Pre-conference | 21 May

Wrap up of the day 

Conclusions and announcement of 34th Annual Conference host

Leadership Forum

The Leadership Forum is reserved for executive leaders of EURASHE member institutions and invited organisations, e.g. Rectors and Vice-Rectors, Presidents and Vice-Presidents)

Day 1 | 22 May

CONFERENCE OPENING

Hannes Raffaseder

President of EURASHE and CEO of St. Pölten UAS

Hannes is a Member of the Executive Board as Chief Research & Innovation Officer of St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and leading coordinator of E³UDRES², the Engaged and Entrepreneurial European University as Driver for European Smart and Sustainable Regions.

KEYNOTE SPEECH

Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot

Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+, European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot is in charge of European cooperation on higher education, schools and youth policy, managing Europe’s flagship programme for education, training, youth and sport Erasmus+ with a budget over EUR 26 billion 2021-2027. She launched and manages the European Solidarity Corps, an EU youth volunteering programme, and coordinated the 2022 European Year of Youth. She launched flagship actions under the European Education Area and the EU Youth Strategy, such as European Universities, Teacher Academies and DiscoverEU. She has previously held various positions within the European Commission in the field of strategy and investment in education, employment policy, European Semester, European cohesion funds, cultural policy and business statistics. She studied economics, business, political science and EU affairs in Sweden, France and Belgium, including an Erasmus student exchange. She is an Eisenhower Fellow. Twitter: @sophiabrussels

Plenary Session: Promoting Transnational Cooperation among European Universities

Moderator: Michal Karpíšek

Secretary General of E³UDRES²

From 2016 – 2021, Michal served as a Secretary General of EURASHE, a political representation of professional higher education in Europe, following an 8 year mandate as its Vice-president. He has been representing EURASHE within various European policy and stakeholders’ fora, EC working structures on higher education policies.

Until 2016 Michal acted as an Executive officer of the Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE). He served twice as an advisor to Czech ministers of education (2001-03, 2010-11) or their deputies for higher education.

Nedas Jurgaitis

Deputy Director, Šiauliai State University of Applied Sciences

Nedas is Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Communication, Deputy Chairman of the Siauliai City Education Cou

ncil. He is a Doctor of Philology and Editor-in-chief of the journal Professional Studies: Theory and Practice, as well as Executive Committee Member of the European Universities Alliance NEOLAiA. 

Andrean Lazarov

Quality Assurance Officer, University of Agribusiness and Rural Development

Andrean Lazarov is an inclusive educator with over 20 years of experience including as author of more than 90 EU projects in the period 2003-2023 in the field of inclusive higher education, career support, supported employment, entrepreneurship and youth. He is currently a PhD candidate in Educational management, researching the topic “Leadership styles to ensure educational innovations”, and holds the position of Quality Assurance Officer in the European University Alliance “INVEST” on behalf of the UARD team. He is equally the Creative Director of Private Business School “The Talents”.

Sofie Mols

Director of Innovation and International Policy, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences

Sofie Mols spearheads strategies for research, global learning, and internationalisation. With a background in civil engineering and education, she is a results-driven, empathetic leader, known for her pragmatic approach and belief in the power of people to make a difference. As a critical friend, Sofie values synergy and impact in achieving international education objectives, bringing a lens of entrepreneurship, lifelong learning, and digital transformation to strengthen higher education practices.

Michael Roither

Vice-Rector for International Affairs, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland

Michael heads the Master’s degree programme Digital Media and Communication. He has also been co-founder, partner and managing director of the eLearning Academy for Communication GmbH since 2016. Prior to this, he was head of the Centre for Journalism and Communication Management at Danube University Krems and an educational journalist at the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper – a position he still holds today as a freelance author. Michael Roither has more than 20 years teaching experience in Austria and abroad with guest professorships in Riga and Krakow.

