ENGAGE.EU Annual Event 2025 – Three Inspiring Days in Toulouse!
From strategic discussions to inspiring exchanges, the ENGAGE.EU Annual Conference 2025 brought together more than 150 representatives from across the alliance for three days of collaboration, reflection, and shared ambition — this time in the vibrant city of Toulouse.
The programme featured a rich variety of workshops and strategic meetings focused on the ENGAGE.EU 2035 Strategy, where governance members and institutional representatives worked collectively to define the alliance’s long-term vision. For the first time, participants from the various Work Packages also took part in cross-collaboration sessions, aligning shared objectives to strengthen cooperation and enhance operational synergies across the network.
A Warm Welcome in Toulouse
Before the official opening on Thursday morning, the event had already set a warm and engaging tone on Wednesday afternoon with the first strategic working sessions, followed by a convivial welcome cocktail hosted by the City of Toulouse and its Deputy Mayor for International and European Relations, Jean-Claude Dardelet.
An Inspiring Opening Ceremony
The official opening ceremony on Thursday morning featured keynote addresses from Hugues Kenfack, President of Toulouse Capitole University; Moritz Fleischmann, representing the coordinating university in Mannheim; Manuel Ammann, President of St.Gallen; Sabine Sainte-Rose, ENGAGE.EU Secretary General; and Yann-Maël Bideau, European Policy Officer (who joined online). Together, they highlighted the crucial role that European University alliances such as ENGAGE.EU play in building a more connected, innovative, and socially engaged Europe.
A significant highlight of the opening ceremony was the official entry of the University of St.Gallen as an Associated Partner in Higher Education — a milestone that further strengthens the alliance’s reach and impact.
The programme also included a thought-provoking panel discussion on artificial intelligence and its impact on the world of work, featuring Andrea Glorioso (Policy Coordinator for the Future of Work, European Commission – DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, joining online), Yann Ferguson (Sociologist and Head of Science at LaborIA), Olivier Flébus (Digital & AI Leader, Advanced Innovation, at Schaeffler), and Julien Aligon (Associate Professor, IRIT, Toulouse Capitole University). This lively exchange bridged perspectives from policy, academia, and industry.
Video recordings of the opening speeches and the AI panel are available to participants at this link.
Sharing Knowledge Across Alliances
ENGAGE.EU was also honoured to welcome representatives from four other European University alliances — CIVIS, CHARM-EU, UNIVERSEH, and ECIU — who shared their experiences and success stories. Their contributions covered an inspiring range of initiatives, including funding opportunities, joint master’s programmes, transdisciplinary approaches, and micro-credentials. Recordings of these presentations are also available to participants for further reflection and learning:
- Session of CIVIS: Funding Opportunities
- Session of CHARM.EU: Joint Master
- Session of UNIVERSEH: Transdisciplinary approaches
- Session of ECIU : Micro credentials
Building the Road to 2035!
Another major moment of the event was the launch of the ENGAGE.EU 2035 Strategy, presented by Wim van de Donk, Rector of Tilburg University and Chair of the Governing Board. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Clémentine Bories (Toulouse Capitole University), Wim van de Donk (Tilburg University), Josep Antoni Rom Rodriguez (Ramon Llull University, Vice-Chair of the Governing Board), and Giuliana Manganaro (University of Mannheim, PhD Student and member of the ENGAGE.EU Board of Learners), moderated by Sabine Sainte-Rose.
The session concluded with a particularly moving moment: ten participants, each representing one of the alliance’s member universities, stood up to share their personal vision for ENGAGE.EU in 2035 — each speaking in their own language. This touching finale celebrated the alliance’s cultural diversity: 10 universities, 8 languages, and one shared ambition for the future.
Reflections, Celebration, and Looking Forward
The evening continued in a festive spirit with a convivial dinner held in the main building of Toulouse Capitole University, followed by an interactive game inspired by a beloved European tradition — the Eurovision Song Contest!
The Toulouse team was deeply honoured to host such a productive and energising event, marked by both meaningful working sessions and warm informal exchanges that strengthened the bonds within the ENGAGE.EU community.
As another successful year for ENGAGE.EU draws to a close, we look forward with enthusiasm to the next chapter of collaboration — and to next year’s annual event in Barcelona, graciously hosted by University Ramon Llull.
