STARS EU presented its strategic plan to the members of the International Advisory Board

The alliance set out the long-term collaboration plan and achievements

STARS EU presented its strategic plans to the members of the STARS EU International Advisory Board (IAB). It was the first meeting between the alliance’s leadership and international experts who will be responsible for providing strategic advice to the STARS EU Commission and the STARS EU Steering Committee (SC) over the next three years.

The meeting was aimed at introducing the alliance, presenting its achievements and asking the international experts share their insights and advice. The international experts will help to design the future long-term strategy for the alliance forming the directions and strengthening the objectives in the fields of higher education, research and innovation. At this point, the five IAB members present ─ Maurits Van Rooijen, Norah McRae, Günter Koch, Pam Fredman and Mirela Muca ─ stressed the need to provide the guidelines  that the IAB could contribute to the development of the alliance in appropriate way.

The AIB stressed the importance of conceptualizing a multidisciplinary and inter-university model of knowledge creation based on challenges that enables teaching and research staff to generate significant advances, as well as to promote the connection between industry and students in order to increase their participation in regional development.

Another of the aspects addressed was the importance of using specific methods of connection to achieve greater involvement of the Chambers of Commerce and industry actors to promote collaboration between the academic and industrial sectors was emphasized.

All these inputs will be discussed in-depth during the next STARS EU Commission meeting, which will take place on 19 March, during the STARS EU Conference to be held at Aleksandër Moisiu University (Durrës, Albania) and to which IAB members are invited to the Conference aiming to strengthening the collaboration and enhancing discussions.

STARS EU thus reaffirms its commitment to advance higher education, research and innovation, with the support and expertise of the International Advisory Board to achieve its strategic objectives.

The IAB, which will meet with the STARS EU Steering Committee twice a year to ensure continuous and effective interaction, is composed of the following members: Maurits Van Rooijen, President of University of Europe for Applied Sciences; Norah McRae, Vice-Chair of World Association of Corporate and Workintegrated Education (WACE); Günter Koch, President of Humboldt Cosmos Multiversity; Pam Fredman, President of International Association of Universities (IAU); Mirela Muca, Director of National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation (NASRI) and Holger Burckhart, President of Expert Commission ‘Universities’ Future Programme’ and Board Member of European University Association (EUA).