KEYNOTE SPEECH

Pedro Texeira

Full Professor of Economics at University of Porto and former Portuguese Secretary of State for Higher Education

Pedro Texeira served as Secretary of State for Higher Education from March 2022 to April 2024. Prior to serving the Portuguese government, he was Director of CIPES – the Center for Research in Higher Education Policies and Full Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto. He was Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of Porto (2014-208). He was also an adviser to the President of Portugal on Higher Education, Science, and Economic issues (2016-2022) and a member of Portugal’s National Council of Education (2014-2018). He has also served on the evaluation panels for the European University Association (EUA) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

PLENARY SESSION: TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA

Moderator: Hilligje van’t Land

Secretary General, International Association of Universities

Dr. Hilligje van’t Land serves the global higher education community as Secretary General of the International Association of Universities (IAU) – global NGO with UNESCO Associate Status. For the past two decades, she has fostered the key role of higher education in societal transformation. She supervises the overall programme activities of the IAU, develops the Association’s strategic plans and oversees the everyday work of the secretariat. She positioned the IAU as partner in UNESCO work on Education for sustainable development and in the UNESCO Futures of Education initiative, and higher education as a key stakeholder for the UN Agenda 2030 – Transforming our world.

Hilligje van’t Land strongly believes in the importance of international cooperation and intercultural understanding and has developed multilateral projects related higher education and beyond.

Preeti Nair

Director, Centre for International Relations and Research, Parul University

Professor Preeti Nair has an academic experience of 15 years and Industrial Experience of 9 years. She is a PhD in the area of Management and completed her Post-Doctoral Work in the area of Indian National Education Policy.

Dr. Preeti leads Internationalisation at her University since 2013 and has been responsible for several Strategic collaboration with International Universities for Mobility, Pathway, Erasmus+ and Research. She has won several accolades and awards in the field of enhancing Internationalisation at Parul University, also has been selected by Associations and Embassies to be a part of Indian delegation to various partner countries and recognised for outstanding efforts.

David Ross

President & Chief Executive Officer, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Dr. David Ross joined SAIT in 2013, becoming its 16th President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A passionate leader in post-secondary education dedicated to promoting student success, Dr. Ross has a reputation for innovation in applied education. Under Dr. Ross’ leadership, SAIT has become Alberta’s third-largest post-secondary institution well known for its action-based learning, solution-focused research and enterprising collaborations with people and partners from around the globe. 

Prior to joining SAIT, Dr. Ross was President and CEO of Langara College where he transformed the institution through extensive growth and strategic market development. 

Ahmed Samy

UNESCO Chair for Strategic Foresight and Higher Education

Dr. Samy is a passionate strategist with a purpose to help organizations and teams exploit their full potential and create their envisioned future. A senior accomplished and award-winning executive and advisor with over 25 years of experience in Consulting, Government, Higher Education, and Digital Technologies sectors. He holds the UNESCO Chair on Strategic Foresight and Higher Education at the Higher Colleges of Technology based in the UAE and is Head of their UNESCO-UNEVOC center. He comes with significant board and governance experience in global not-for-profits and national government-led executive boards. Dr. Samy is the current Chair of the Strategic Leadership Board – MENA at the Global Center for Risk and Innovation and also the Chair of the Global Goodman Award for Excellence in Strategy hosted by the International Association for Strategy Professionals.

PLENARY SESSION: STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ALLIANCES

Moderator: Dora Crişan

Business Development Officer, evozon | Workshop Facilitator, EvoCariera

Psychology and Business graduate, volunteer, and learning enthusiast. Now as a Business Developer, Dora is working to connect companies, universities, research centres and other organisations to form meaningful and fruitful partnerships. And as a member of an educational NGO, she is exploring her curiosities and helping others do the same in their career journey, while training as a vocational counselor.

Denis Hardi

RUN-EU Student representative, Technological University of the Shannon

Denis Hardi is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Process Improvement and Engineering Management. He holds the position of Chairman for the Young Engineers in his regional chapter under Engineers Ireland. Engaged in politics, Denis also serves as a panel coordinator for Policy Recommendations within the European Sudent Assembly 2024, sponsored by Erasmus+. Additionally, he acts as a secretary for the migrant community in the county, ensuring their voices are heard in policy-making processes. Denis actively participates in Erasmus exchange programs facilitated by RUN-EU.

Tanguy Guibert

Vice-President, European Students’ Union

Tanguy is 27, comes from France and studies international political science at University Paris Est Créteil. He joined the student movement in France seven years ago and now serves as Vice-President of ESU. He is working on the European Education Area, Internationalisation and Mobility and Sustainability.

Karīna Anna Lapiņa

Chair of E³UDRES² Student Board, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

Karīna Anna is a proud part of the E³UDRES² alliance and a Bachelor’s IT student at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. This year, she’s been given the opportunity to lead the E³UDRES² Student Board, where previously she was engaged in various activities, projects and networking with fellow students to broaden her perspectives, contacts and gain new opportunities. 

