The University of La Laguna (Spain) recently hosted a STARS EU meeting aimed at exploring potential pilot projects of common interest in the tourism sector and advancing the definition of the Interregional Tourism Living Lab, a future living lab focused on interregional tourism.

The workshop brought together researchers and specialists at the Vice-Rectorate for Internationalisation and Cooperation, home to STARS EU, from the Cracow University of Technology (Poland), the Polytechnic University of Bragança (Portugal) and the University of La Laguna. The meeting sought to identify interregional challenges and opportunities, define possible areas for joint work and establish the next steps in the development of this Living Lab.

The initiative follows the partners’ agreement to explore an interregional Living Lab focused on tourism. In the specific case of ULL, the meeting provided an opportunity to contribute to and complement the Circular Tourism Pilot, developed within the Circular Economy Living Lab promoted by the University of La Laguna, which will become operational shortly.

According to the STARS EU coordinator at ULL, José Sigut, “this international meeting represents an important boost for our university’s Circular Economy Living Lab (CELL). Interaction with experts from Kraków and Bragança directly enriches our own Circular Tourism Pilot and provides a global perspective while complementing the transversal areas in which we are already working, such as ecotourism and cultural heritage as a tourism resource.”

Specialised expertise

The programme, developed over two days of work, brought together professionals involved in different areas of research, innovation and education related to tourism and its surrounding fields. ULL was represented by specialists from the Tourism Chair, the ReinvenTUR research group, the Agrotourism and Wine Tourism Chair, and the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Agrotourism (GIIA), among others.

Cracow University of Technology contributed expertise in architecture, fine arts, smart cities, urban and regional design, mechanical engineering, and environmental and energy engineering, as well as tourism related to spas and rural environments, one of the region’s strongest areas of focus. The Polytechnic University of Bragança, meanwhile, presented the areas of work developed through its School of Tourism and its Research Center in Tourism, contributing specialised knowledge in the tourism sector, particularly in the fields of nature tourism and thermal tourism.

Potential pilot projects

According to Sigut, this diversity of expertise will make it possible to explore potential links between research, education and innovation, as well as identify areas where collaboration between the different regions could translate into “concrete pilot projects”.

The programme began on 28 September with a visit to the bioclimatic houses of the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER). This was followed in the afternoon by presentations from the participating universities on their research groups, projects and areas of specialisation related to tourism.

Following the presentations, the second day concluded with a joint session aimed at identifying interregional challenges and opportunities, potential pilot activities, and the partners and external stakeholders who could participate in them.

Potential areas of work include ecotourism and cultural heritage as a tourism resource, as already mentioned, as well as sustainable tourism, gastronomic tourism, and specific segments such as medical tourism and wellness tourism, alongside other transversal areas related to the sector.

Once all the proposals presented have been analysed, those with the greatest potential for collaboration can be identified, possible responsibilities defined and the next steps for the Interregional Tourism Living Lab established.

Through this collaboration, STARS EU continues to connect the specialised knowledge of its universities with the challenges and opportunities of their regions, creating new spaces for research, innovation, education and sustainable regional development, one of its main objectives.

The meeting, organized by the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, analyzes legal and social responses to situations of weakness 

Researchers from different European universities will meet from 7 to 9 October at the Marie and Louis Pasteur University (UMLP), in Besançon (France), to analyse human vulnerabilities in Europe from a legal and social perspective. The conference, “Legal and Social Justice Perspective on Human Vulnerabilities in Europe”, seeks to promote dialogue between different disciplines and approaches to understand situations of vulnerability and explore responses aimed at inclusion, social justice and empowerment.

The conference, linked to the Thematic Interest Group (TIG) Inclusion and Social Justice of STARS EU, raises human vulnerability as an issue that requires responses that combine the protection of rights with measures aimed at promoting the participation and autonomy of people. It also incorporates perspectives related to discrimination, migration, education and situations of vulnerability, generated or aggravated by armed conflicts

Over the course of the three days, contributions will address different situations and dimensions of vulnerability, including disability and accessibility, the situation of children, poverty and access to debt relief mechanisms, work and economic life, health care and digital vulnerability. 

The opening will be attended by Hugues Daussy, president of UMLP; Christophe Geslot, director of the Legal Research Center of Franche-Comté; and Célia Berger-Tarare, leader of the TIG Inclusion and Social Justice of STARS EU. The eight participating universities, partners of STARS EU, are joined by the associated partner university Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, from Ukraine, whose six members will tell their testimonies about the situation in times of war.

Vulnerability and access to justice

The congress focuses on the relationship between vulnerability and access to rights and justice. Among the issues that will be analysed are the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights on vulnerability, accessibility policies, vulnerability associated with poverty, access to justice in Albania and the legal implications of different labour and economic contexts.

The social dimension is also extended to areas such as the mental health of students, the specific difficulties of remote island populations and las consecuencias de la digitalización de los servicios sanitarios. En este último caso, el programa aborda las implicaciones legales de la atención sanitaria digital para pacientes y profesionales, así como la identidad digital, la alfabetización digital y el diseño inclusivo.

The conference will conclude with a session titled “From Protection to Empowerment,” shifting the focus from the protection of individuals in vulnerable situations to issues concerning empowerment, social cohesion, collaborative practices, and individual agency. 

The aim of the gathering is to contribute to a broader understanding of human vulnerabilities and to foster an exchange of perspectives among European researchers, addressing these challenges through the lenses of social justice, inclusion, and the strengthening of autonomy and participation.

If you would like to know more about the conference, see the program.

If you would like to listen the conference, click here.

STARS EU puts intercultural education on the agenda in the “Intercultural Education and Classroom Management”, a workshop that will address cultural differences in the classroom, intercultural competence and strategies to promote more inclusive teaching in international higher education settings. Organised by Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences as part of the STARS EU International Teaching Certificate, the workshop will take place online on 8 October 2026, from 14:00 to 16:15 CET.

The activity is aimed at faculty, lecturers and teaching staff working with diverse and international student groups, both in person and online. The session will provide participants with tools to better understand how cultural differences can influence classroom dynamics and teaching and learning processes, as well as practical approaches to addressing these challenges.

Intercultural competence

The programme will cover topics including the concept of culture from a neuroscientific perspective, cultural dimensions in the classroom, intercultural competence in international higher education and the hidden curriculum. It will also present practical strategies for identifying and addressing intercultural differences in the classroom.

The session will combine theoretical input, case studies, interactive exercises, peer exchange and discussion, allowing teaching staff to connect the content with real-life situations and apply what they learn to their own teaching practice.

The workshop will be delivered by the experts Hanneke Brakenhoff and Irene Taroni from Hanze University of Applied Sciences and forms part of the STARS EU International Teaching Certificate, which aims to strengthen the skills needed for teaching in international and intercultural higher education environments.

If you are interested, register here: Link to workshop.

What if your next semester was about solving real challenges instead of simply studying them?

Imagine working alongside students from across Europe, collaborating with researchers, companies and regional stakeholders to develop solutions with real impact.

This is FutureLab Camp 2027, the next edition of the international Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) developed within the STARS EU Alliance and coordinated in 2027 by Bragança Polytechnic University (UPB), Portugal.

Designed for Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students, FutureLab Camp brings together participants from all STARS EU partner universities to work in international and multidisciplinary teams on real challenges connected to regional development.

Building on previous success

FutureLab Camp has already proved the value of challenge-based learning across the alliance.

Following successful editions hosted by Cracow University of Technology (2025) and Université Marie & Louis Pasteur (2026), where international teams developed innovative solutions for regional challenges, the 2027 edition will continue this journey in Bragança by connecting students with the UPB Living Lab and the region’s strategic priorities.

Learning beyond the classroom

FutureLab Camp combines:

International and multidisciplinary teams

Real challenges proposed by regional stakeholders

Applied research and innovation

Collaboration with researchers and Living Labs

30 ECTS recognised through Erasmus+ BIP mobility

The programme starts with an intensive on-site week in Bragança (1 – 5 March 2027), followed by several months of online collaboration, allowing teams to further develop their solutions.

Projects will focus on themes linked to the future of European regions, including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, circular economy, rural innovation, and creative industries. The final challenges will be announced in autumn 2026.

How to apply

Applications are coordinated through each STARS EU partner university.

Students should contact the FutureLab Camp coordinator at their home institution during the application period (July – November 2026).

A full list of institutional contacts is available below:

Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal) – jprp@ipb.pt

Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) – h.k.naumann@pl.hanze.nl

Hochschule Bremen (Germany) – katrin.winkler@hs-bremen.de

University of La Laguna (Spain) – veropino@ull.edu.es

Silesian University in Opava (Czechia) – prazakova@opf.slu.cz

University West (Sweden) – johanna.eliasson@hv.se

Cracow University of Technology (Poland) – adam.sadlo@pk.edu.pl

Université Marie & Louis Pasteur (France) – robin.roche@univ-fcomte.fr

Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (Albania) – natashahoda@uamd.edu.al

Why join FutureLab?

