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Towards a Stronger Europe
Members of University College Cork’s UNIC team recently participated in a pan-European conference held in Dublin which showcased best practices among higher education institutions engaged in the European Universities Initiative.
Entitled "Towards a Stronger Europe: Franco-German-Irish Perspectives on the Future of European University Alliances”, the summit provided an opportunity for strategic dialogue and a chance to highlight the progress made in UNIC - the European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition, of which UCC is a founding member.
Hosted by the French and German Embassies in Ireland, with the support of the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the Technological Universities Association (TUA), participants included staff and students from eight French Universities, seven German universities and 14 Irish Higher Education Institutions, as well as the European Commission and a number of national higher education organisations from the three countries.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD was also in attendance, and commented:
“I am delighted to join with Irish and International colleagues today to highlight and celebrate, the work of the European University Alliances. These are networks which, by their nature, drive creativity, collaboration, and innovation, strengthening the fabric of higher education across Europe.
“At their heart, they represent the true spirit of the European project: not just economic cooperation, but a shared commitment to peace, understanding, and people. Research, innovation, education and skills are central to that project, and as Minister, I will continue to lead and invest in these areas, particularly as we prepare to assume the EU Presidency in 2026”.
Dr Jean van Sinderen-Law, Associate Vice President, Director of European Relations and Public Affairs and director of UNIC at UCC said:
"Through the European University Alliances, new approaches to how education is being delivered, governed and imagined is taken place while trust is being built. That trust is a strategic asset not only for the institutions involved but for Europe, the invisible infrastructure crucial for successful cooperation."
UNIC student representatives Ella Barrett and Maddalena Fortune-Brandi said: “Today’s students are tomorrows leaders, innovators, and decision makers and will shape the future of Europe."
H.E. Céline Place, French Ambassador to Ireland said “As President Macron recalled in the speech that he gave at the Sorbonne in September 2017, universities are at the heart of Europe’s ambition to be stronger, more sovereign, and more united. 8 years on, this trilateral dialogue between France, Ireland and Germany is a concrete step towards that vision of universities as political forces towards the construction of a Europe of knowledge, cooperation and shared values”.
H.E. David Gill, German Ambassador to Ireland remarked: “European University Alliances are not just an academic initiative – they are more: a bold vision for the future of knowledge, collaboration, and identity in the European Union. Germany has embraced this vision wholeheartedly”.
UNIC is co-funded by the European Union.