Sukh Preet Singh

U!REKA Student representative, HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Art

Sukh Preet Singh (22) is currently a student at HOGENT (Belgium) where he studies Biomedical Laboratory Technology. He’s also a student representative for the department of Health Care and for the U!REKA alliance. In his free time, he likes to run long distances and enjoy activities with his student associations. Next to his studies, he keeps participating in political activities both at the local and national level to ensure that the voice of the students is represented.

WRAP-UP OF THE DAY

Sarah Watts-Rynard

Chief Executive Officer, Polytechnics Canada

Sarah Watts-Rynard is the Chief Executive Officer at Polytechnics Canada, a non-profit association representing 13 leading polytechnics and institutes of technology with a focus on federal advocacy related to skills and innovation policy. Sarah’s career has included time in government, the private sector and at skills-focused non-profit organizations. She is a recognized expert in apprenticeship policy, chairs the CWB Foundation and is Vice-Chair of the Canadian Centre for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology.

Day 2 | 23 May

PLENARY SESSION: RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ALLIANCES

Moderator: Armin Mahr

CEO, Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences

Armin has been heading the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences since 2019. A political scientist (University of Vienna, London School of Economics), Armin worked for an NGO and as a project manager in the international consulting business before joining the public service. From 2007, he served in various public management positions related to research and innovation policies. He was Austrian delegate (and co-chair) of the OECD Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP), involved in the national research, technology and innovation strategy and the evaluation of innovation systems in EU member states. Armin was prominent to promote the role of universities as lead institutions for regional innovation and smart specialisation, in Austria and the EU.

Liam Brown

Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation, Technological University of the Shannon

With significant public and private sector experience, Dr Liam Brown has a proven track record in strategic development and operational management of research, development, innovation, community and enterprise engagement. He leads the RDI team across all TUS campuses, Ireland’s first cross-regional Technological University and is focused on areas that have clear social, cultural, economic and environmental impact regionally, nationally and internationally. Collaboration and addressing the needs of internal and external stakeholders – academic, industry and community is a key focus along with sustained growth of funding, postgraduate and postdoctoral research across the RDI continuum. Delivering for stakeholders through impactful projects and meaningful research output is the priority.  

Dr Brown represents TUS on several external boards and is the TUS lead for the European Universities Alliance: RUN–EU.

Anka Mulder

President of the Executive Board, Saxion University of Applied Sciences

Anka Mulder is president of Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She is also board member of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and focuses on areas such as research, digitalization, and SDG’s. Furthermore, Anka is a member of various advisory boards and committees, including Quantum Delta and the AWTI (Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation) that advises the Dutch government and she is actively engaged in the region as a member of the Twente Board.

Jörg Niehoff

Deputy Head of Unit, ERA, Spreading Excellence and Research Careers, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Jörg has more than 15 years of experience with the coordination of national research policies and programmes and European Partnerships. He started his professional career as a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Technology consult, and Head of Office Brussels for VDI, Europe’s largest Engineering Association. Jörg holds degrees in engineering and industrial engineering and a PhD from the RWTH Aachen.

Anna-Maria Vilkuna

Director of Research, Development and Innovations, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences

Anna-Maria Vilkuna has been working at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences since 2005. Since 2016, she has been at her present post as the director of research, development and innovations and the member of the management board. Anna-Maria Vilkuna believes in multidisciplinary collaboration, systematic approach and ecosystems. Together with her team and co-workers, she has developed Metropolia’s phenomenon-based Innovation Hubs. New innovations can be generated bringing together experts and expertise from various parts of society.

Before starting at Metropolia UAS, she worked as a researcher at the University of Jyväskylä and University of Tampere. She still is Docent at the University of Jyväskylä. Her background as a historian gives her a good stance to succeed in her current role as a Director of Research, Development and Innovations: both positions require systematic approach to take over complex entireties.

WRAP-UP OF THE DAY

Ruaidhri Neavyn

Special Advisor, Higher Education Authority in Ireland

Ruaidhri Neavyn is a special advisor for the Higher Education Authority in Ireland engaged in the development and delivery of national HE policy initiatives in areas such as skills and engagement, internationalisation, and system performance. Ruaidhri is also the CEO of the Regional University Network European University (RUN-EU). He previously served as president of the Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Carlow. In addition, he is a member of the OECD’s group of National Experts in Higher Education.

