From 25 to 28 February, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Barcelona Tech (UPC) hosted the 11th edition of Unite! Dialogue, a biannual event that brought together around 500 participants from the nine Unite! partner universities, including Universidade de Lisboa. This year’s edition – ‘Unite! students: our soul, our core’ – highlighted the central role of students in building a more dynamic university network, emphasising the importance of initiatives that promote inter-institutional collaboration and scientific innovation across Europe.
During four days of debates and workshops, students, researchers and staff worked in teams to develop inter-institutional study programmes, new teaching methodologies and strengthen links between academia and industry. One of the main highlights was the Unite! Widening project, a spin-off of Unite!, which aims to promote equity in science and knowledge in countries like Portugal and Poland.
The Unite! Widening project is coordinated by Fátima Montemor, a professor and researcher at Instituto Superior Técnico, along with contributions from various Técnico faculty and staff. The project aims to ‘boost innovation and inclusion in European research, promoting a more connected and creative scientific community’, says the coordinator. The Unite! Widening’s LinkedIn page was also presented during the event.
The event provided an opportunity to align the objectives of various working groups and explore new ways to strengthen partnerships in research, skills development, and student mobility. Agata Klaus-Rosińska, the coordinator of Unite! Widening at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and a professor there, stated, “The Dialogue was another chance to strengthen partnerships, align goals, and promote knowledge sharing. These moments are crucial for enhancing research excellence and creating a more integrated and inclusive European Research Area.”
During the discussions, the need to improve communication and partnerships between universities, companies and other organisations was reinforced, aiming to support students’ career development and expand research opportunities across Europe.
