Ulysseus European University presented in Brussels its vision for the next period, its innovation ecosystem and its contribution to the delivery of European strategies.

At a press conference on Friday, 16 December 2022 in Brussels, the Rectors of the Ulysseus partner universities introduced two new members: the University of Münster (Germany) and the University of Montenegro (Montenegro). The press conference was part of a one-day event (Open Event) organised under the title "Contribution of the European Universities Initiative to the European University Strategy, the new European Innovation Agenda and innovation-driven regional transformation", which Ulysseus has prepared to present its innovation ecosystem and vision for the way forward.

The next part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of the vision of the Ulysseus, introduced by Carmen Vargas (General Manager of the project). Ulysseus has a vision to build a strong and interconnected alliance of higher education institutions working towards a common goal. This is why the expansion with new members is important and essential for Ulysseus. The incoming new members can, thanks to the broad scope of their educational and research activities, significantly complement and expand the Ulysseus innovation ecosystem. Ulysseus foresees the full involvement of new members in the next period. Ulysseus is currently working on the preparation of a follow-up project for the continuation of its activities for the next four years (2023-2027).

The first panel was devoted to how the European Universities Initiative can contribute to the current European education and innovation strategies (the European Strategy for Universities and the new European Innovation Agenda). The panel was chaired by Fulvio Mastrogiovanni (University of Genoa) and the participants were Ioana Dewandeler (European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture), Stephane Berghmans (European University Association), Jeanick Briswalter (University of Cote d'Azur) and Siegfried Walch (MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®).

During the second panel, the panellists addressed the role of universities in regional innovation ecosystems and how universities can accelerate and support the growth of these ecosystems. The panel was moderated by Koen Jonkers (Joint Research Center) and featured Thomas Wobben (European Committee of the Regions), Astrid Hannes (European Regions Research and Innovation Network), Ingrid Rigler (European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture), Miina Hiilos (University of Applied Sciences The Hague-Helia), Peter Džupka (Technical University of Košice) and Valentina Costa (University of Genoa).

Technical University of Košice was represented by a delegation led by Radovan Hudák (Vice-Rector for International Relations and Mobility) and attended by Michal Šoltés (member of the Ulysseus Governing Council), František Jakab (coordinator of the Ulysseus Innovation Hub at TUKE), Peter Džupka (coordinator of the Ulysseus WP3), Marianna Siničáková (Ulysseus WP3) and Natália Vašková (member of the Ulysseus Governing Council).

Find out more about the Ulysseus Open Event in Brussels (including a photo gallery):
https://ulysseus.eu/events/open-event-brussels/

About Ulysseus

Ulysseus is one of the 44 European Universities selected by the European Commission to become the universities of the future. Led by the University of Seville together with five other universities in Europe (the University of Genoa Italy; Université Côte d’Azur, France; the Technical University of Košice, Slovakia; MCI | The Entrepreneurial School^®, Austria; and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland), the project will allow students, researchers and graduates to move freely between universities, carry out internships in companies and start high-impact research projects. The alliance is being expanded by two new university partners: University of Münster (Germany) and University of Montenegro (Montenegro).

More information: www.ulysseus.eu