Explore Campus 360°
The conference served as an important platform for discussing the future of higher education, regional cooperation, innovation, sustainability, digital transformation, and the role of European university alliances in addressing contemporary societal challenges.
South East European University, as the leading partner of Work Package 2 and co-lead of Work Package 4 within the ChallengeEU Alliance, was represented by academic and administrative staff engaged in the ChallengeEU work packages from several faculties and university units, including the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Business and Economics, the Faculty of Contemporary Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Contemporary Sciences and Technologies, as well as IT specialists, representatives from the Finance Office, the Max van der Stoel Institute, and the Max van der Stoel Library, together with a Student Ambassador and Student Council members engaged in the ChallengeEU Alliance at SEEU.
In addition, the University delegation included high-level university management: Rector Prof. Dr. Sadudin Ibrahimi, Rector’s Advisor Academician Prof. Dr. Abdylmenaf Bexheti, Prof. Dr. Veland Ramadani, Pro-Rector for Planning, Research and Entrepreneurship, and Prof. Dr. Veli Kreci, Director of the Max van der Stoel Institute and member of the Management Board of the ChallengeEU Alliance.
As part of the conference program, Prof. Dr. Veland Ramadani participated as a keynote speaker in the panel discussion titled “From Fragmentation to Impact: Reimagining Regional Innovation Ecosystems”, organized within the thematic session “Impact in the Regions — Meaningful Engagement for Inclusive Digital, Green, and Social Transitions.” During his speech, Prof. Dr. Ramadani highlighted the importance of strengthening regional innovation ecosystems through inter-university cooperation, entrepreneurship, and meaningful engagement between academia and society in addressing regional and European challenges.
Prof. Dr. Veli Kreci contributed to the conference as a panelist in the session “Beyond Projects: People at the Heart of ChallengeEU”, which focused on the human dimension of the alliance and the importance of academic communities in building sustainable cooperation. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Kreci emphasized the role of ChallengeEU in identifying, connecting, and empowering talented researchers, academic staff, students, and professionals across partner universities, highlighting the alliance’s potential to foster innovation, collaboration, and long-term academic impact.
Throughout the two-day conference, participants attended plenary sessions, thematic panels, workshops, and networking meetings dedicated to advancing joint academic initiatives, challenge-based learning, collaborative research, mobility opportunities, and cooperation with associated partners and regional stakeholders.
An important dimension of the conference was the active involvement of students within the alliance activities. The participation of the SEEU Student Ambassador and Student Council representatives highlighted the importance of authentic student-driven engagement in shaping the identity and visibility of the ChallengeEU Alliance.
The conference also provided opportunities for institutional meetings and exchanges with university leaders, project coordinators, researchers, and associated partners from across Europe, further strengthening collaboration and future cooperation within the alliance.
Organized by the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, the conference marked an important milestone for the ChallengeEU Alliance and reaffirmed the shared commitment of partner institutions toward building a more connected, innovative, and inclusive European Higher Education Area.
For more information about the conference and the alliance, visit the official ChallengeEU Alliance website.