13.12.2023Una Europa – What’s the Story?

“Ag tōgāil ollscoil don todhchaī” – this is Irish and stands for “building the university of the future”. Representatives of UZH, together with members of ten other universities have gathered to work towards this goal at the biannual Una Europa General Assembly, hosted by the University College Dublin (UCD).

The General Assembly kicked off with looking at the story of Una Europa so far. “The university of the future” is a vision of a collaborative university where teaching, research and administration converge, fostering in-depth cooperation at all levels. It is not a place, but an idea: to create a university of the future to tackle global challenges in close cooperation with like-minded partner universities across Europe.

Since its foundation in 2019, the eleven Una Europa member institutions (UZH joined in May 2022) have achieved tangible results in creating a university of the future, including:

• Learning from each other through staff exchange weeks or international job shadowing opportunities ("Live My Life").
• Engaging the wider university community through public talks such as the “Una Talks” or “Una Europa Podcasts”.
• Collaborating in teaching through Joint Bachelor programs in European Studies (BAES) or Sustainability (BASUS).
• Fostering collaboration in research providing shared research infrastructure (Una.Resin) and seed-funding for joint research projects.

Various UZH representatives – from members of the UZH Executive Board to students – joined the General Assembly in Dublin, bringing in the perspectives of their respective domains through their work in committees and clusters.

One of the highlights of the General Assembly was the Una Europa Talk on the topic of European university alliances and the future of higher education. The three panelists, including UCD’s president Orla Feely, agreed that it is important for Una Europa to allow inclusive and sustainable interaction with all of Europe. University alliances, of which Una Europa is just one example, have the potential to lead through today’s challenges of climate change and political instability. The approach that European alliances such as Una Europa are taking is both transdisciplinary and international, which makes it complex. Therefore, it’s important that early on, a common story of what the alliance wants to achieve is agreed upon and carried outward.

The recent Una Europa General Assembly in Dublin has set the stage for the future, with valuable discussions and exchanges that contribute to the ongoing development of the university of the future. “Slán go fóill go dtí an bhliain seo chugainn i Zurich” – “See you next year in Zurich”, as UZH prepares to host the next Una Europa General Assembly from 19 to 21 June 2024.

Leslie Reinhard