The European University Initiative (EUI) has been influencing and shaping higher education institutions for almost a decade and is attracting growing interest from researchers across Europe. In response to this development, a group of engaged academics decided to organise a symposium on the EUI. The event was designed not only to bring researchers together, but also to explicitly invite practitioners to participate and contribute.

The second edition of the EUI Research and Practice Symposium took place on 2–3 July 2026 at WU Vienna. Chris Schubert and Gregor Fischer attended as representatives of EULiST.

Alliance Hopping Tour

The symposium was complemented by an “Alliance Hopping Tour.” Around 30 participants visited all universities in Vienna that are members of a European University Alliance. Alongside BOKU University, the University of Vienna, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and Central European University, TU Wien also had the honour of hosting the delegation.

During two sessions on the European Campus Hainburg initiative and EULiST’s impact on the TU Wien Students’ Union, participants gained insight into how EULiST is shaping different initiatives on campus.

Dean Marko Mihovilovic presented the current status of the European Campus Hainburg initiative, which involves St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, TU Wien, and the EUDRES and EULiST alliances. Supported by the State of Lower Austria, the project aims to establish a science hub in Hainburg, a town on the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava.

A new physical campus is planned on a former military site and will particularly serve the growing number of professionals moving to the region. Initial plans include launching a degree programme led by St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and establishing a hub for Green Technologies and Innovation.

Further information on the European Campus Hainburg is available here:
https://eudres.eu/europacampus-hainburg, opens an external URL in a new window

Local coordinator Gregor Fischer explained how EULiST has reshaped the TU Wien Students’ Union, HTU, since students gained representation in the alliance’s governance structures.

HTU, an institution with an 80-year history and well-established structures, had to adapt quickly to this new form of representation. EULiST’s influence led to structural changes, ranging from the introduction of new voting procedures to the establishment of a Department for International Affairs.

This department became the foundation for a new movement within the Students’ Union. Its aim is to strengthen the voice and representation of international students by removing language barriers in the promotion of support services and the provision of information.

2nd EUI Research and Practice Symposium

A central topic of the symposium was the impact of European University Alliances.

The discussion began with the question of how this impact can be measured. Jelena Branković delivered an excellent keynote on how university alliances risk falling into a metrics trap.

The question of what exactly should be measured was also addressed by Alexandru Carțiș in a campfire session. The discussion focused on the numerous Blended Intensive Programmes established by CIVIS and on the criteria that should be used to assess their success.

Concrete results were also presented, including a contribution by Andra Stan-Dragotesc on the impact of European University Alliances in Romania.

Gregor Fischer commented:

“From a practitioner’s perspective, this symposium provided valuable insights not only into the academic analysis of university alliances, but also into how other alliances operate and the challenges they face.”

Further information on the symposium, including a book of abstracts, is available here:
https://www.wu.ac.at/eui26/eui26, opens an external URL in a new window