1st EELISA International Conference: aiming to become a pivotal gathering in the realm of higher education across Europe
The 1st EELISA international conference will take place from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 October 2023 at the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest.
The program of activities will offer a wide range of formats distributed across 27 sessions, including two high-level plenary discussions, exhibitions, and film screenings with over 100 international speakers.
EELISA is now gearing up to deliver the event that will mark the culmination of its three-year journey and simultaneously kickstart its new phase. Over two and a half days, with an anticipated attendance of over three hundred participants, the conference will encompass a diverse program including panel discussions, high-level meetings, parallel sessions, and social activities. These elements are carefully designed to commemorate the accomplishments of the first three years of the alliance, encourage collaboration, and cultivate a collective comprehension of the context and prospects of the next four years of EELISA.
Hosted by the oldest and most prestigious engineering school in Romania, this conference takes place shortly after the expansion of the university through a merger, thus marking the establishment of a new university with a regional coverage: 'Universitatea Naț ională de Științ ă ș i Tehnologie Politehnica Bucureș ti (UNSTPB).
Two plenary sessions with high level speakers
What experiences have been gleaned from various alliances and stakeholders engaged in the European Universities initiative? What are its main objectives, and anticipated future trajectories? Furthermore, in what ways are alliances like EELISA contributing to the evolution of national, European, and international higher education systems? These are among the questions addressed in the inaugural plenary session entitled “EELISA’s pioneering journey and the context of the European universities Initiative”, scheduled for 5 October.
The European Green Deal and the EU Mission 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities are also two pivotal topics selected for discussion in the second plenary session “The role of European Universities Alliances in the orchestration of the systemic changes needed to tackle climate change” (6 October). Five of the EELISA higher education institutions are in regions and cities that are part of the Cities Mission. Moreover, the ambition of developing and implementing systemic, structural and sustainable cooperation based on interdisciplinary and knowledge-creating teams is at the core of EELISA Communities. Thus, this panel will bring together EELISA universities and city representatives in an aim to open
a space for a dialogue on experiences, opportunities and perspectives.
Dynamic roundtables, abstract presentations, interactive workshops and the EELISA Diversity Award
The conference’s programme of activities draw from the open call for contributions initiated by EELISA last April, will feature over 50 prominent researchers, academics, and staff members from EELISA institutions, in addition to representatives from other European universities and international institutions.
Spanning various formats and structures, over 20 sessions will delve into eight key themes for EELISA, including the new European engineering model, the university of the future, innovative pedagogies, entrepreneurship and innovation, and forging sustainable cooperation. Gender equality and inclusion will also be addressed in the session "Building Diverse and Inclusive Research and Innovation Communities."
EELISA students have also played an active role in the organisation of two main activities: a role-play discussion following the screening of the EELISA Special Mention award winning documentary film “The Great Green Wall' (Directed by Jared Scott, 2022), and an interactive panel entitled “Student Participation at all levels of the Alliance” which will invite to reflect on the role of the EELISA Students participating in the alliance and the impact it has on both their academic and life experience.
A special meeting of the EELISA Governing Board with a focus on the new phase of EELISA
The crowning moment of the conference will be a closing session with remarks from UNSTPB Rector, followed by Guillermo Cisneros, Rector of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, who will share words aimed at inaugurating the new period of the alliance, also known as “EELISA 2.0”. One day prior to this pivotal event, the Rectors, Directors, and Presidents, along with academic, staff and student representatives from all EELISA institutions will convene to review the accomplishments of the first phase of the alliance, assessing its key milestones. They will also deliberate on the shared objectives and goals for the launch of EELISA 2.0.
For the first time, this EELISA Governing Board meeting will serve as an opportunity for the alliance to engage in dialogue with representatives of national authorities and international organizations. The aim of such dialogue will be to discuss the impact of the European Universities initiative on both national and international levels and highlight the importance of collaborative efforts in identifying challenges, thus facilitating future cross-border cooperation. In light of this special occasion, the meeting will be open to external guests.