BUT representatives attended EULiST events in Spain and Finland

Brno University of Technology has recently participated in two events of the European University Alliance EULiST, whose member it is together with nine other partners. BUT representatives attended Staff Week in Madrid, Spain and to the Student Board in Lappeenranta, Finland. The regular alliance meetings aim to connect the member universities, to provide them with a space for mutual communication and sharing of experience and to improve the quality of higher education in Europe.

Staff Week, which took place at Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, was attended by representatives of universities from sixteen countries, as well as experts from the EULiST Alliance and representatives from partner universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Paraguay and Mauritius.

The week-long meeting focused on knowledge, tools and strategies for educating future generations, the process of internationalisation, and artificial intelligence. The visit also included a tour of University of Madrid. The delegation visited the Rector's Office and the Aranjuez, Fuenlabrada and Móstoles campuses. Javier Ramos, Rector of University of Madrid, highlighted the importance of international cooperation between universities and their common mission.

EULiST is a cornerstone for the development of internationalisation. "Thanks to our membership in the alliance, our university has gained many opportunities. We can offer new mobilities to our staff and students, establish research collaborations, and most importantly we have nine international partners with whom we can work closely," said Martin Ocko, local coordinator of EULiST at BUT.

In addition to university staff, members of the Student Board met recently to discuss the functioning of the European University Alliance. At Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, students jointly discussed the promotional activities of member universities, the election processes of delegates and student representation on the EULiST Alliance Advisory Board. They also spent part of the three-day programme planning a student conference that will take place in Vienna in the summer.

The programme concluded with a hybrid student council meeting, which was also attended by absent members. In addition to formal discussions, the students went on a tour of the campus and the city of Lappeenranta, created a promotional video for EULiST and experienced Finnish student life.

"I am glad that students are also involved in the University Alliance because they are an integral part of all universities. It is always a pleasure to meet together and inspire each other. I am looking forward to the next General Assembly that will be hosted by BUT," said Katarína Rovenská, Vice President of Student Chamber of Academic Senate BUT.

The EULiST Alliance brings together ten universities from different countries of the European Union with one common goal, to become a European university on a global level. One of the closest upcoming alliance events is the General Assembly, which will take place from 22 to 24 May at the rectorate of Brno University of Technology. The event will be attended by around one hundred and fifty guests from all over Europe who will come together to discuss future interdisciplinary cooperation. The gathering will include meetings, workshops, panel discussions and an accompanying programme.


The upcoming EULiST General Assembly at the Rectorate of Brno University of Technology will be part of the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the BUT.

Author: Lenka Hubáčková