The initiative, held at the Polytechnic University of Bragança, promoted dialogue on the role of technology in education and its social impact

The Polytechnic University of Bragança (Portugal) hosted the first edition of the Combined Intensive Programme (BIP) “Critical Thinking in the Age of Generative AI – A Transformative Learning Experience”, which brought together 35 participants from nine European universities, several of them from the alliance, to reflect on critical thinking in the era of artificial intelligence.

The programme, developed from 13 to 17 October within the framework of STARS EU, promoted the development of analytical, argumentative and ethical skills in the face of the challenges posed by AI in education and contemporary society. Through several interactive sessions, attendees explored tools such as ChatGPT and image generators, and discussed key issues such as transparency, privacy, misinformation, and fairness in the use of these technologies.

Organized by the Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Education and Development (CITeD), the BIP was structured in three complementary modules that combined theory with practice and interdisciplinary discussion. The participatory approach fostered intense collaboration between teachers and students, in an open and multicultural learning environment.

Immersive experience

Beyond the academic field, the program offered an immersive experience in the north of Portugal, with visits to the Graça Morais Contemporary Art Center, Bragança Castle, Casa da Seda – Science Center and Montesinho Natural Park, highlighting the connection between education, culture and territory.

This BIP brought together students and teachers from universities in nine European countries, including the STARS member institutions: Cracow University of Technology (Poland), University of La Laguna (Spain), Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic), and Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (Germany). Beyond the alliance, participants came from the University of Vigo (Spain), University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, and University of Oradea (Romania), Kajaani University of Applied Sciences – KAMK (Finland), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary), and the University of Zadar (Croatia).

STARS EU will explore how Joint Programmes — degree programmes jointly designed and managed by universities from different countries — can strengthen international collaboration and open new opportunities for both students and academic staff.

The online workshop, led by several experts from member universities, will guide participants through all stages of developing and implementing a Joint Programme, from defining the initial concept and selecting partners to completing formal approval procedures. Its aim is to provide teaching staff and programme directors with a clear and practical understanding of the entire process.

In addition to theoretical insights, participants will receive practical information about the support services and resources available within STARS EU to facilitate the creation and management of such collaborative programmes.

The workshop (Thursday 23 November, from 14:00 to 15:30 h CEST) will also include interactive components, allowing participants to discuss specific questions, share experiences, and address the challenges associated with transnational academic cooperation.

If you are a member or STARS EU and want to register, click here

STARS Talks returns with a new session focusing on the advantages that STARS EU offers to academic staff, students, and local stakeholders. “Challenges and Opportunities of Integrating STARS EU Activities into Local Research and Teaching Activities” will take place tomorrow (Tuesday, 21 October) from 1:00 p.m. (CET). Martin Holi of Hochschule Bremen–City University of Applied Sciences will present it, and will discuss the integration of European cooperation initiatives into local academic practice.

During the session, Holi will draw upon more than two years of experience in various alliance projects, providing concrete examples of how teaching and research teams can connect European initiatives with the dynamics of their own institutions. Topics to be addressed include strategies for fostering interregional collaboration, linking research with European priorities, and creating synergies between universities and local actors.

The lecture is intended for teaching and research staff, students, and regional partners interested in deepening their engagement with STARS EU and taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by the European inter-university cooperation framework.

The event, to be held online in the form of an interactive webinar featuring a presentation and question-and-answer session, forms part of the monthly STARS Talks series—an initiative of the alliance’s Challenge Lab, designed to share good practices, promote academic innovation, and strengthen the connection between universities and their regions.

Following this first autumn session, STARS Talks will continue with talks scheduled for November and December: “The European Campus: A Living Laboratory” in November, and “Regional Innovation Strategies and Perspectives on Interregionalisation.”

Want to join? Click here

Under the theme “European Innovation Experience: a dynamic co-creative dialogue on how regional innovation boosts the Union of Skills and the twin transition”, three practical innovation labs from University West, Hochschule Bremen City University of  Applied Sciences and Hanze University of Applied Sciences —three of the nine partners that make up STARS EU— presented in Brussels concrete examples of co-creation workshops, robotics and virtual reality-based learning.

The STARS EU workshop, held as part of the activities programmed within the Workshop of the European Week of Regions and Cities, promoted by the European Commission (EC), highlighted that it is possible to develop skills (with and for students) capable of connecting education with industry to build more resilient regional ecosystems.

