The launch of the first edition of the STARS EU Student Case Competition brought together yesterday (Monday, April 20) around one hundred people at Hanze University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), including students, faculty, university staff, and STARS EU ambassadors. Participants have joined this first training initiative, which brings together the nine member universities .

The opening day of this pilot experience, which combines collaborative work with practical learning and international exchange to promote skill development and teamwork, was marked by the arrival of participating teams and the first program activities.

The event began with the registration and reception of students, followed by an institutional welcome led by Dick Pouwels, general coordinator of the alliance and president of Hanze’s Executive Board, together with Mira Bloemen-Bekx and Heinrich Naumann.

First contacts

Afterwards, teams were assigned to their respective working divisions, where they had the opportunity to meet and establish initial contact before sharing a group lunch. The day continued with a social activity in the afternoon, preceded by a group photo that brought all participants together.

The program taking place over these days also promotes intercultural communicationand analytical skills in different contexts. To achieve this, participants—organized into nine international teams—will work and develop solutions under pressure, which they will present in the coming days to an international jury made up of academic staff and industry experts.

Active involvement of partners

This STARS EU initiative has achieved active involvement from the nine partner universities, which have sent their student teams accompanied by their respective tutors, helping to strengthen the alliance’s international and collaborative nature.

The universities participating in this pioneering experience, in addition to the host institution (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), are: University West (Sweden); Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal); University of La Laguna (Spain); Silesian University in Opava (Czechia); Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania); Cracow University of Technology (Poland); Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (Germany); and the University Marie and Louis Pasteur (France).

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The STARS EU alliance will hold a new session of its STARS Talks featuring Nicolas Andreff, professor at the Marie and Louis Pasteur University, in a talk focused on robotics and its role in addressing current sustainability challenges. During the session, Andreff will explore how robotics can contribute to enhancing economic competitiveness, in line with recent initiatives such as the European Commission’s Industrial Accelerator Act. He will also revisit the concept of the circular economy, proposing a shift towards a “spiral economy” model.

The event will take place online on Tuesday, 21st at 13:00 (CET), and will present the main conclusions of a recent workshop held at the European Robotics Forum 2026. The workshop examined, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the relationship between robotics, economy, and sustainability in a context shaped by climate change, resource depletion, and their socio-economic consequences.

STARS Talks, organised by the alliance’s Challenge Lab, is a monthly knowledge exchange format that brings together international experts to discuss innovation, science, and regional development. Following the speaker’s presentation, the session will open for dialogue with participants.

STARS EU will host an innovative training experience from April 20 to 24 at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen (The Netherlands), bringing together students, faculty, and staff from its nine member universities for the first time. The aim of the first edition of the STARS EU Student Case Competition is for participants to work on real business cases, mainly focused on the challenges faced by family businesses.

The planned program combines collaborative work with practical learning and international exchange to promote skills development, teamwork, intercultural communication, and analytical abilities in different contexts.

To this end, the participants, organized into nine international teams, must develop solutions under time pressure and present them to an international jury of academic and industry experts. The activity is structured into intensive preparation, problem-solving, and presentation sessions, alongside interactive spaces designed to strengthen shared learning.

Pilot experience

The initiative, conceived as a pilot experience, represents a milestone within the alliance, as it is the first training activity in which representatives from the entire academic community participate together. With it, the aim is to consolidate the foundations for developing this type of initiative, which could be gradually and rotationally implemented at each of the member universities.

The program will conclude with a final day, during which the work produced by each team will be presented and awards will be given to the best teams and participants.

The participating institutions, in addition to the organizing university (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), include University West (Sweden); Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal); University of La Laguna (Spain); Silesian University in Opava (Czechia); Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania); Cracow University of Technology (Poland); Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and Marie and Louis Pasteur University (France).

In addition to the competition, the event will feature a social and cultural program designed to foster networking, collaboration, and intercultural exchange among participants.

With this initiative, STARS EU takes a significant step forward in promoting joint training activities that strengthen collaboration between its universities and create new learning opportunities in an international environment.

Representatives of Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University (Mykolayiv, Ukraine), took part in the STARS EU Annual Conference, where they also joined discussions with the STARS EU Commission and the Steering Committee on the next steps in cooperation between the university and the alliance.

The Ukrainian university was represented by Liudmyla Vovchuk, Head of the International Relations Office and lecturer in the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy; and Olena Filimonova, Senior Specialist of the International Relations Office. Both representatives brought strong experience in international academic cooperation, project development, and university internationalization.

