The Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) held on this Wednesday, within the framework of the II European University Alliances Forum, the parallel seminar "European University Alliances: Strengthening the Knowledge Society in Catalonia." Pompeu Fabra University participated in it by presenting the EUTOPIA project, the university alliance that coordinates.

The opening of the event was conducted by Daniel Crespo, president of the ACUP, who emphasized the role of universities in internationalizing knowledge, as well as the need to facilitate international connections, especially in the recognition of university degrees. In this regard, he emphasized the role that university alliances can play in facilitating this recognition.

On the other hand, Meritxell Serret, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Union, advocated for "the shared project that is Europe" and the role of university alliances in building it. In this sense, she emphasized alliances as a tool for equality and knowledge transfer, while also agreeing that "there is still a long way to go in the recognition of degrees."

Next, Xavier Prats Monné, former Director-General of Education at the European Commission, delivered the lecture "European University Alliances: the most ambitious initiative of the European Union for the future of education." He discussed the international character of universities throughout history and considered alliances as a new step forward: "If we live in the knowledge society, which is universal and has no borders, why do the institutions where this knowledge is transmitted still have them?" he questioned.

The central part of the event was the presentation of alliance projects by different public universities in Catalonia. Carmen Pérez, the delegate of the rector for the EUTOPIA project at Pompeu Fabra University, presented the alliance to the ACUP and emphasized the commitment to virtual mobility for the entire UPF community and bringing science to society. She also shared the experience of the Connected Learning and Research Communities, as well as the Young Leaders Academy and other project initiatives.

The event also included a session on "How to promote the potential of alliances for the progress and competitiveness of Catalonia?" in a format of three simultaneous roundtable discussions. Miquel Oliver, professor at the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at UPF, moderated the thematic table on Technology and the New Economy, which took place parallel to the tables on Sustainability and Social Challenges.

The session was concluded by Manuel Szapiro, Director of the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona, who expressed gratitude for the event and affirmed that the European Commission is "convinced" that university alliances are the "future of higher education."