New Ideas and Cooperation – The BAUHAUS4EU Forum in Castelo Branco in Photos
The BAUHAUS4EU European University Alliance ended last Friday, 13 June, after a three-day forum event. It was the first of four planned forums that will be organised by a different partner university every year during the project period from 2025 to 2028. The event centred around familiarising members of the various teams and committees of the Alliance with each other and holding collaborative work meetings. Industry and cultural partners from the Portuguese region of Castelo Branco and from other university alliances also participated.
The exchange of experiences with the regional partners and participants from other university alliances provided a solid foundation small group work. The groups were given eleven assignments, »work packages«, and four councils (student, Ph.D., administrative, and academic).
The Alliance is currently still in the design phase, so the focus is on project implementation measures and exploring the institutional possibilities within the ten partner universities. After the kick-off meeting in Weimar, which focussed on structural management, the forum offered the opportunity to address content-related topics such as joint degrees, European Bauhaus courses, the involvement of regional partners, and sustainability strategies.
It became clear over and over how valuable additional in-person discussions are - especially in the intercultural context of the Alliance, which brings together employees from over ten nations. During the mandatory intercultural training sessions, participants experienced a number of »aha« moments in terms of working together with their colleagues.
A positive effect of this personal exchange was clear on all three days of the event, as University President, Prof. Peter Benz, emphasised: »The continuous development of our Alliance through direct exchange with the teams has been a great experience. The drive is palpable and I’m certain that this ›BAUHAUS4EU-Spirit‹ is providing a foundation on which we can actually create a sustainable, inclusive European university campus.«
The photo gallery captures important moments and impressions at the Instituto Politécnico Castelo Branco, the host of this year's forum:
