During the meeting at Aalto University in Finland, new leaders of the Unite! were elected. Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, was appointed Vice President. From now on, the alliance is chaired by Prof. Vivien Quéma from Grenoble INP UGA, with Prof. