One song, Different voices, One STARS EU

Across Europe, four university choirs came together around one of its most recognizable melodies: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”.

As an initiative of the STARS EU WP7.2 task members focused on gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion, choirs from Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), Cracow University of Technology (Poland), Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal), and Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (Albania) performed the same passage of Beethoven’s work, specifically bars 543–590.

The music is shared but each performance has its own sound and character. Different arrangements and voices give each university’s interpretation something unique. And in many ways, this is what STARS EU is all about. Sharing one vision and working towards common goals while every university brings its own identity, creativity, and unique approach. The Alliance connects different institutions and communities not by making them the same but by creating opportunities for them to learn from one another and build something
together.

An inclusive university community creates space for different voices, experiences, and perspectives to be heard and valued. Like a choir, its strength comes not from everyone sounding alike but from the way distinct voices can complement one another.

With universities from Czechia, Poland, Portugal, and Albania joining through music, this collaboration offers the expression of European cooperation, one in which our differences become a source of creativity, connection, and strength.

Different voices make the harmony richer. Together, they make STARS EU.