Today, the EURASHE General Assembly met within the frame of the 34th EURASHE Annual Conference at the Portalegre Polytechnic University. The membership elected the nine Board members that will serve during the 2025-2027 term. Read their full profiles below.
President
Hannes Raffaseder, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (AT). Hannes is CEO/President of St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and President of E³UDRES², the Engaged and Entrepreneurial European University as Driver for European Smart and Sustainable Regions.
Vice-Presidents
Jon Altuna, Mondragon University (ES). Academic Vice-Rector at Mondragon University since 2011, Jon worked as a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of Mondragon University since 1997. He was appointed Academic Coordinator of the Faculty of Engineering in 2007, where he was involved in competence-based curriculum design and quality assurance.
Ulla Preeden, Tartu Applied Health Sciences University (EE). Ulla is the current Rector at Tartu Applied Health Sciences University. She also represents her institution within the Estonian Rectors’ Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences (RCUAS).
Board members
Liam Brown, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (IE). Liam is Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation at his institution and represents the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) at EURASHE since 2023, when he was first elected to the EURASHE Board.
Lina Girdauskienė, Lietuvos inžinerijos kolegija (LT). Lina is associate professor at the School of Economics and Business and Professor at Lietuvos inžinerijos kolegija as well as senior associate at Commedia (integrated communication). She is also President of the Rectors’ conference of Lithuanian university colleges (LKDK).
Claudia Kreipl, Fulda University of Applied Sciences (DE). Claudia is Vice President for Research and Transfer. As professor for economics, she teaches business management with a focus on corporate responsibility.
Luís Loures, Portalegre Polytechnic University (PT). Luís is a full professor and the President of his institution. During his academic career he taught in several courses in different universities, mainly regarding the fields of landscape architecture, urban and environmental planning, circular economy, climate change, bio-based solutions, and sustainability. Since 2023, he represents the Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council (CCISP) at EURASHE.
Gordana Nikolić, PAR University of Applied Sciences (HR). Gordana is the only woman owner and Dean of a higher education institution in Croatia. She is a WED (Women’s Entrepreneurship Day) ambassador for Croatia, a senator in the assembly of the World Business Angel Forum (WBAF), and vice president of the World Committee for Women within the same organisation.
Ana Tecilazić, Algebra Bernays University (HR). Ana is Vice Rector for Quality. She has more than twenty years of experience on policy developments in the areas of quality assurance, recognition, qualifications frameworks, employability, performance-based funding, social dimension, validation of prior learning, European affairs and internationalisation of higher education.
We would also like to acknowledge Nijolė Zinkevičienė (Vilniaus Kolegija, LT) and Valentin Năvrăpescu (University Politehnica of Bucharest, RO) for their service to EURASHE and the Board in the last few years.
Our warmest congratulations to the newly-appointed members, with whom we look forward to collaborating in the coming years.
Portalegre (Portugal), 13 May 2025: newly-elected Board members at the 34th EURASHE Annual Conference.
From left to right: Claudia Kreipl, Liam Brown, Ana Tecilazić, Ulla Preeden, Hannes Raffaseder, Luís Loures, Lina Girdauskienė.
