On 22 January 2025, the 4EU+ Alliance hosted the 1CORE Workshop for Alliances: Sharing Best Practices to Enhance Governance Models at its new premises in Brussels. This hybrid workshop focused on strengthening governance within European University alliances, gathering 32 on-site and over 100 online participants, representing various alliances.
Through consultations with stakeholders and a benchmarking study of 21 European University Alliances conducted by 4EU+, key areas for improvement – such as leadership continuity, decision-making transparency, and student engagement – were identified. Recommendations will be tested in a 2025 pilot phase to refine governance practices across the Alliance. The workshop was aimed at presenting the findings of the internal review, outline next steps in the governance reform process and facilitate the exchange of best practices in governance and management with other alliances.
The event began with a presentation by Elena Del Giorgio, 4EU+ Senior Policy Officer and Interim Secretary General, who outlined the methodology, consultations, and key recommendations from an internal governance review conducted by 4EU+. She also gave an overview of the newly developed 4EU+ Strategy 2025-2035. The workshop further featured innovative governance strategies presented by representatives of other alliances, including Meritxell Chaves (CHARM-EU), Daniel Fouchard (EPICUR), Juan Rayón González (INGENIUM), and Fernando Pérez Peña (SEA-EU). These speakers shared successful approaches to partner engagement, explored emerging trends and challenges related to governance and legal status, and offered valuable insights into evolving governance models and their impact on decision-making within alliances.
Both on-site and online, the participants engaged in an interactive session allowing for a collaborative exploration of key governance challenges. Focus areas included strategies to ensure continuity and institutional memory, improve communication and transparency, and enhance collaboration and engagement within alliances. This dynamic exchange of ideas provided an opportunity for attendees to share experiences, propose innovative solutions, and identify best practices for strengthening governance models across European University Alliances.
"It was fantastic to meet and connect with so many alliances, and to hear their honest perspectives on potential governance models. 4EU+ is full of exceptional ideas, and some of them will come to life in a pilot phase in 2025! I look forward to putting all these valuable insights into practice."