CHARM-European University

European University alliances discuss next steps for research, skills and competitiveness in Brussels. 🤝

On 10 June, Joan Guàrdia, Rector of the Universitat de Barcelona , and Paul Pauli, President of the Universität Würzburg , joined around 150 stakeholders in Brussels to represent CHARM-EU and discuss the next steps for research, skills, and competitiveness in Europe.

💡 From advancing the European Degree to reinforcing the research dimension and supporting the free circulation of knowledge across borders, the discussions underlined a shared ambition: building a more integrated and competitive European knowledge ecosystem.

👉 Read more: https://f.mtr.cool/whlapkiuaf

🌟FacesofCHARMEU: Meet Gabriel Díaz

Dr. Gabriel Díaz Cobos, lecturer at the Universitat de Barcelona, is passionate about connecting movement, cognition, and learning. 🏃‍♂️🧠

🤝Gabriel is coordinating the CHARM-ED-funded project: “Active Schools and Physical Education as a Driver of Transversal Skills in Initial Teacher Education: A Joint UB & ELTE Challenge‑Based Educational Initiative.

What is his CHARM-ED project about?
💡Active Learning: Exploring how physical education can foster skills like decision-making, collaboration, and critical thinking.
💡Interdisciplinary Approach: Combining education, cognitive science, and motor development.

🗨️His take on CHARM-EU? It transforms internationalisation into real collaboration, turning shared ideas into concrete projects and lasting academic communities.

🔗Follow the link to read the full interview: https://f.mtr.cool/dkciobxgln



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

📌 4th Open Science Training

Today, we had the pleasure of hosting the 4th Open Science Training in Barcelona and online, bringing together researchers, educators, research support officers, librarians, Open Science experts, and PhD candidates.

The session explored key developments in Open Science, including monitoring practices, Open Research Information, and strategies to advance Open Access.

Discussions focused on:
➡️ The ongoing reform of research assessment and how to track the uptake of Open Science practices
➡️ Building and supporting alternative publication practices in academia
➡️ Enhancing transparency through open research information

✨A big thank you to our speakers: Laetitia Bracco (Université de Lorraine & Open Science Monitoring Initiative (OSMI)), Paul Boselie (Chief of Open Science at Universiteit Utrecht), Blanca Kramer (Executive Director of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information), and Ignasi Labastida i Juan (Rector's Delegate for Open Science at Universitat de Barcelona).

And special thanks to the organisers, Mireia Vidal and Jaime Llorca (Universitat de Barcelona), for making this session possible.



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht university

📢 Call for Posters: Share Your Impact at the CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026!

Are you working on initiatives that strengthen democratic values and societal resilience? We want to hear from you!

We are officially inviting poster submissions for the CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026, held in Turku, Finland, on 14 October 2026. This is your opportunity to showcase your initiative to a diverse community of alliance peers, university staff, academics, researchers, and European university leaders.

Why submit?

➡️Showcase your initiative: Share your experience teaching / researching / working on democratic values, educational innovation, and transnational cooperation.

➡️Get feedback: Engage directly with conference participants during the dedicated poster session.

➡️Get published: Selected posters and abstracts will be featured in the CHARM-EU resource centre and website post-conference.

➡️Win an award: We are excited to announce an award for the "Best Poster" to be presented at the end of the conference!

Who can submit? We welcome submissions from academic and administrative staff, students, alumni, and professionals involved in European University alliances projects or cross-border cooperation.

📆Key Deadlines:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 August 2026
Acceptance Notification: 7 September 2026
Final Poster Submission: 5 October 2026

Ready to participate? Find all the details, including submission guidelines and thematic focus areas, here: 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/cspqudbtao



Coimbra Group of Universities

Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

📢 Last days to apply to CHARM-EU Transnational Online Courses!

Ever wanted to experience a university abroad but aren’t ready to pack your bags just yet?

✨ Gain first-hand international experience and boost your intercultural skills, without leaving home.
If you are currently enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master’s, or Doctoral programme at a CHARM-EU partner university, you can browse the online catalogue and discover courses not available at your home institution, delivered fully online or in a hybrid format. 📚

🗣️ For Maria, a Pharmacology student at Utrecht University:
"I was met with a vast diversity of classes to choose from, which made it difficult to select only two. (...) I enjoyed the interactive assignments and the flexibility CHARM-EU offers, being able to take my courses anywhere, at any time."

👉 Ready for a transnational challenge? Apply before the 28th of June! Follow the link for all the information: https://f.mtr.cool/jfybqcgjso



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

📌CHARM-EU Networking Event: Leveling the Field

Colleagues from the CHARM-EU alliance have met on 10-11 June at Universität Würzburg for the CHARM-EU Networking Event "Leveling the Field" dedicated to strengthening female academic careers and advancing gender equality across institutions.

🤝During two days of collaborative and creative work, participants worked on how to generate tangible outcomes and long-term collaboration on:

➡️ Developing an annual online networking meeting to connect equality offices
➡️ Identifying opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration
➡️ Building a pilot initiative to position female academics as research referents
➡️ Co-developing ideas for an online workshop on the compatibility of life events and academic careers

There was also time for a cultural highlight: a Night Watchman City Tour (pictured in slide 6)👀.

✨A special thank you to the Universität Würzburg for hosting, Sophie Renninge and the team at the Office of the Women’s Representative Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg for welcoming us and organising the event.



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht university

🌍 True connection over simple promotion: What does it take to communicate a European University Alliance?

Thrilled to have participated today in the 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 European University Alliance workshop in Toledo, organized in collaboration with AUGAC —an excellent forum for exchanging experiences and reflecting on the strategic role of communication in higher education.

A major highlight of the event was the presentation by Bibiana Bonmati, Communications Manager at Universitat de Barcelona and representative in the Communication Office.

Drawing from CHARM-EU and UB's successful communication case studies, Bibiana spotlighted a fundamental shift in how we approach our networks: communicating a European alliance goes far beyond promoting activities or mobility opportunities. Instead, it must be an intentional effort to build a shared identity, strengthen the sense of belonging to a transnational academic community, and bring the broader European project closer to everyday citizens. 🎨✨

A huge thank you to Bibiana for sharing these inspiring best practices, to our hosts at UCLM and to all peer alliances for the valuable exchange.

Together, we are proving that strategic communication is exactly what turns the vision of a truly integrated European campus into reality!🤝



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

🚨 WE ARE LIVE IN 5 MINUTES! The Future of European Research is Pitching NOW! 🔮

After a week of intense collaboration at Åbo Akademi University in Finland, PhD researchers from across the CHARM-EU alliance are taking the stage to pitch transdisciplinary solutions to massive, real-world challenges. 🚀

🌍 Tune in right now to watch these international teams pitch to a panel of expert judges!

🟢 The Pitch Topics:
🏡Urban Space Planning & Family Diversity
💧Living With Eutrophication (The Baltic Sea)
👩‍💻AI Competencies for Future Media Professionals
🌞Switching Energy Systems for a Renewable Future
🌍Climate Adaptation: From Knowledge to Action

⏰ When: IN 5 MINUTES | 8:00 – 11:00 CEST
👉 WATCH THE LIVE STREAM NOW: https://f.mtr.cool/mrpzqqdxlx

🔗 More info: https://f.mtr.cool/pqsirrwmhv



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West

Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

📱 How do we capture and maintain the attention of younger audiences when sharing complex academic research? We have to "stop the scroll!"

Karen McCourt, Research Digital Storyteller with Trinity College Dublin Communications, recently joined the CHARM-EU Communications Thematic Group for the Staff Mobility Week at the Universitetet i Bergen

🌟Her mission? Finding new ways to connect young people with research communications.

✨ Key insights from the week:
1️⃣ Be free and brave: Don't be afraid to experiment with new digital storytelling formats.
2️⃣ Find the balance: Content needs a strategy, but too much process can kill the creative spark.
3️⃣ Build a network: Empower researchers with storytelling skills rather than relying on a one-person team.

Want to read the full testimonial? 🔗https://f.mtr.cool/awcueimdrj

Swipe through for her journey in Bergen. 👇



Åbo Akademi
Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Universitat de Barcelona
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University

🔮 The Future of European Research is Pitching Live This Friday! This week, a select group of PhD researchers from across the alliance has been working intensely at Åbo Akademi

🌟Their mission? To break out of traditional academic silos and co-develop transdisciplinary research proposals tackling massive, real-world challenges brought forward by external stakeholders. As PhD researchers, they stand at the vital intersection of education and groundbreaking research.

This Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) was designed specifically to give them rare, hands-on training in collaborative, challenge-based innovation.

Now, it’s time for the Grande Finale. 🚀

🌍 You are invited to watch the culmination of their hard work live from Finland! Tune in to see these international, interdisciplinary teams pitch their solutions to a panel of expert judges on some of today's most pressing societal questions.

The Pitch Topics:
🟢Urban Space Planning, Service Design and Family Diversity
🟢Living With Eutrophication: Collaborative Practices for Understanding the Baltic Sea
🟢AI Competencies for Future Media Professionals: What skills do students need to thrive, and how can academia best train them?
🟢Switching Energy Systems for a Renewable Energy Future
🟢From Knowledge to Action in Climate Adaptation: What is the real-world impact of regional strategies, and how can we strengthen their implementation?

📅 Event Details:
When: Friday, June 12, 2026
Time: 8:00 – 11:00 CEST
Where: Streaming live on the CHARM-EU YouTube Channel

Whether you are interested in sustainability, AI, urban policy, or the future of higher education, these pitches offer a front-row seat to how the next generation of European researchers is turning knowledge into actionable change.

👉 Bookmark the CHARM-EU YouTube Live link and join us this Friday! https://f.mtr.cool/wktnjhysol

More information 🔗 https://f.mtr.cool/zlhuoyhpwd



Eötvös Loránd University International
Hochschule Ruhr West
Universität Würzburg
Trinity College Dublin
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitetet i Bergen
Université de Montpellier
Utrecht University