Navigating Healthcare Challenges: The Role of Internationalization, Interprofessional Education, and Organizational Culture

Link to abstract

Jaana Sepp

Jaana Sepp is a researcher specializing in social sciences, education, healthcare, and safety management. She completed her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Tallinn Technical University. In 2013, she obtained her second master’s degree in Social Sciences and Education from the University of Tartu, with a focus on Educational Management. In 2008, she earned her first master’s degree from Tallinn University, Institute of Psychology, with a focus on organizational behavior. 

Ulvi Kõrgemaa

Vice-Rector for Studies at Tallinn Health Care College, Ulvi holds nursing and Master’s degrees from Tallinn Medical College and Tallinn University, plus a Law Master’s from the University of Tartu. A proponent of NANDA and higher education enhancement in Estonia, her research and publications address nursing’s multifaceted development in Estonian society, emphasizing academic integrity.

How does joint research and innovation strategy serve the aims of the European Research Agenda and foster local and regional impact?

Link to abstract

Liisa Timonen

Dr. Timonen is responsible for the internationalisation of the whole HEI community, nurturing partnerships and global education services at Karelia UAS. She contributes extensively into the international research, development and innovation (RDI) processes. Her portfolio includes more than 40 international and national RDI projects where she has acted as key designer, writer and contributor, and several other projects as a team member. Her programme portfolio includes extensive number of different funding tools: Horizon, Erasmus+ Strategic partnerships, Knowledge Alliances, Alliances for Education and Industry, and European Universities, Team Finland Knowledge, Nordplus, Asia programme, Developing Country programme of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ESF, EAFRD, ERDF, CBC, and EU-CAN projects. She is the local coordinator of the INVEST European University Alliance at Karelia UAS and leads the current global education projects in China, Chile and Uzbekistan.  

Jaana Tolkki

Head of HR at Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Jaana is responsible for the Strategic Human Resource Management, Competence Management, Personel Planning, Management of Well-being at work, Diversity Management, Equality and Equity Management. Jaana has worked as a Project specialist in several national and international projects during the past 20 years, latest project work as a specialist in INVEST European University Alliance. 

Marian Kovacik

Marian Kovacik, a dedicated staff member at the Institute of European Policies and Public Administration within the Slovak University of Agriculture, plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape related to European policies. His responsibilities encompass providing comprehensive education on subjects intricately linked to European policies, fostering a deeper understanding among students.

Throughout his illustrious career, MK has actively participated in several international educational and research projects, demonstrating his commitment to advancing knowledge and collaboration. Notable projects include Centre of Excellence for European Agri-Food Chain and INnoVations of REgional Sustainability: European UniversiTy Alliance. Currently, he is engaged in two significant initiatives Centre of Excellence in European Green Deal Policies and Invest4Excellence Project. Furthermore, he brings experience from his involvement in The International Master of Science in Rural Development (IMRD)—an esteemed international joint study program.

Andrean Lazarov

Andrean Lazarov is an inclusive educator with over 20 years of experience including as author of more than 90 EU projects in the period 2003-2023 in the field of inclusive higher education, career support, supported employment, entrepreneurship and youth. He is currently a PhD candidate in Educational management, researching the topic “Leadership styles to ensure educational innovations”, and holds the position of Quality Assurance Officer in the European University Alliance “INVEST” on behalf of the UARD team. He is equally the Creative Director of Private Business School “The Talents”.

Marcela Chrenekova

Marcela Chrenekova is a member of the Institute of Regional and Rural Development of the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development. She was involved in preparation and implementation of national and international scientific projects and providing expertise in social economy, social agriculture, and community planning.  She is a member of the INVEST European University Alliance Slovak team, responsible for preparation of study program and development of the university living lab.  She initiated and managed two international conferences in 2015 and 2021 supported by OECD co-operative research program and a series of national panel discussions on development of social agriculture “Agriculture as an Actor of Social Inclusion” – AGASI 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Mariyana Ivanova

Prof. Mariana Ivanova is the Rector of UARD since 2019. She is a Professor in Plant protection taking lectures in Organic Agriculture, Environmental Management and Plant Protection. Author of more than 100 scientific publications, 15 training-methodical works, 9 training handbooks, 8 reference books and manuals, etc. Rich experience and expertise in project management and coordination in the field of higher education, vocational education and training (VET), elearning, etc. Coordinator of 5 national and 4 international projects in the last 5 years and participant in more than 27 international (including INVEST and INVEST4EXCELLENCE) and 16 national projects in the last 10 years.

