krakow University of Technology (Poland); Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Groningen, the Netherlands); Hochschule Bremen (Germany); Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal); Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic); University of La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain); Université Marie et Louis Pasteur (France); and University West (Trollhättan, Sweden).

*The Ou[te]r Campus BIP programme is funded by STARS EU and Erasmus+ grants.

Silesian University in Opava (SUO), Czechia, and Bragança Polytechnic University (IPB), Portugal, have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen academic, scientific, and pedagogical cooperation between the two institutions.

The agreement was signed by Orlando Rodrigues, President of IPB, and Tomáš Gongol, Rector of SUO, during an institutional visit of the Czech delegation to Portugal held between 26 and 30 April 2025. The delegation also included representatives of the SUO’s School of Business Administration in Karviná, led by Dean Roman Šperka.

One of the most important outcomes of the visit is the preparation of the School of Business Administration in Karviná for its first-ever double degree program. The new program, “Master in Product and Process Innovation”, currently undergoing the accreditation process, will allow students to obtain two diplomas in cooperation with the Portuguese partner institution. The first students could enroll as early as September 2027.

During the visit, the delegation participated in meetings with representatives of IPB schools, research centers, and innovation structures, including CeDRI, UNIAG, Brigantia EcoPark, MORE CoLAB, and the AquaValor Water Technology Transfer Center. Discussions focused on student and staff mobility, applied research, Living Labs, innovation, entrepreneurship, and practice-based learning methodologies.

“IPB makes full use of its regional context. Local challenges are transformed into opportunities for cooperation, research, and innovation. They build multidisciplinary teams, precisely the kind of approach that is needed,” said Rector of SUO, Tomáš Gongol. Dean Roman Šperka highlighted the shared educational vision of both institutions: “We are creating new opportunities for study programs taught in English while building on the Team Academy concept.”

The cooperation further strengthens the growing collaboration among STARS EU partner institutions and supports the alliance’s commitment to internationalization, innovative education, academic mobility, and regional impact across Europe.

The new campus unifies spaces, services and advantages for the entire university community 

The rectors and presidents of the nine universities that make up the European alliance STARS EU have signed today (Tuesday, November 25) at the University of La Laguna, the STARS EU Campus Charter, a common commitment to build an integrated European campus that facilitates studying, teaching, research and working together for students, faculty and staff throughout the alliance.

The alliance is working to co-create a long-term European campus that links education, research, and innovation, and contributes to the development of its regions by promoting mobility, joint training programs, collaborative research projects, and cooperation with local stakeholders. Other objectives of this initiative include fostering innovation, lifelong learning, inclusion, and sustainability.

This was stated today by the rectors present at the signing of the agreement: Francisco J. García Rodríguez, rector of the University of La Laguna; Dick Pouwels, rector of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands); Konrad Josef Wolf, rector of Hochschule Bremen City University of Applied Sciences (Germany); Orlando Rodrigues, rector of the Polytechnic University of Braganza (Portugal); Tomáš Gongol, rector of the Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic); Mats Jägstam, rector of the University West (Sweden) and Shkëlqim Fortuz, rector of the Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania).

Along with them, and representing the vice-rectorates of the alliance, were also present Samir Jemei, Vice-President of International Extension, Art, Culture and Scientific Communication of the Marie and Louis Pasteur University (France) and Katarzyna Bizon, Vice-Rector of Education and International Cooperation of the Technological University of Krakow (Poland).

The signing ceremony took place within the framework of the STARS EU working meeting hosted by the ULL from November 25 to 26, 2025. The international working meeting brought together 170 people (academic staff, students and administrative and service staff) from the nine European higher education centers to advance the development of the strategic lines and objectives of the alliance.

Unique European campus

The signed Campus Charter envisions a single campus with multiple locations, comprised of physical spaces at each university, such as learning and meeting areas, laboratories, and innovation hubs. The expanding digital campus will offer shared services, virtual and blended learning opportunities, and shared tools for research and innovation.

The goal is for any student or staff member to be able to move, study, teach, and work easily across any of the nine institutions, as if they were part of a single European university. To make this possible, STARS EU will develop a common signage system that will make spaces recognizable throughout the network; a single digital access point with single sign-on; and shared open science and mobility platforms. These tools aim to strengthen a common European identity and a sense of belonging among the entire university community.

The signing of the Campus Charter thus confirms the will of the nine universities in the STARS EU alliance — integrated into the European Universities Initiative (EUI) to build a cohesive European ecosystem, capable of connecting talent, knowledge and innovation on a transnational and regional scale.

