From 23 to 25 April 2024, the historic venue of Charles University hosted important sessions of the 4EU+ Management Committee and Academic Council. Central to the discussions of both bodies was the development of a strategy that will propel the Alliance forward over the coming decade, focusing on building one comprehensive research-intensive European University.
Since the Academic Council functions as the Alliance’s Internal Auditing Board as part of its quality management system 4EU+QUALITY a significant portion of the Academic Council’s work during the sessions was dedicated to drafting the very first Auditing Board Report. In this process, the AC members act as critical friends and assess the 4EU+ educational activities and student mobility against the background of the Alliance´s visions and goals. They identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer strategic recommendations to improve the educational offer of 4EU+.
The meetings also covered a variety of other topics, including the AI working group's insights, interactions with Flagship representatives, and discussion on student engagement and representation. Moreover, the representatives from the HeyEU student team introduced their initiative, aimed at empowering young voters in the upcoming EU elections, which garnered considerable interest and positive feedback.
Aleksander Hebda, a student representative from the University of Warsaw, stressed the importance of in-person meetings: 'Such meetings are vital for networking and advancing the development of the European university. We have not only accomplished significant work but also gained insights and knowledge about various aspects of 4EU+.'
Berni Hasenknopf, the Academic Council chair, shared his insights on the event: 'It was an excellent meeting, with a great atmosphere and enthusiastic colleagues from the 4EU+ universities, all committed to making the Alliance successful and establishing one comprehensive research-intensive European university. We should not regard the internal auditing process merely as an obligation; rather, it is a vital opportunity to dedicate time for comprehensive assessment and reflection on our operations and progress. I greatly appreciate all the constructive feedback from the Academic Council members.'
4EU+ Alliance fine-tunes road map for 2025 - 2035
Find out more about the 4EU+ meetings in the Charles University magazine, featuring an interview with Jesper Gür, University of Copenhagen medical student and vice-chair of the Academic Council.