The European Week of Regions and Cities is the biggest annual Brussels-based event for local and regional governmental authorities as well as stakeholders at all levels. The 2025 edition was a dynamic and productive moment for EURASHE, marked by active participation in a series of key events.
We kicked off the week by taking part in the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Research Fund Hackathon in Amsterdam, which brought together innovators and education leaders to co-create new approaches to international higher education and research.
Tuesday 14 October was packed with consecutive events, including:
1. The session “Let’s build the future in cities together — accelerating the climate transition through impactful U!REKA European university collaboration”, organised by U!REKA European University and moderated by EURASHE Secretary-General John Edwards, with speakers Geleyn Meijer (Amsterdam UAS), Iina Oilinki (City of Helsinki) and Line Vertriest (City of Ghent). The session focused on the unique role universities play in supporting cities through the climate transition.
2. A meeting of the EURASHE Sounding Board for the European Universities Initiative, with representatives from universities alliances E³UDRES², EU4DUAL, HEROES, and U!REKA.
3. We hosted a side event on “Regional Impact of Applied Alliances”, featuring European Commission representatives from the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sports and Culture and the DG for Regional and Urban Policy. The session explored how universities alliances drive regional innovation and skills development.
Additionally, EURASHE was represented in:
- the European Education Area (EEA) Working Group on Higher Education;
- A high-level roundtable discussion on “Unifying European Research & Innovation for Global Leadership and Competitiveness”, featuring key voices such as Christian Ehler and Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Research and Innovation;
- On 15 October, EURASHE President Hannes Raffaseder delivered a keynote speech at the EIT Education and Skills Days 2025. His intervention focused on the critical role of applied higher education in fostering innovation and addressing skills gaps;
- At the same event we represented the U!Innovate project alongside partners from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and HOGENT.
Finally, EURASHE contributed to the EQAR General Assembly and Members’ Dialogue, reinforcing its commitment to quality assurance and transparent, high-quality higher education across Europe.
