EU-GIFT represented at the European Universities Rectors and Presidents High-level Meeting in Brussels

Two representatives of the EU-GIFT Alliance took part in the European Universities Rectors and Presidents High-level Meeting, organised by the European Commission in Brussels to discuss the future of higher education in Europe

The EU-GIFT Alliance was represented at the European Universities Rectors and Presidents High-level Meeting, held in Brussels on 10 June 2026 and organised by the European Commission.

The meeting brought together around 150 rectors, presidents and university leaders representing the 73 European Universities alliances, which currently gather almost 650 higher education institutions from 35 countries. The aim of the event was to discuss the future of the European Universities initiative and its contribution to skills, innovation, competitiveness and cooperation across Europe.

EU-GIFT was represented by Cornel Cătoi, Rector of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca (USAMV), and Carmen Novo Urraca, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation at the University of La Rioja, the coordinating university of the alliance.

During the meeting, participants exchanged views with representatives of the European Commission on the strategic role of European university alliances in shaping the future of higher education. The discussions focused on key issues such as the development of future skills, innovation in teaching and learning, research and innovation, mobility, cross-border cooperation and the reduction of barriers between education and research systems.

The event also took place in the context of major European policy priorities, including the European Education Area, the Union of Skills, the future EU funding programmes, the Multiannual Financial Framework and the promotion of the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and innovation across Europe.

The participation of EU-GIFT in this high-level meeting reinforces the alliance’s commitment to building a more integrated, innovative and internationally connected European higher education area. Through cooperation among its partner universities, EU-GIFT continues to contribute to the development of joint initiatives that promote academic excellence, mobility, innovation and the exchange of knowledge across Europe.