Nearly 200 people from nine universities affiliated with the STARS EU alliance have met from today, Tuesday, November 25, until tomorrow, the 26th, at the University of La Laguna to participate in the working meeting to advance the objectives of this ambitious project that encompasses education , research , mobility and local development.

Picture gallery

During the ceremony, representatives from the various partner universities gave brief presentations on the milestones achieved in different areas of work during the first two years of activity. They also outlined the objectives for this working meeting held at the University of La Laguna. The event was introduced by José Sigut, the alliance coordinator at the ULL, and the first speaker was Marieke Steenbergen from Marie & Louis Pasteur University. Speaking on behalf of the alliance’s steering committee, she provided an overview of the alliance, which comprises nine universities located in non-capital regions facing similar local challenges. Together, they represent a community of 150,000 students, 15,000 professors, researchers, and staff, across 75 faculties.

She explained the organizational structure of the alliances and some of the objectives achieved in this two-year period, such as the mobility of more than 4,300 people to date; the creation of common undergraduate degrees, of which 14 are currently under discussion; the launch of 40 BIP courses, half of which have already been delivered; the design of 36 micro-credentials; the launch of the Technology Transfer Office to share the scientific infrastructures of the nine universities; the launch of seed grants to prepare proposals for competitive European calls; and the launch of three Living Labs to encourage impact on local regions.

Work packages and TIG

Next, representatives from the STARS EU work packages briefly introduced their progress to date: package 2, (Regional Transition Acceleration); package 3 (Curriculum Lab) which is responsible for academic innovation and the teaching offer; package 4, (Challenge Lab), which is responsible for research in the alliance; package 5, related to physical and virtual campuses, which during the meeting in Tenerife will present examples of the visual elements available to identify the spaces of the alliance in each institution; package 6, in charge of mobility; package 7, which addresses the sustainability model of the alliance not only referring to environmental aspects, inclusion and equality, but also financing and governance; and the 8th, on communication, dissemination and open science.

There was also a summary presentation of the nine thematic groups of interest ( TIG ) on the different subjects that structure the research and training proposals of the alliance: energy transition, arts and creative industries, entrepreneurship and innovation, sustainable industry, circular economy, digital transformation, healthy ageing, lving spaces, and inclusion and social justice.

Local authorities

Local goverments representatives were also present at the event, who highlighted the great opportunity that having one of its universities in a European alliance like STARS EU represents for the Canary Islads, a type of inter-university collaboration structure promoted by the European Commission to increase the competitiveness of the community academic system.

The rector of the host institution , Francisco García , emphasized that, above scientific and academic considerations, the alliance is a space that underscores the importance of the European values of “ unity, diversity, knowledge, and solidarity”. In his address, he highlighted the role that institutions in the outermost regions can play within the European context. He also emphasized that the alliance’s work focuses on aspects such as inclusion , sustainability, and the digital transition, all essential for providing the necessary skills for the new generation of the 21st century to thrive in an increasingly changing and competitive society , promoting mobility and collaborative work.

During his speech, the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, also emphasized the status of the outermost regions within the European Union at a time when these regions are being questioned within EU institutions: “The outermost regions are not a burden. We are a strategic opportunity for Europe, and this is the best example. We are territories that contribute to cohesion, that expand Europe’s borders, that connect continents, and that offer innovation , talent, and proven scientific capacity. Projects like the one that brings us together here today are the best example. That is our commitment: that the Canary Islands be known for what it knows, for what it researches, and for what it contributes to the world.”

For her part, the president of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila , expressed the council’s commitment to research , for which a budget of 200 million euros has been allocated, and also addressed the issue of the outermost regions. “ We are facing profound transformations influenced by the energy transition , digitalization , job automation , artificial intelligence, demographic challenges , and the need to diversify our economic models . In this context, universities play an irreplaceable role. You are engines of knowledge, spaces for critical thinking , laboratories of innovation , and meeting points between academia , the public sector , and the productive sector . ”

Regarding the First Deputy Mayor of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Badel Albelo, he highlighted the role of the local university in adapting to a changing socio-economic context that demands agility. “ From the City Council, we highly value this internationalization strategy because it will allow the University of La Laguna (ULL) to continue attracting talent and to remain committed to scientific innovation . The challenges we face in healthcare and the economic diversification that our islands need for balanced development require a strong public university to drive it forward, and this alliance will allow us to work in that direction.”

