The Across Kick-Off Meeting officially began with a festive get-together, bringing together almost 200 staff and students from 10 partner universities in Chemnitz. During the entire event, more than 230 Across members and partners participated.
“The Across Alliance embodies the spirit of European cooperation in higher education,” said Prof. Dr. Maximilian Eibl, Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs at Chemnitz University of Technology. “By bringing together institutions, students and researchers across borders, we are building a forward-looking network that fosters innovation, cultural exchange, and academic excellence.”
Laying the foundation for cooperation
The opening session of the Across Kick-Off Meeting included a presentation on the governance structure of the Alliance, collaboration with international consortia and the future direction of joint initiatives. Olga Wessels, Director of FOREU4ALL, highlighted in an online presentation the importance of European university alliances working together to pool expertise and resources.
Two days of intense working sessions of all 16 task teams on strategic discussions and joint planning of their tasks resulted in a concretization of work plans for the next year. In monthly meetings of the task teams and digital collaboration through the Across eCampus actions such as the development of joint learning offers, the Across Graduate School, the transformation of existing learning offers, following the Across criteria such as student-centered and flexible courses will be jointly developed. These actions will ensure that the innovation, internationalization and digitalization of the learning offers of the Across partner universities will become reality.
Strengthening cross-border collaboration
Reflecting on the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Desislava Atanasova, Rector of the University of Ruse, highlighted the broader impact of the alliance: “The Across project creates unique opportunities for lasting collaboration between European cross-border regions. It aligns education quality among partners, supports joint programs, and enhances the global recognition and commercialization of research, laying the foundation for future scientific and educational projects.”
Empowering students in Across
Dr. Benny Liebold head of the International Office of Chemnitz University of Technology is pleased to see students actively participating in several task team sessions.“Students are one of the major target groups of our endeavors. Seeing them engaged in discussions, bringing in their perspectives and networks, is crucial to strengthening their role within the alliance and ensuring that our learning offers meet their needs.”
Exploring art & intercultural dialogue
In the evening, participants visited “Peaces – An Exploration of Plural Peace Across Borders”, an art exhibition at Weltecho Chemnitz featuring contemporary artists from all over Europe, a student short film screening and a topical panel discussion with the participation of Across members. The event was organized by members of the Across partner University of Nova Gorica and the City of Chemnitz and was opened by the Lord Mayor of the City of Chemnitz, Sven Schulze and Peter Purg, Dean of the School of Arts at the University of Nova Gorica.
To encourage informal exchanges, participants also took part in cultural activities, including museum and library visits and the Across Run, a joint city run through Chemnitz.
A new era for European higher education
The Across Kick-Off Meeting marks the beginning of a transformative journey for our university in the context of European higher education, fostering deeper collaboration, innovation and intercultural understanding.