Skills for the Future: Universities of Applied Sciences as accelerators for lifelong learning

Link to abstract

Stephan Corporaal

Dr. Stephan Corporaal is professor of applied sciences in Human Capital. His research focuses on work design, human-technology collaboration and lifelong learning. His work has been published in both academic and practitioner journals, reports for companies/government and he developed MOOCs, podcasts, and tools to disseminate the outcomes. 

Maria Hendriks

Dr. Maria Hendriks is academic at TechYourFuture, centre of expertise for lifelong learning.

Research Cooperation between European Universities of Applied Sciences on Climate-Neutral Cities

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Mark van Wees

Mark works as a project manager and coordinator of European cooperation at the Centre of Expertise City Net Zero. He leads the European H2020 research and innovation project ATELIER, with the goal of creating energy-positive neighborhoods in Amsterdam and Bilbao. In this project – in which various research programmes of the AUAS work together – Mark is responsible for international cooperation. In addition, he supports the het Centre of Expertise City Net Zero researchers in the acquisition of European research funds from his role as quartermaster of European cooperation. 

Collaborating for a Shared North West, a connected, high-performing region

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JoAnne Kilmartin

JoAnne Kilmartin represents the Atlantic Technological University as the Project Development Officer for the North West Tertiary Education cluster. A position focussed on the development of pathways for students and strong industry engagement to ensure economic prosperity for the North West City Region.

Prior to this appointment she worked with Donegal County Council and her portfolio included managing the Donegal Diaspora project. Her role was to act as a resource for the economic, social and cultural development of Donegal and this was achieved through the delivery of a number of key strategic initiatives focussed on recognising and connecting with the Diaspora. The objective of the project was to engage and build relationships with the Donegal Diaspora around the world. 

Paul Hannigan

Paul Hannigan was President of Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) from January 1998. Having graduated from UCD with a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Business Studies, Paul worked in Dundalk IT from 1987. In 1992 Paul became Head of Department of Business Studies at Dundalk, until his appointment to Letterkenny in 1998. He subsequently completed an MSc in Management Practice at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and in January 2008 was appointed as President of LYIT for a further ten years. Paul commenced a new five-year contract as LYIT President in January 2018 and now after the designation of the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) on 1 April 2022, holds the role of Head of College at ATU Donegal.  

Wendy Gibbons

As the North West Regional College Project Development officer on the North West Tertiary Education Cluster, Wendy is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the Computing, Business, Education and Community sectors. Wendy has excelled in strategic roles, notably as a lecturer and course director in Computer Science at Ulster University. serving as an Urban Regeneration Strategy Manager in a Locality Planning Partnership, focusing on community planning, and as a Project Manager on a Queens University Belfast City Deal project in the School of Medicine, specializing in Change Management.

Wendy has delivered numerous strategic capital and infrastructure projects locally in conjunction with various public and private sector agencies while maintaining governance standards. Wendy has a track record of driving process improvement and introducing effective change management programmes in the areas of social, economic, physical and cultural development both nationally and internationally.

Anne McHugh

Anne McHugh is Chief Executive of Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).

Anne has spent her entire career in education initially as a teacher of Geography and Gaeilge before becoming Deputy Principal in Crana College, Buncrana, followed by her Principalship of Errigal College, Letterkenny. Both jobs were with the former Co Donegal VEC and in 2012 she joined as Education Officer and proceeded to her current role as Chief Executive in 2016.

Revolution in Workflow: Success factors and the “community of practice” approach to improving quality in university process management

Link to abstract

Jeanna Nikolov-Ramirez

Jeanna Nikolov-Ramirez holds an M.A. in Graphic Design and Advertising from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna and Elisava School of Design and Engineering, Barcelona. She was director of postgraduate courses at Danube University Krems in the Department for Cultural Studies, Center for Image Science creating and heading Master programs such as Digital Collections Management and Media Art Histories. She worked as project manager at the Austrian National Library and the UN for several large scale international research projects on the intersection of culture and technology, including EuropeanaConnect, an EU-funded research project building the European digital library Europeana, aggregating digital cultural heritage across museums, libraries, archives and audiovisual institutions, and the Google Books Cooperation of the Austrian National Library (Austrian Books Online). 