The University of La Laguna (Tenerife) is hosting the working meeting to advance the different work packages of the European project that our alliance is developing until 2027. Some 180 people from the eight continental academic centers have confirmed their attendance , and around twenty local participants will join them in the sessions.

The opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 25th at 8:45 a.m. in the main auditorium (Paraninfo), with the participation of the Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco J. García ; the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the President of the Island Council of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila ; and the Mayor of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, as well as representatives from the various working groups of this European project. Following this ceremony, the working sessions will be held over two days at the Higher School of Engineering and Technology .

This meeting will also be the first time that seven of the nine rectors of the alliance have met, so the occasion has been used to sign the Campus Charter, a document that reflects their joint commitment to the development of a cohesive, accessible and innovative campus that transcends borders, is inclusive, ecological and digital.

Furthermore , the university rectors will also meet with the Minister of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture of the Canary Islands Government, Migdalia Machín , to personally present the opportunities for local development that participation in STARS EU entails. This meeting , as well as the presence of regional authorities at the opening ceremony , represents a significant boost to engagement with local stakeholders in Tenerife.

During the meeting there will also be an exhibition with physical examples of the work developed by work package 5.2 on corporate image on physical campuses, so that the alliance members can see in situ the examples shown by the approved project to consider application in their respective centers.

This is the alliance’s third face-to-face working meeting, following the one held in Trollhättan ( Sweden ) in 2023, which served as the project’s launch, and in Bremen (Germany) in 2024. These meetings are in addition to the alliance’s annual conferences held in spring, which the University of La Laguna hosted in 2023 after the one held in Groningen ( Netherlands ) the previous year , and which have subsequently been held in Besançon ( France) and Durrës ( Albania).

Bragança Polytechnic University hosted two BIPs addressing current challenges through an innovative approach

STARS EU is promoting digital creativity and sustainability through two Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) that brought together more than 60 European students and lecturers from different disciplines and nationalities in Portugal. Organised by Bragança Polytechnic University (IPB), both programmes – which included virtual sessions prior to the in-person mobility – highlight the potential of transnational collaboration to address contemporary challenges from a creative, sustainable, and interdisciplinary perspective.

The first programme, “Heritage in Videogames”, held at EsACT-IPB from 3 to 7 November 2025, focused on the use of videogames as a tool to reinterpret and preserve European cultural heritage. Participants from IPB, University West (Sweden), Marie and Louis Pasteur University (France), and Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes (Spain) combined research, digital storytelling, and interactive design to create prototypes inspired by local traditions, symbols, and places. Visits to key sites such as the Olive Oil and Olive Museum, the Ecoteca and the Arts Station provided creative material for their projects, which incorporated both tangible and intangible heritage elements.

Sustainable architecture

The second programme, “Climate-Responsive and Sustainable Building Design”, took place at ESTiG-IPB during the same dates and centred on climate-responsible architectural design. Students from Hochschule Bremen (Germany), Cracow University of Technology (Poland), Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia) and IPB worked on a real case study – Berlin’s LIDO urban development project – to develop sustainable proposals that respond to today’s environmental needs.

The final models, built using recycled and recyclable materials, are on display at the ESTiG Library as a demonstration of the programme’s practical and applied approach. This edition was supported by the GICoS – Sustainable Construction Research Group.

Beyond their academic dimension, both BIPs offered an opportunity to strengthen intercultural exchange, enhance students’ digital, creative and transversal skills, and foster international networks among learners and teaching staff.

In addition to the participation of students from the STARS EU partner universities, both BIPs also received students from Croatia and Spain.

The introductory Game-based workshop on digital literacy and inclusion for Educators will be held on November 27 in Tenerife

STARS EU is promoting a face-to-face workshop that will take place on November 27, 2025, within the framework of the Project Meeting that the alliance will hold on the island on the 25th, 26th and 27th. The initiative, aimed at the alliance’s faculty and academic staff, will offer practical strategies to design and facilitate sessions based on gamification and inclusion in the university environment.

The activity, organized by the University of La Laguna, will be taught by Madelon van Oostrom, professor at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, sociologist and PhD from ULL, with an outstanding career in educational innovation.

With a capacity limited to 30 participants, the workshop will be delivered in a highly participatory and collaborative format. The organisation by working groups will make it possible to promote experimentation, the exchange of good practices and direct transfer to teaching.

The meeting will take place on November 27, from 12:00 to 14:00 hours, on the first floor of the Agustín Arévalo Tower (Ficread room) of the University of La Laguna.

For more information, visit: Interactive Workshop on Digital Competence

If you are interested in participating, click here: Registration.