Their participation in the Annual Conference created an important opportunity to further strengthen dialogue with STARS EU and explore concrete ways to deepen cooperation. The exchanges with the Commission and Steering Committee confirmed a shared interest in building closer institutional ties and expanding the university’s involvement in alliance activities.

During the meetings, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University presented its profile, academic strengths, and experience in international cooperation. As a classical university under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, it combines a broad academic base with active engagement in international partnerships, mobility, and project work. The university has established cooperation with a wide range of higher education institutions and organizations across Europe and beyond.

Particular attention was given to the strong alignment between the university’s expertise and STARS EU’s priorities. The university presented several proposals for future cooperation linked to the alliance’s main areas of activity, including Digital Transformation, Healthy Ageing, and Social Justice. These proposals cover topics such as digital transformation in education and public health, neuroscience and neurorehabilitation, rehabilitation support for victims of blast-related injuries, equality, and the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with European standards.

The discussions also built on cooperation already developed between Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University and STARS EU. The university highlighted its strong record in international mobility and project development, including participation in Erasmus+, DAAD, and other international initiatives. This experience provides a solid basis for further collaboration through academic exchange, virtual and blended learning, joint projects, thematic networking, and shared educational and research activities.

An important outcome of the meetings was the decision of the STARS EU Commission to designate Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University as a Strategic Associated Partner of the STARS EU Alliance. The decision reflects the Commission’s appreciation of the cooperation already in place, the university’s strong regional and thematic fit with STARS EU areas of activity, and its clear commitment to further developing and intensifying cooperation with the alliance.

Next steps

This marks an important next step in the relationship between STARS EU and Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University. It underlines both the value of the cooperation established so far and the strong potential for future collaboration in areas of shared strategic interest.

The next step will be the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding between STARS EU and Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, which will provide a framework for the continued development of the partnership.

With this decision, STARS EU opens a new chapter of cooperation with a Ukrainian partner university and creates further opportunities for students, researchers, academic staff, and professional staff to engage in joint activities and knowledge exchange across the alliance.

The international art exhibition Voices of [h] eritage, displayed in La Capilla cultural space at the University of La Laguna (Spain), and Pedagogy as Art, Art as Pedagogy, recently held at the Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), are final results of the work developed within the framework of STARS EU through its Thematic Interest Group (TIG) in Arts and Creative Industries.

The combined intensive program (BIP) Heritage and Creativity for Inclusion aimed at teachers, researchers, and professionals in the arts, held its in-person meeting in Tenerife. Coordinated by Noemí Peña (ULL) co-leader of the Thematic Interest Group (TIG) Art and Creative Industries and Vice Dean of University of La Laguna’s Faculty of Fine Arts, it brought together participants from various countries in a hybrid work environment that combined online sessions with an intensive week of collaboration.

The meeting allowed participants to explore the potential of cultural heritage and creativity as tools for fostering inclusion, particularly regarding the exchange of methodologies, experiences, and artistic practices.

In this context, Voices [ h]eritage is presented as the culmination of this collective process: an exhibition showcasing artistic results and highlighting the research-creation processes developed during the BIP. The works exhibited at La Capilla are the direct result of the projects and working dynamics developed during the meeting in Tenerife, and reflect diverse approaches to the concept of heritage, understood not only as a living space for interpretation, dialogue, and critical intervention.

The exhibition features projects that emerged from workshops, collaborative sessions, and cultural activities held during the program, addressing issues such as memory, identity, territory, and forms of cultural transmission. Furthermore, it serves as a space where artistic practice and pedagogy converge, demonstrating how learning can unfold through shared creative processes.

From Tenerife to Opava

As a continuation of the work developed within the framework of the TIG, and developed in parallel, the experience has led to a second exhibition, Pedagogy as Art, Art as Pedagogy, recently held at the Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), as part of the STARS EU Annual Conference.

The exhibition featured works from Albania, Brazil, France, Portugal, Spain, and the Czechia. The multimedia works were presented by Uendi Çerma from Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (UAMD) in Albania; Marcus Ramusyo de Almeida Brasil from the Brazilian Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão (IFMA); Dominique Soucy from Université Marie et Louis Pasteur (UMLP) in Besançon; and from the Portuguese Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), the creative duo Carlos Casimiro Costa & Jacinta Costa, together with their colleague Tiago Fernandes. Noemí Peña Sánchez from Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) in Tenerife will also present her work.

