Annual meeting 2026

Bialystok University of Technology (BUT)

13-15 October 2026

Tentative program

12 October 2026
All day Arrival day
  Informal Task Team Dinners (to be organised by each Task Team)
13 October 2026
8.00 – 9.00 Morning coffee & registration
9.00 – 9.20 Welcoming address  
9.20 – 9.30 Opening Remarks by Across Alliance Coordinator
9.30 – 9.50 Across in numbers – Achievements of the first 20 months  
9.50 – 10.55 European Universities: From vision to everyday practice (Panel)  
10.55 – 11.00 Practical Arrangements Rooms, catering, transportation and local information
11.00-12.00 Networking coffee
12.00-13.30  

Parallel meetings

Individual task team meetings TTCLs should organise and inform the task team members of the agenda for their meeting. EB members, LCs, WPCLs that are NOT a member of any task team are welcome to join a task team meeting of their choice. Please inform the TTCLs. Expected outputs: Progress review, challenges, priorities until M30  

European Universities Leadership Round Table  

Across PhD student meeting All partners PhD students are invited  

Across Student Council meeting All partners students are invited  

13.30-15.00 Lunch
15.00-17.00  

Parallel meetings

Collaborative task team meetings Each collaborative task team meeting is expected to designate 1 rapporteur (minutes and reporting back to WPCLs). For each meeting specific indications will be provided as to the overall goal of the meeting and the topics they have in common. The lead facilitator is responsible for agenda preparation in consultation with the TTCLs. Each collaborative meeting is expected to identify at least three concrete joint actions to be implemented before the next Annual Meeting.

TT1.1 – TT4.1 Priority-setting of both internal and external communication actions

TT1.2 – TT4.2 Across border alliance supporting legal framework: inter-alliance community of practice related to the legal statue of European Universities, considering active projects of alliances in the dedicated Erasmus+ call

TT1.3 – TT2.4 Staff development, correlation with training offer in transversal skillsets and defining HR policies

TT 1.4 – TT3.2 – TT3.1 Advice on DEI to establish a joint protocol of research ethics and best practices, careers for students and staff with R&I principles, support a supplementary affiliation for researchers among partner universities

TT4.3 – TT3.4 – TT4.4 Draw on the Think Tank outputs for development of further projects for sustainability

TT3.3 – TT2.2 – TT2.3 8 flagship double/multiple/joint degrees closely aligned with the focus areas will be developed, creation of a growing catalogue of micro-credentials, Map our existing courses in master’s and PhD programmes as well as for early-career researchers and relate them to the 4 Across Focus Areas; Define PhD programmes based on micro-credentials, making use of Atomic Learning Units and considering the existing partner offerings. Mobility indicators.

TT2.1 – TT3.1 Prototype integration of the Across Research Information System; Implementation of the Across Open Data Repository   Across Finances All financial reference/contact person per partner and the Across financial officer. Across (PhD) students and Student Council meeting All students and PhD students are invited.

Across Finances

All financial reference/contact person per partner and the Across financial officer.

Across (PhD) students and Student Council meeting

All students and PhD students are invited.

17.00-20.00 Guided Walking Tour of Bialystok. Upon prior registration
20.00-22.30 Joint Dinner The venue will be announced later.
14 October 2026
7.30 Across run & Nordic Walking Upon prior registration
9.00-11.00  

Parallel sessions

Transversal Topical Meetings Each task team will designate members to participate in each of the different topical meetings, so all tasks are represented. All participants are expected to share the discussions back in their task teams. Each meeting will have 1 designated facilitator and 1 rapporteur. Student representatives are invited to join the topical meetings of their choice. Alternatively, interested PhD students or students may participate in a guided campus tour and a meeting with ESN representatives (upon prior registration). Representatives from Polish universities in alliances will share best practices to open each transversal topical meeting. Each topical meeting is expected to prepare a one-page summary including key recommendations, proposed actions and responsible task teams. The summaries will be presented during the closing plenary and shared with all partners after the meeting.  

Topics 1. Micro-credentials / ALUs Lead task: 2.2 Especially for 1.3, 2.1, 4.4, 4.2, 4.1, 2.3  

Expected outcomes: Recommendations for implementation across the alliance identification of priority actions for future joint educational offers. Guest to be announced.

2. Mobility Lead Task: 2.3  Especially for 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 3.3, 4.3  

Expected outcomes: practical recommendations for increasing mobilityidentification of barriers and proposals to improve mobility processes across Across. Guest to be announced.

3. Think Tank + Knowledge Creation Teams Lead Task: 4.3, 3.2 All tasks

Expected outcomes: Proposals for new Knowledge Creation Teams and Think Tank activities.Identification of priority interdisciplinary research topics for future collaboration. Guest to be announced.  

4. Projects and sustainability of the alliance Lead task: 4.4 All tasks  

Expected outcomes: Identification of future collaborative projects and funding opportunitiesRecommendations for strengthening the long-term sustainability of Across. Guest to be announced.

5. eCampus Lead task: 2.1 All tasks  

Expected outcomes: Recommendations for further development of the Across eCampus. Identification of priority digital services supporting education, mobility and collaboration. Guest to be announced.

6. Communication and dissemination Lead task: AO communication officer All tasks 

Expected outcomes: Recommendations for improving the visibility and impact of Across activities. Identification of possible improvements in internal communication between partner universities. Guest to be announced.   

7. Across engagement (engaging staff and students in the alliance) Lead: Across Coordinator All task teams, Local Coordinators  

Expected outcomes: Recommendations for increasing staff and student engagement in Across activities. Identification of new initiatives strengthening the Across community and sense of belonging. Guest to be announced.    

11.00-11.45 Networking coffee
11.45-13.00  

Parallel meetings

Workshop “Co-designing relational skills for governanceWPCLs and TTCLs are invited to participate in this workshop. Upon prior registration  

Collaborative Task team meetings Each task team to decide and approach the task teams they would like to meet. Each collaborative task team meeting is expected to designate 1 rapporteur (minutes and reporting back to WPCLs). Task Team (co)leaders are expected to prepare the agenda and facilitate the session.  

Best Practice Forum

Across PhD students and Student Council Meeting (together) Preparation for reporting back to the plenary session (What did you learn? Ideas for student engagement for Across alliance? Etc.)  

13.00-14.15 Networking lunch
14.15.-15.30

Official closing of the Annual Meeting Student representatives’ report, Summary of the Annual Meeting and key outcomes,

Announcement of the host institution and dates for the 2027 Across Annual Meeting  

Official closing remarks by the Rector of BUT  

16.00-19.00 Guided Visit Upon prior registration
19.00 Dinner for EB members and Rectors with Polish alliances representatives
15 October 2026
TBA – approx. 12.00 noon Strategic EB meeting with the Rectors participating in the event
All day Departure Day for all Task Team members