During the presentation, Felix Rohn, Policy Officer at the European Commission, underlined the need for Europe to strengthen its skills systems and collaboration through initiatives such as the Pact for Skills 2.0, which promote better coordination and faster adaptation to technological change.

Each speaker then presented practical examples of regional innovation and collaboration. The first to do so was the representative from Bremen University, followed by the Swedish and Dutch teams:

• Svenja Tams (Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences) presented co-creation workshops with students designed to develop future-oriented skills. She invited stakeholders from regional career ecosystems to tackle the challenge: “How can we design strategic experiments that enable sustainable and human-centred futures in response to the talent challenge within our regional career ecosystem?” Her approach emphasised active collaboration between students, educators and industry partners, reinforcing the integration of skills development with real-world innovation.
• The Swedish team, Stefan Nilsson and Daniel Sjölie (University West), focused their presentation on training trainers using virtual reality (VR) in high-risk scenarios, such as threatening situations on trains. Their work, carried out in collaboration with government partners, is highly relevant for Work Integrated Learning (WIL), demonstrating how immersive technologies can enhance safety training, professional development and pedagogical approaches in applied education.

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  Rix Groenboom (Hanze University of Applied Sciences) showcased how the use of robots and artificial intelligence can detect crop diseases, illustrating collaboration with SMEs and regional foundations to address practical challenges in rural environments. His presentation highlighted pre-competitive collaboration at lower Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), where research and business partners worked together to ensure continuity and scalability within the innovation labs.

The session held today, as highlighted by STARS EU members, served to demonstrate how hands-on innovation labs, cross-sectoral partnerships and educational integration can help address Europe’s skills challenges while promoting sustainable, people-centred solutions across regions.

The success of this fully booked event reflected the strong interest generated by European cooperation in the field of skills and innovation. Participants agreed in valuing the dynamism of the workshop and its ability to link policy perspectives with tangible examples of innovation across European regions.

A delegation from STARS EU led by Dick Pouwels, coordinator of STARS EU and rector of Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Tomáš Gongol, rector of Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), as well as several members of the alliance’s Steering Committee, attended the high-level meeting organised by the European Commission (EC) to discuss the future of European Universities.

The conference, which brought together more than 400 higher education leaders on 26 and 27 February representing the 65 university alliances operating in Europe, led to a collective debate on the achievements of these five years and the challenges that still remain to be addressed.  The meeting, developed under the slogan ‘Shaping the future: European Universities alliances for a competitive Europe’, served to define the contribution of alliances to the generation of prosperity and sustainability in Europe, without losing sight of the defence of democracy and the promotion of social justice.

The event was inaugurated by Roxana Mînzatu, Vice-President of the European Union, who met afterwards with the rectors of European Universities to discuss the added value of alliances as drivers of the transformation of higher education and agents promoting the improvement of competitiveness, strategic autonomy and progress in Europe.

In the afternoon, the day continued with several high-level debates with rectors from different universities as speakers, and whose opening and closing were carried out by the Director General of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the EU, Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen.

Day dedicated to alliances

The conference on Thursday, February 27 focused on the role of European University alliances, especially in the transformation of the panorama and future of higher education, as well as in the strengthening of cooperation between innovation ecosystems. Other aspects addressed in the different panels of experts were the improvement of synergies between the universities themselves, the mobilisation of regional funding and the research and innovative dimension of European higher education institutions.

‘Shaping the future: European Universities alliances for a competitive Europe’ brought together representatives of all European University alliances, holders of the Seal of Excellence and organisations interested in higher education, including student organisations – which spoke at the event – the European Parliament and representatives of Member States.

The representation of STARS EU, in addition to the rectors of the universities of Hanze and Opava ─two of the nine partners that make up the alliance─ was in charge of Rima Dijkstra, general coordinator of the alliance, José Sigut and Vera-Ferro Lebres, both members of the Steering Committee.

The Silesian University in Opava (Czechia), a member of STARS EU, is finalizing preparations to celebrate the long-awaited 5th edition of its International Week, which will take place from May 12 to 16 at the Karvina School of Business Administration, and which this year will pay special attention to the alliance. Designed to strengthen collaboration between academic institutions around the world, this event promises a week packed with learning, knowledge sharing and global networking.

A program designed for academic excellence

This year, the program is completed by STARS EU Staff Week, an initiative especially aimed at the members of the alliance and its nine partner universities, which includes a program focused on fundamental aspects of university administration and strategic development.