The audiovisual pieces will be complemented by a collaborative photographic-poetic project by Jana Orlová from Silesian University in Opava (SUO) and Ana Lúcia Pinto from Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB).

This exhibition presents the artistic work of teachers and researchers involved in the group, with works from different countries and institutional contexts, but this time from a perspective more focused on the relationship between pedagogy and artistic practice. Although both exhibitions are two interconnected manifestations of the same process—a pedagogical and artistic laboratory, and education in a space of critical experimentation—it is, in Voices of [h] eritage, where this process finds its first public materialization.

STARS EU Highlights explores gamification as a tool to foster critical thinking and inclusion among students

Sociologist Madelon van Oomstrom, from Hanze University of Applied Sciences, advocates in episode 4 for this integrative methodology, which boosts participation

Sociologist and Associate Professor at Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Madelon van Oomstrom, advocates the use of game-based learning to promote digital literacy, critical dialogue, and student participation. For the expert in digital transformation, gamification is becoming one of the “most effective” methodologies for transforming higher education.

She made this clear during her participation in a workshop for educators held in Tenerife, focused on digital literacy and inclusion, as well as in the fourth episode of STARS EU Highlights, the video podcast from the alliance about innovative teaching: Playing to Learn – Gamification, Digital Literacy, and Inclusion. “The best way to foster a productive dialogue about opportunities and risks is to create gamified learning experiences,” she explained, stressing that this approach enables students to share knowledge and learn collaboratively.

Van Oomstrom highlighted that game-based learning not only makes classes more dynamic but also strengthens students’ confidence. “Students feel more secure and proud of what they know,” she noted, while emphasising that these methodologies encourage more active participation.

Boosting critical thinking

One of the main benefits of gamification, she pointed out, is its ability to enhance critical thinking. In contrast to more traditional models, which rely on direct guidance and recommendations, the expert advocates a more participatory approach: “Rather than saying ‘this is dangerous’, it is better for students themselves to identify potential problems.”

In this regard, she argued that gamification facilitates the creation of “spaces for dialogue” where students can compare experiences and build knowledge collectively. “It allows for the initiation of critical conversations, the generation of useful ideas, and sparks the desire to continue learning and developing,” she stated.

From her perspective as a sociologist, Van Oomstrom also highlighted the social dimension of technology, noting that while digitalisation offers significant opportunities, it can also lead to exclusion. “Technologies can be a solution for some, but at the same time a problem for those who lack access or digital skills.” For this reason, she considers it essential for higher education to incorporate inclusive methodologies that facilitate access to knowledge. In her view, game-based learning helps to “reduce these gaps” by making content more accessible and participatory.

Workshop for teaching staff

In addition to her participation in the STARS EU video podcast, (available on YouTube and Spotify) Van Oomstrom delivered a workshop in Tenerife — during the STARS EU meeting held in November 2025 — aimed at university teaching staff, with around twelve participants. This initiative, conducted within the alliance, is part of efforts to adapt teaching to an increasingly digitalised context.

In this framework, the expert in digital transformation and human-centred technologies, among other fields, stressed the importance of updating teacher training in line with the changes of an increasingly technological society: “Teachers have a great deal of experience, but they need spaces where they can learn in an interactive and practical way.”

She concluded with a call to integrate gamification into the classroom as a “means of promoting a more innovative, critical and inclusive education,” capable of responding to the challenges of digital transformation.

The STARS EU university alliance concluded its annual conference, held at the Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic, with a clear commitment to evolve from a European Union-funded initiative into a consolidated strategic alliance with its own governance and long-term vision. This was announced by the Alliance’s Secretary General, Dick Pouwels, during the closing ceremony, alongside Tomáš Gongol, Rector of the host institution.

Both presided over the conclusion of the three-day event (25–27 March 2026), which focused on key challenges in higher education, university cooperation, and academic innovation within the European context. It was also confirmed that the next edition of the conference will take place in Krakow in March 2027, with the host institution, the Cracow University of Technology, taking over organisation duties.

During the meeting, which brought together academic, institutional, and administrative representatives from member universities, the Steering Committee and Executive Board discussed key next steps for the consortium. These include the development of a strategic plan to be completed before next summer and the establishment of a common governance model by October 2026—both essential elements to strengthen the alliance’s autonomy and strategic projection.