Because it offers much more than international mobility

Work on real challenges

Join an international multidisciplinary team

Collaborate with researchers and regional stakeholders

Develop practical, research and intercultural skills

Experience challenge-based learning within STARS EU

Key dates

Bragança, Portugal

Physical Week

1 – 5 March 2027

Online collaboration

March – June 2027

Applications are now open! Please, contact your home university.

 

Are you ready?

Become part of a European team.

Create solutions that matter.

Help shape the future of European regions.

FutureLab 2027 starts with you.

A delegation from the University of La Laguna (ULL, Spain) visited Bragança Polytechnic University (UPB, Portugal) last week to explore new opportunities for joint research, knowledge transfer and scientific cooperation within the framework of STARS EU. During the visit, held from 31 July to 1 August, both institutions carried out a programme designed to identify complementary areas of expertise, connect research teams and lay the foundations for future collaboration.

Meetings between the two delegations, led by the Rectors of the respective institutions, Francisco J. García (ULL) and Orlando Rodrigues (IPB), focused on joint participation in European research projects, researcher mobility, knowledge transfer activities and the development of shared scientific initiatives.

Accompanying the Rector of the University of La Laguna were Antonio Aparicio, Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer; Roberto González, Director of the Office for University Institutes and Publications; and José Sigut, Institutional Coordinator of STARS EU at the University of La Laguna.

The institutional delegation from Bragança Polytechnic University also included Luís Manuel Santos Pais, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and International Relations; Vera Ferro Lebres, Pro-Rector for Entrepreneurship, Employability and Educational Innovation; Vice President of UPB, Albano Agostinho Gomes Alves, together with directors and representatives of the university’s research centres.

ULL researchers

A group of researchers from the University of La Laguna also took part in the visit as representatives of their respective research fields within research centres affiliated with the Portuguese institution.

José Sigut, Professor of Systems and Automation Engineering, represented the Research Centre in Digitalisation and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI), whose work focuses on technological innovation, climate change and the circular economy. During the visit, the delegation was introduced to a pilot project aimed at mapping carbon capture potential across Portugal, a model that could eventually be adapted to the Canary Islands.

The ULL delegation also included David Díaz Díaz, Professor of Organic Chemistry, and Noelia Cruz Pérez, lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, representing the Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), a multidisciplinary research centre addressing climate change through projects focused on sustainable products and reducing carbon footprints. They were joined by Noemí Peña Sánchez, from the Department of Fine Arts and member of the Art and Creative Industries TIG and representative of the Transdisciplinary Research Centre in Education and Development (CITED), and Claudio Briones Barrera, from the Department of Industrial Engineering, representing the Sustainable Construction Research Group (GICoS) at the Portuguese university.

Next steps

Following visits to the Applied Management Research Unit (UNIAG) and the Graça Morais Contemporary Art Centre, the second day concluded with a strategic meeting during which both universities identified shared research priorities and explored possible mechanisms to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.

As announced in Bragança by the Rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, this initial visit will be followed by a reciprocal visit from Bragança Polytechnic University to Tenerife to continue developing the collaborative opportunities identified during the meeting. “The visit to Bragança has been extremely productive and has demonstrated the value of this model of institutional visits for the STARS EU alliance, complementing the formal meetings of the Commission, the Steering Committee and the TIGs,” he said.

The Rector of the University of La Laguna also highlighted the strong interest shown by the Portuguese institution in developing joint doctoral programmes, building on the University of La Laguna’s extensive experience and academic offer in this field.

This visit forms part of STARS EU’s strategy to strengthen cooperation among its partner universities by promoting knowledge exchange, collaboration between research teams and the development of joint initiatives that reinforce the alliance’s research dimension.

STARS EU has launched its International Internship Programme for the 2026/2027 academic year, an initiative that will enable students across the alliance to gain professional experience in a European environment, apply the knowledge they have acquired during their studies in companies across Europe, and complement their academic education by adding an international dimension to their learning.

The programme, which will be progressively expanded through new opportunities promoted by the alliance’s nine partner universities, will offer internships in companies and institutions in the Netherlands (Hanze University of Applied Sciences); Portugal (Bragança Polytechnic University); Sweden (University West); Czechia (Silesian University in Opava); (Hochschule Bremen -City of Applied Science) Germany; Poland (Cracow University of Technology); Spain (University of La Laguna); Albania (Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës) and France (Université Marie et Louis Pasteur).