In this sense, sessions, both face-to-face and online, will be held for the Steering Committee, officers, communication managers of the alliance, members of the Regional Transition Accelerator, Curriculum Lab ─ joint courses, BIPs, degrees, and micro-credentials, as well as the Co-creation Campus and the Thematic Interest Groups (TIG) Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Digital Transformation.

Participation and key details

Participation in the International Week can be done through the mobility of Erasmus+ faculty and staff or other mobility programs. Another important aspect is that it does not require a registration fee, although those who decide to attend must cover the travel and accommodation expenses by themselves.

Registration and information

To register for this international event and get more details about the program, travel, and accommodation, you can click on the following links:

Registration form: Register

Travel information: Details here

Accommodation in Karviná: Options available

Official program: Check the program

Updates & News: Stay Informed

Experience 2023

In its 4th edition, held from 24 to 28 April 2023, the International Week brought together more than 70 participants from 14 countries and 20 different universities and included, for the first time, the STARS EU Staff Week. The event also offered the possibility of attending courses taught by international teachers ─ which were attended by around 150 students ─ and a cultural program that included different leisure activities, as well as visits to places of interest, such as the local Marlenka factory or the leaning church of San Pedro de Alcántara.

The STARS EU universe was recently expanded with the introduction of a new TIG in Sustainable Industry. Representatives from all nine STARS EU partners met at University West, in Sweden, to draw up a strategic plan for the coming years.

We asked four questions to Mikael Ericsson, senior researcher in robotics and automation at University West, who leads the TIG.

The TIG Sustainable Industry is a relatively new TIG. What are your goals?

Today, the European industry faces major challenges that will affect its future. These areas are connected to new technology development, digital and energy transformation, and climate change. Also, to increase competitiveness between countries and companies outside Europe, the EU and industry must focus on regional and national value chains to shorten transportation and services linked to manufacturing various products.

These challenges affect competitiveness and opportunities for transformation and renewal. The TIG Sustainable Industry will support students and researchers, industry, and society with new and innovative technology and competencies by developing courses and starting new research cooperations and projects to meet the challenges faced by industry in Europe. These activities will generate and share new knowledge with the surrounding community.

What was the purpose of the meeting?

This was the first time the TIG had a face-to-face meeting with all partners participating. The main purpose was to get to know each other. Secondly, we wanted to discuss our strategic plan for the TIG for 2025 and 2026. Another aspect was to show the facilities at University West that could be of relevance to the Sustainable Industry TIG.

What were the most important points discussed during the meeting?

In the development of the plan, we were discussing how we can develop BIPs and micro credential courses, double degree programs and joint research projects. We also discussed how we can contribute to mobility, both for students and for staff, between our universities, and updated ourselves on future calls for research funding within the EU.

What will the focus of the TIG in the coming months?  

We will work with the implementation of the plan, focusing on courses and double degree programs. We will also plan for upcoming research calls by trying to set up a consortium with common research interests.

Hanze University of Applied Sciences recently became the epicentre of collaboration in healthcare innovation thanks to the hosting of the International Program 2025, focused on Healthy Aging from a Global Perspective. The initiative, which ran from 27 January to 7 February, concluded a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) on eHealth applications, culminating in the joint presentation of cutting-edge eHealth solutions by students from eight different countries.

The programme, organised by Hanze’s School of Healthcare and Nursing, brought together 356 students ─including 62 international participants─ and  included, together with other universities, three key institutions, partners of STARS EU: Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Bremen University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and  Aleksandër Moisiu University (Albania).

Addressing global health challenges with eHealth

Throughout the programme, students explored the question ‘How can healthcare professionals contribute to the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through specific eHealth solutions?’ working in multidisciplinary teams that analysed the target populations and designed innovative interventions in the field of digital health. In addition, in their final presentations, they showcased eHealth applications aimed at addressing global health risks, and in particular cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases or diabetes.

A global learning experience

This experience not only served to expand the participating students’ knowledge of eHealth and digital health, but also to improve their communication and problem-solving skills, crucial skills that the next generations of health professionals must master.

In addition to highlighting the good atmosphere and the connection established between the different groups of students during the activity, some of the participating students, such as Jule and Luisa noted, emphasized that experiences of this type are “quite revealing”, as they allow them to share and learn about the healthcare systems in other countries.

Due to the growing role of technology in healthcare, initiatives such as the one developed at Hanze are essential to train future health and nursing professionals to address the major health challenges facing the 21st century.