Upcoming funding call

It was also announced that the alliance plans to apply for the next European funding call, scheduled for autumn, under the new multiannual programme starting in 2028. The European institutions view university alliances as priority actors—“front runners”—in the development of higher education and research in Europe, ensuring continued financial support.

Another significant announcement was the future inclusion of the International Black Sea University (Ukraine) as an associate partner, reinforcing cooperation with European institutions in particularly challenging contexts. STARS EU has also initiated an exploratory process to integrate a university from the United Kingdom in the future, in line with British engagement with European programmes such as Erasmus+.

Teaching innovation

The conference focused on teaching innovation under the concept of “transformative education”, with sessions addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on learning, flexible curricula, future skills development, and the strengthening of the link between universities and society. The programme combined panels, workshops, and strategic discussions, emphasising how higher education can adapt to Europe’s social, digital, and economic challenges.

The event also highlighted the growing integration between the alliance’s different working groups and thematic lines, as well as the strengthening of relationships among its members, both in formal and informal programme settings.

Organised by the Silesian University in Opava, the event was the largest hosted to date by the institution, which received unanimous recognition from participants for its meticulous organisation and programme design.

A delegation from the University of La Laguna (ULL), headed by the STARS EU coordinator, José Sigut, took part on 4 and 5 November in the First Forum of Spanish Universities in European Universities (UEUE), held in Madrid and organised by the Ministry of Universities together with CRUE and the European Commission (EC).

The meeting, hosted at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), brought together more than 175 representatives from Spanish universities that are part of European alliances, as well as institutional leaders and higher education experts. The forum was conceived as a space for dialogue and reflection to assess Spain’s progress in this European initiative and to strengthen collaboration among the participating institutions.

Established in 2024, the UEUE Forum aims to reinforce cooperation among Spanish higher education institutions through the structured exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices, with the goal of deepening the integration of the European Higher Education Area. It also acts as a support mechanism for aligning national policies in collaboration with national and European bodies.

Presentations and discussion panels

The opening session highlighted the strategic role of alliances as “instruments for transformation and cooperation among European universities”. The different working groups addressed the development of Joint Degrees, the future implementation of the “European Degree”, micro-credentials, and the role of university alliances in transforming higher education in Europe.

Another central topic discussed in the round tables—alongside the need to grant alliances legal personality—was the importance of developing a quality label for proposals submitted by alliances that did not receive the Erasmus+ funding they had applied for.

In the afternoon session, participants joined thematic workshops structured around three main areas: governance and sustainability; funding and administrative management; and student participation and communication.

The second day, Wednesday 5 November, focused on presenting good practices and defining future lines of cooperation. One of the key points discussed was the importance of linking university alliances with regional innovation ecosystems, with particular attention to initiatives in sustainability, digitalisation and entrepreneurship.

In the closing plenary session, participants agreed on the need to create a national coordination network among Spanish universities involved in European alliances, in order to share resources, exchange experiences and strengthen Spain’s position as a key factor in the European Union’s university policy.

STARS’ commitment to the European project

The delegation from the University of La Laguna, led by the Vice-Rector for Outreach, Internationalisation and Cooperation, Inmaculada Pérez, and the STARS coordinator at ULL, José Francisco Sigut Saavedra, also included José Manuel García Fraga, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs; María Ruth Dorta González, Director of the Degree Programmes Office; and Carla García, STARS EU officer.

For ULL, “this forum has been an opportunity to highlight the work carried out within STARS EU, as well as to strengthen collaboration with other Spanish universities committed to the European Universities initiative.”

The first edition of the BIP FutureLab Camp ended just a few days ago with the presentation of a range of concrete solutions in the fields of urban development, infrastructure, identity and promotion for the city of Zakliczyn (Poland). The closing event was attended by 26 students from the Cracow University of Technology (Poland), Bragança Polytechnic University (Portugal), Marie et Louis Pasteur University (France) and Hanze University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) — members of STARS EU — as well as about a dozen academics and another European institutions.

The diversity of specialisms — architecture, computer science, management and art history — has been one of the key assets of this Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), which started in the first quarter of 2025 (in person) and continued until June (online).

Using posters and panels, the students (in person and online) presented three specific urban concepts for Zakliczyn that promote local development and boost the expansion of tourism in the area, which is home to resources such as the Dunajec River, Zakliczyn Market Square, examples of sacral architecture, the ruins of Melsztyn Castle and the Krzysztof Penderecki European Music Centre in Lusławice.

