Advancing University-Business Cooperation
11–12 May 2026 | University of Ljubljana
On 11 and 12 May 2026, the University of Ljubljana will host the 11th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, this year held jointly with a dedicated EUTOPIA Western Balkans Conference on University–Business Cooperation. The event brings together rectors and vice-rectors from Forum member universities across the region alongside representatives from EUTOPIA alliance universities — marking a significant moment in EUTOPIA’s ongoing engagement with higher education in Southeast Europe.
The Western Balkans represent one of Europe’s most dynamic and strategically significant higher education frontiers. Universities in the region are navigating a dual imperative: deepening their integration with European academic networks while responding to the specific economic and social development needs of their societies. The university–business cooperation agenda sits at the heart of both.
EUTOPIA’s participation in this conference reflects the alliance’s commitment to being a genuinely open and outward-facing partnership — one that does not turn inward but actively seeks to share experience, learn from peers, and contribute to the broader European Higher Education Area.
The main conference day (12 May) features a rich programme in which EUTOPIA universities play an active role. In the morning session on Technology Transfer Offices (11:15–12:00), VUB — one of EUTOPIA’s founding members — will present its model for supporting university-business cooperation through knowledge and technology transfer, in dialogue with a case study from the University of Ljubljana. This is followed by a further EUTOPIA contribution to the session on Curriculum Development and Study Support Services (12:00–12:45), exploring how alliance universities embed industry engagement into the design and delivery of academic programmes.
The centrepiece of the afternoon is a Round Table Discussion (14:00–15:30) bringing together representatives from EUTOPIA and Western Balkans universities to share their cooperation models across four dimensions: curriculum planning, the involvement of industry experts in teaching, student training in professional settings, and research and innovation, including business creation. This open format — with active audience participation — offers the opportunity for genuine dialogue between the two communities.
Day 1 features a keynote address by Prof. Robert Wagenaar of the University of Groningen, one of Europe’s foremost authorities on competency-based curriculum design and the architect of the widely adopted Tuning methodology. His contribution will set an important intellectual frame for the discussions that follow on Day 2.
Join us in Ljubljana
If you are involved in university-business cooperation, knowledge transfer, or curriculum development — whether as an academic, administrator, or policymaker — this conference offers a rare opportunity for cross-regional exchange at the highest level.
Registration is open until 4 MAY. Register here →