Initial placements

The first internship opportunities for the coming academic year, offered by Bragança Polytechnic University (IPB)—one of the alliance’s nine partner institutions—provide students with the opportunity to undertake internships in Portuguese companies and organisations in the fields of Computer Engineering, Marketing, Multimedia, Management, Accounting, Administrative Management, Chemical Engineering, Biology and Biotechnology, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.

Each internship, lasting between two and six months, will enable students to complement their academic studies with relevant professional experience while providing valuable first-hand exposure to the world of work. These placements offer a wide range of benefits, including the development of communication and language skills, the ability to adapt to new working environments, greater independence, and enhanced collaboration within multicultural teams.

Partner organisations

On this occasion, the training opportunities promoted by IPB will be delivered in collaboration with Portuguese companies and institutions including Emotion Defender, Skyline Lda, Faurecia Sistema de Escape Portugal, TECH X Digital Solutions, Laboratório Colaborativo AquaValor, and Worten.

This first call marks the starting point of the STARS EU internship programme, which aims to respond to students’ educational needs, strengthen cooperation between the partner universities, and foster closer links between academia, the business communities of each region, and European institutions.

Students will be able to browse the available internship opportunities and access all relevant information through a dedicated section that will soon be available on the STARS EU website.

* These internships are carried out within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, under the international mobility for traineeships scheme.

 

Nearly 40 STARS EU students presented five innovative proposals in Bremen a few days ago to reimagine the European campus of the future as part of the “Ou(te)r Campus – European Campus, A Living Lab” project, developed at Hochschule Bremen- City University of Applied Science (HSB), Germany.

The projects explored different aspects of European university life, ranging from digital tools to facilitate student integration and networking to hybrid exchange platforms and physical meeting spaces. All five proposals were developed as a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) organised by HSB’s School of Architecture, with the participation of students from the nine universities that make up the STARS EU Alliance.

INTEGRATE.EU

The winning project, INTEGRATE.EU, is a digital platform designed to connect students from different universities and European countries. The application combines personalised profiles, an interactive map, campus activity information and networking tools. Its aim is to facilitate community building, promote cultural exchange and strengthen students’ sense of belonging to a shared European university.

The four remaining proposals included Growing Tree, which combines a digital platform with a permanent physical space to encourage interaction among students; STARS EU Week, a travelling exhibition designed to showcase the alliance’s universities; and STARS Wallet and Campus Connect, which focus on strengthening the European university community through different approaches, including resource sharing and the creation of collaborative spaces.

According to Professor Maria Clarke, the project’s coordinator, a European campus “is not created through digital connectivity alone, but also through encounters, collaboration and the exchange of perspectives.” In this sense, Ou(te)r Campus demonstrates how international education can become a living laboratory for designing new models of European higher education.

Projects to continue their development

The five proposals will continue to be developed within STARS EU to assess their feasibility and potential implementation across the alliance’s universities. STARS EU is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme and brings together nine higher education institutions from across Europe.

Participating universities

Students from all nine universities that make up the STARS EU alliance took part in the project: Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (Albania), Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal), Hanze University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands), University of La Laguna (Spain), Université Marie et Louis Pasteur (France), Hochschule Bremen (Germany), Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic), University West (Sweden) and Cracow University of Technology (Poland).

Academic staff and jury

The project was coordinated by Professor Maria Clarke and Janina Ebner of Hochschule Bremen, with teaching support from Aintzane del Río Pereda, Johanna Hannemann and Carolina Bergedieck.

The five student proposals were assessed by an international jury comprising Rima Dijkstra (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), Cintia Hernández Sánchez (University of La Laguna), Olta Nexhipi (Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës), and Thomas Rauscher and Katrin Winkler (Hochschule Bremen).

Below, the images show the students of the STARSCAPE project (left) in front of the mobile wooden box they built themselves and the RE-LAY project (right), that combines a modular swap station on campus with a digital platform, thereby promoting sustainability, community and exchange amongst students.

More than 60 students from the nine universities of the STARS EU Alliance will present their proposals for imagining and designing the European campus of the future on Tuesday, 7 July, at 10:15 a.m. (CEST), as part of the project Ou(te)r Campus – European Campus, A Living Lab. The presentation, which will take place at Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (HSB), Germany, will also be streamed online via Zoom.