Students’ proposals

Some of the suggestions put forward by the students highlight ideas for the pedestrian bridge, with visualisations and physical models, the design of a new website and possible internet infrastructure solutions intended for tourists visiting Zakliczyn. Alongside these contributions, the marketing plan designed for the municipality, a key result of this BIP, is a very important document: a total of 130 pages encapsulating exhaustive analysis and original ideas to showcase the potential of this charming city.

The concepts proposed by the students received praise from the Mayor of Zakliczyn, Dawid Chrobak. “The collaboration between Zakliczyn and Cracow University of Technology began with the idea of designing a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Dunajec River, connecting the castle ruins in Melsztyn to Zakliczyn. That was the starting point. However, the students developed extensive, professional marketing and urban planning documents that go far beyond the initial goal of enhancing the tourism potential of Zakliczyn and nearby towns. We plan to present the results — i.e., the concepts of the bridge and public spaces — to the local council and community,” said Mayor Chrobak.

Evaluation by the authorities

At the event, which took place in the Faculty of Architecture, the “high quality” of the work carried out by the architecture students of CUT, as well as their fellow students from the partner universities, was highlighted. The students worked on urban solutions aimed at uncovering the identity of a small but beautiful town with a rich past, outstanding cultural heritage and a strong musical tradition, particularly in the context of the Krzysztof Penderecki European Music Centre.

The architectural task consisted of designing a bridge to connect Zakliczyn with Melsztyn Castle. The students from the University of Bragança developed marketing strategies, with spatio-temporal solutions based on a city game, explained the academic supervisor, Dr hab. inż. arch. Kinga Racoń-Leja, Prof. PK.

The Mayor of Zakliczyn stated that the suggested proposals will be implemented in the city and stressed “the enormous professionalism” of the students’ work, who, as supervisors involved in developing these concepts, will present their results to the authorities and the local community in the coming months.

For her part, the Vice-Rector, Dr hab. inż. Katarzyna Bizon, expressed her satisfaction with the result shown by the groups of students in their final presentations, filled with great creativity, and with the successful conclusion of an international collaboration project such as FutureLab.

An innovative pedagogical model

FutureLab Camp is not the first of the international educational projects in which students from CUT’s Faculty of Architecture are involved, within the framework of STARS EU. As part of the Thematic Interest Group (TIG) Living Spaces, these workshops have been underway regularly since last year, thereby boosting the internationalisation of the education process.

“This kind of project is filled with pedagogical value, but it also poses a challenge, both for the students and for the professors, as it requires considerable effort, collaboration in other languages and with groups from different cultures, and the ability to provide solutions that are relevant to external stakeholders,” stressed Dr inż. arch. Ernestyna Szpakowska-Loranc. The expert also explained that this edition presented an even greater challenge, as the work was carried out in interdisciplinary groups.

Future editions: France and Portugal

The agreements reached in STARS EU guarantee the continuity of this Blended Intensive Programme. The next meetings will take place in France in 2026 and in Portugal in 2027. “We have been working for months alongside our partners on the framework for the next edition, based on the experiences of Kraków and Zakliczyn, where we have demonstrated that working in interdisciplinary and international groups is effective and brings tangible benefits to all involved,” said Adam Sadło, leader of Task 2.5 in STARS EU.

*The student selection process of the next edition will begin  in June 2025 at all STARS EU universities.

STARS EU will be represented at the “European Universities Initiative 5 Years On: A Research and Practice Symposium” at Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland between June 2^nd and 3^rd 2025.

The EUI, involving some 570 higher education institutions in 65 alliances by 2025, marks a significant transformation in the European higher education landscape.

This symposium, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the first European Universities Initiative (EUI) alliances, offers a crucial platform for gathering evidence to be able to critically evaluate the EUI’s impact, exploring its achievements and challenges, and shaping its future direction.

STARS EU Project Evaluator, Alexandra Hashem-Wangler, will represent the alliance at this meeting.

“I am looking forward to joining over 60 presenters contributing to the research on the development of the European Universities Initiative! STARS EU European University is growing and this is a great opportunity to connect and exchange ideas, experiences and approaches regarding impact and effectiveness, collaboration and integration, innovation and transformation, as well as future directions of the EUI”, says STARS EU Project Evaluator Alexandra Hashem-Wangler from the alliance’ German partner Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences.