EUTOPIA Week 2026 officially opened on 29 June at the University of Gothenburg, bringing together students, researchers, academics and professional staff from across the alliance.
During the opening ceremony, Jan Danckaert, Rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Chair of the EUTOPIA Board of Presidents, reflected on the alliance’s journey over the past seven years, reaffirming its commitment to European cooperation, academic freedom and international collaboration.
Looking ahead, the speech highlighted key EUTOPIA initiatives as examples of how the alliance is shaping the future of European higher education.
Read the full speech below.
Dear friends, colleagues and partners,
Dear students,
Almost three years ago, in September 2023, the ten EUTOPIA universities opened the academic year together in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament.
In my speech, I called for a new Renaissance, driven by curiosity, openness and connectivity. The values and driving forces of the Renaissance offer a powerful compass for tackling the great challenges of our time.
Climate change, disruptive technological transformation and Gen AI, the geopolitical tensions, and so on, require knowledge, imagination and cooperation on a scale equal to their complexity.
It was with this understanding that EUTOPIA was created. Our universities came together because we recognised that the great questions of our century could no longer be addressed within the limits of a single institution or a single country.
We set out to help build the European university of the future: open, inclusive, connected across borders, and capable of preparing future generations for a rapidly changing world.
In short, our European values are the core upon which EUTOPIA was founded. But that was 7 years ago.
So how does this shared European identity translate into our daily operations, our shared education and research portfolios?
It’s a bit contra-intuitive to tell this audience, as you’re of course in the driving seat of our many EUTOPIA activities.
I nevertheless want to highlight some of our most recent accomplishments, because I think they deserve the spotlight, and illustrate our joint commitment in action:
- Next week, 50 students from across our alliance will gather in Barcelona for the EUTOPIA Summer School on European Identities, where they will reflect on what European identity truly means to them.
- Another example: Our Connected Communities aim at social cohesion and inclusion by design, as they embed internationalisation of our curriculum in our existing educational offerings in a structural and sustainable manner. The past 7 years, over 13.000 students have directly experienced EUTOPIAnisation through these Connected Communities. With timely thematics such as Artificial Intelligence, Global Health, Europe in the World, Maintaining International Peace and Security, and many others, our Conncted Communities are now experimenting with EUTOPIA labels and micro-credentials, as well as submitting project proposals to boost funding for joint research or education.
- And one more example: EUTOPIA has been a proud pioneer in Science Diplomacy, exploring how universities and European University Alliances can become actors of trust, dialogue and cooperation in a more fragmented world. That commitment now coincides with growing European momentum: on 29 May, while EUTOPIA convened its Global Conference on Science Diplomacy in Brussels, the Council of the European Union adopted its Recommendation on a framework for science diplomacy.
Dear friends,
Today, our ambition appears more relevant than ever.
The world around us has changed profoundly.
We can witness increasing challenges to the values that have long sustained our democratic societies.
In such circumstances, universities carry a particular responsibility.
Academic freedom. Intellectual openness. Respect for evidence.
These are not abstract ideals, (no) they are the conditions under which knowledge can flourish, and societies can progress.
These are not only academic principles; they are also among the fundamental values upon which the European project itself was built.
Earlier this year, through the Joint Mission Statement submitted with the EUTOPIA EDGE project, we collectively reaffirmed our commitment to a sustainable, democratic and inclusive European society, and our determination to strengthen education, research and innovation through deeper cooperation across our institutions.
Yet EUTOPIA has always understood that Europe must engage with the wider world. The challenges we face are global. Our partnerships must therefore be global as well.
Through our cooperation with universities across almost all continents, we strengthen our capacity to learn, innovate, and contribute to the common good. We remain rooted in Europe while connected to the world.
These academic connections have acquired a particular significance in the present geopolitical context. Governments may disagree. Political tensions may rise. Yet researchers continue to collaborate, scholars continue to exchange ideas, and students continue to learn from one another.
At the heart of our mission stands the enduring relationship between education and research. EUTOPIA’s strategy places them side by side, as it should. Research expands the boundaries of knowledge. Education transmits that knowledge, questions it and renews it. Discovery loses part of its purpose if it is not shared. Teaching loses its vitality if it is disconnected from discovery.
The strength of a university lies in this continuous exchange between free inquiry and learning. It has shaped EUTOPIA from the beginning and must continue to guide us as we move forward.
My friends,
We all understood that cooperation would become increasingly necessary, that universities would be called upon to assume greater responsibilities, and that Europe’s future would depend on its capacity to educate, innovate and work together.
Our shared European identity will materialize further throughout this EUTOPIA week, which is centered around Health and Wellbeing:
- The fourth edition of the EUTOPIA Research Days, which unite pioneering researchers across disciplines in an intensive networking studio, is taking place.
- And our gracious host University of Gothenburg is piloting the first edition of the Education Forum, uniting key academics to boost educational collaborations.
- I furthermore particularly look forward to the findings of the Young Leader Academy symposium. Our YLAs are our universities’ strategic leaders of the future, and I cannot wait to see them grow into their roles with their extensive EUTOPIA ambassadorships in their back pockets.
So dear students, colleagues and friends, let’s continue to invest in this Alliance, in our students, our teachers, our researchers, our staff and our partners. Let us remain faithful to the values that brought us together and confident in the future we are building.
The promise of EUTOPIA is a promise worth pursuing.
Thank you.
