On 29 September, the members of the EUTOPIA Alliance jointly celebrated the inauguration of the 2023-2024 academic year at the European Parliament, with the participation of Pompeu Fabra University, coordinator of the Alliance’s EUTOPIA More project. The event, under the slogan “Europe, EUTOPIA and the need for a new Renaissance”, was organized in collaboration with Vrije Universiteit of Brussels, one of the Alliance member universities, and was held in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament.

This important event marks a turning point in the building of EUTOPIA, since during the ceremony, the rectors of the Alliance’s ten universities signed the agreement to establish EUTOPIA as a legal entity. This important step highlights EUTOPIA’s commitment to foment academic collaboration and university interconnection throughout Europe.

Helena Ramalhinho: “Europe’s universities are to build the future of a united Europe that contributes to innovation and progress in the continent”

With this formal ceremony and under the European Universities Initiative (EUI) umbrella, EUTOPIA is broadening its pathway towards the creation of a European metauniversity bridging higher education, research and innovation across the continent. In this regard, Helena Ramalhinho, UPF vice-rector for Internationalization, shares the idea that European universities are “crucial for building the future of a united Europe that contributes to innovation and progress in the continent”.

Intense institutional agenda

In addition to the formal incorporation of the Alliance at the European Parliament, the rector of UPF, Laia de Nadal, had a busy institutional schedule during the morning in Brussels, in the heart of the European Union. First thing in the morning she had breakfast at the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia in Brussels, with more than twenty UPF alumni and exchange students who live in the Belgian capital.

Then the rector held several meetings to explain UPF’s internationalization project: first, with Ignasi Centelles, representative of the Government of Catalonia to the European Union, and at the end of the morning, with Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, head of the Higher Education Unit at the European Commission.

The signature of the agreement, a major milestone for EUTOPIA

At 3 pm, in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament, the EUTOPIA inauguration ceremony of the academic year began with the solemn signing of an agreement by the rectors of the Alliance’s ten universities to formally incorporate EUTOPIA as a legal entity. This document formally establishes EUTOPIA as a non-profit international institution under Belgian law, granting the Alliance legal existence and administrative autonomy. This significant step underscores EUTOPIA’s commitment to promoting partnerships and collaboration in the academic world across Europe.

This significant step underscores EUTOPIA’s commitment to promoting partnerships and collaboration in the academic world across Europe

Ramalhinho stressed the importance of the events of this Friday for UPF and for the EUTOPIA Alliance: “to be able to open the academic year in the European Parliament is a good representation of the values of EUTOPIA and the Alliance’s contribution to building a better Europe”, she stated. In the same way, she underlined the Alliance’s main goal, which is to “shape the future of higher education in Europe by means of academic freedom, excellence, sustainability, responsibility, cooperation and openness”.

Also, Tiziana Lippiello, rector of Ca’Foscari University of Venice and president of EUTOPIA, stressed the importance of the inaugural event: “This very first common inauguration of the academic year at the European Parliament marks a significant milestone for EUTOPIA. It symbolizes our unity and shared commitment to advancing European higher education, research and knowledge transfer”.

Lippiello expressed the significance of the event: “The achievement of creating a legal entity for EUTOPIA illustrates our dedication to fostering excellence, innovation, and inclusivity across our alliance. We look forward to continued collaboration and making a lasting impact on the European educational landscape”.

Along similar lines, Jan Danckaert, rector of the VUB, shared his vision for the occasion: “The European Parliament serves as the perfect setting for an academic opening session within our EUTOPIA network. My message is clear:  Europe and the world require a new Renaissance and a new Enlightenment, and alliances like EUTOPIA are instrumental in achieving this vision”.

The commitment to multilingualism, one of the key values of the Alliance

One of the principles of EUTOPIA is its commitment to the defence of multilingualism. The rector of Vrije Universiteit of Brussels (VUB), Jan Danckaert, during his speech, defended the official status of Catalan, Basque and Galician in community institutions, delivered in the Catalan language. “It may be the first time that Catalan has been spoken from this podium, but I hope it will not be the last”.

“It is through multilingualism, and through EUTOPIA’s Connected Learning Communities, that we will be able to learn from each other at a deeper level”, Danckaert upheld. “With a multilingual approach, we can unlock new ideas, new concepts, and new visions”.

In this regard, Laia de Nadal wished to highlight the work of the Catalan university in promoting the language internationally. “Catalan should be regarded as an asset for Europe, and internationalization as an asset for Catalonia”, she noted.

Avui, durant l’obertura del curs acadèmic 2023-2024 de l’aliança @eutopiauni, de la qual la #UPFBarcelona n’és membre, el rector de la @VUBrussel, Jan Danckaert, s’ha adreçat als assistents a l’hemicicle del Parlament Europeu en #català, reivindicant la importància del respecte… pic.twitter.com/ayQCkl53q1

— UPF Barcelona (@UPFBarcelona) September 29, 2023