Georg Hochfellner

Georg Hochfellner BSc MSc has been working in quality management and organizational development in the education sector for many years. He is currently Head of Academic University Development at FH Campus Wien. He also teaches a number of subject-specific courses and has been an EFQM assessor in Austria since 2014. His main areas of work and interest are quality management, programme development, process management and performance measurement and analysis.

Gernot Hausar

Gernot Hausar is Process Manager at the University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien. He further focuses on automation, information-, knowledge- and document management. He is passionate about Open Acces and Digital Humanities. 

Elke Krenn-Ahorner

Elke Krenn-Ahorner is Head of Process and Project management and R&D at UAS Technikum Vienna. Her main areas of work and interest are process management and organizational development. 

Fostering 21st century skills development through cross-institutional international online collaboration initiatives

Link to abstract

Ágnes Pál

Ágnes Pál (PhD) is an associate professor and the director of international affairs of the Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism of Budapest Business University where she teaches at the Department of Foreign Languages for Business Communication since 2009. She has created and coordinated, in cooperation with her colleagues, several European strategic partnership projects in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.  Her research interests include intercultural communication, skills development, language teaching methodology, learner autonomy and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Rita Kóris

Rita Kóris (PhD) is an associate professor at the Department of Leadership and HR Development at Budapest Business University (Hungary) where she teaches courses in business and management in the EMI program of the university. Her research interests lie primarily in innovative teaching practices of business education, internationalization of HE, transversal skills development and teachers’ academic development.

Collaborative Online, International Learning: An invitation for cooperation between Europe, Canada and Africa

Link to abstract

Frank Melis

Throughout his career, Frank dedicated himself to fostering innovations that enhance communication and collaboration. With a zeal for transforming innovative concepts into reality, he assumed senior roles at leading tech firms like Digital Equipment, AT&T, Bell Labs, and IBM. Frank excels in knowledge acquisition, dissemination, and collective growth. For the last 20 years, he has founded enterprises centred around innovation and talent management via the SMRT.bio platform, shaping its strategic vision, objectives, and culture geared towards success. His expertise spans technology, product development, talent management, coaching, assessments, implementations, and global business expansion.

Katrin Nuppenau / ATHENA Project

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Katrin Nuppenau is a social scientist currently working as a senior researcher at the Institute for Integrated Studies at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. She is involved in two European projects, B-WISE and ATHENA, both of which focus on promoting inclusion and diversity. Both projects aim at breaking down barriers and promoting equal opportunities – B-WISE in social enterprises and ATHENA in higher education.

Her research focuses on diversity, inclusion, education and entrepreneurship, which she has worked on at various universities and research institutions, including the University of Augsburg, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (Vienna), University of Klagenfurt, the Institute for Social Science Research ISF(Munich), and the Institute for Social Research and Analysis SORA (Vienna).

Paulo Ferreira / MERIDIES Consortium

Link to abstract

Paulo Ferreira is an Economist and holds a PhD in Management. With several peer reviewed published papers in international reviews and technical books, his research is focused on the analysis of financial markets, although with research also in entrepreneurship. Actually he is Full Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, but with teaching experience in other higher education institutions, namely Universidade Moderna, Universidade Metodista (Angola), Instituto Superior de Línguas e Administração de Leiria, Universidade de Évora and Universidade Europeia. He is researcher at VALORIZA – Research Center for Endogenous Resource Valuation (Portalegre). He is currently Pro-President for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer of the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre.

Jakub Grodecki / AIRinVET Project

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As the EURASHE Policy and Project Manager, Jakub is responsible for following the European policy developments on HE with a particular focus on Quality Assurance, Micro-credentials, and the European Universities Initiative. He is also involved in European projects concerning these areas.

Dolores Volkert / EIT HEI Initiative

Link to abstract

As the Head of the HEI Initiative, Dr Dolores Volkert leads on strategic activities of the initiative, focusing on establishing an ecosystem of cross-institutional alliances and synergies. Prior to the HEI Initiative, Dolores Volkert served in senior strategy roles managing cross-functional initiatives within higher education and research institutions both in North America and Germany. With a legal background, her experience spans from establishing strategic innovation and entrepreneurship programs to technology transfer. 

St. Pölten UAS main campus

Campus-Platz 1, 3100 St. Pölten, Austria

https://www.fhstp.ac.at/

Rendl Keller Restaurant

Rendl-Keller-Gasse 6, 3100 St. Pölten, Austria

https://www.rendlkeller.at/