The students, organised into international and interdisciplinary teams, have spent the past few months developing ideas on how European higher education institutions can become spaces for exchange, collaboration, mobility and connections between physical and digital environments.

A multidimensional European campus

The project, developed over the course of a year as a living lab at HSB’s School of Architecture, explores how a European campus can be conceived, designed and tested from a perspective that is not only digital, but also physical, social and spatial.

Participants will present five projects focusing on topics such as European research and exchange structures, shared resources, new exhibition and outreach formats, spaces for social interaction, and digital applications aimed at promoting physical activity, interaction and networking on campus.

The European campus as a living lab

As part of the initiative, HSB is also hosting an exhibition dedicated to the work developed by the students. The exhibition, inaugurated on 30 June, can be visited free of charge until 8 July, Monday to Friday, from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.

Ou(te)r Campus – European Campus, A Living Lab has been developed as a Master’s module at HSB’s School of Architecture and is based on the Interspace teaching and research format, which was adapted this year within the framework of STARS EU to explore the concept of the European campus as a living lab.

From a pilot experience to a Living Lab

One of the central elements of the project was the Ou[te]r Campus Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), organised by STARS EU and involving students from all nine partner universities. During the first days of May and throughout the semester, participants worked hand in hand in international and interdisciplinary teams with the support of academic staff from all alliance member institutions.

What began as a pilot experience in 2025 has evolved into a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) and subsequently into a European Living Lab, demonstrating STARS EU’s ability to foster innovative models of cooperation in higher education. Experimental initiatives have become consolidated spaces for learning, research and international collaboration aimed at shaping the European campus of the future.

Practical information

Final presentation

Ou(te)r Campus – European Campus, A Living Lab
Tuesday, 7 July 2026, 10:15 a.m.
Room S12, Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (HSB), Bremen
Zoom link: Join the experience
Meeting ID: 690 1661 0071
Passcode: 430061

Exhibition

1–8 July 2026 (opening: 30 June, 5:00 p.m.), from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
AB Galerie – Transferlabor, Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Bragança Polytechnic University (IPB) is preparing the first edition of the International Challenge-Based Semester, a 30 ECTS international learning experience developed within the framework of the STARS EU Alliance and designed for students who want to learn beyond traditional classrooms.

Planned for the second semester of the 2026/2027 academic year, the programme will bring together students from different countries and academic backgrounds to work on real-world challenges through multidisciplinary, project-based learning.

Taught entirely in English, the semester will combine academic learning, applied research, field experience and collaboration with external stakeholders. Students will work in international teams, developing innovative solutions to challenges connected to local and regional contexts while strengthening their research, communication and problem-solving skills.

Key features of the programme include:

• International and multidisciplinary teams

• Real-world challenges

• Applied research and innovation

• Collaboration with stakeholders

• 30 ECTS taught in English

The International Challenge-Based Semester is being developed as a pilot initiative and represents an important step towards new forms of European collaboration in higher education. By connecting students, research, innovation and regional impact, it reflects the STARS EU vision of creating transformative learning experiences that empower people and contribute to the development of regions.

 

During the month of June 2026, the Department of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), welcomed several academic colleagues from Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania).

The mobility brought together colleagues from the Institutes of Foreign Languages, creating valuable opportunities for professional exchange and future cooperation. The visiting academics represented a wide range of expertise, including English language teaching methodology, linguistics, sociolinguistics, English literature, culture and translation studies, classroom management, technology-enhanced learning, intercultural studies, and many more.

Good practices

Throughout their stay, they engaged in inspiring discussions with colleagues from the Department of English and American Studies, namely Michaela Weiss, Diana Adamová, Barbora Hamplová, and Veronika Nogolová, who are themselves experts in these fields, sharing good practices in language teaching, curriculum development, innovative pedagogical approaches, research, and the internationalization of higher education. The exchange of perspectives fostered meaningful academic dialogue and helped identify common areas of interest for future collaboration.

The meetings resulted in several concrete outcomes. The institutions agreed to organize mutual invited lectures for students and academic staff, explore opportunities for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activities, and develop joint specialized projects, further strengthening cooperation within the STARS EU Alliance.

Cooperation in teaching

The Department of English and American Studies at Silesian University in Opava looks forward to continuing this successful cooperation with Aleksandër Moisiu University and implementing the initiatives discussed during the June mobility.

The visit strengthened the partnership between both institutions and laid the foundation for future cooperation in teaching, research, and academic mobility, further supporting the internationalization goals of the STARS EU Alliance.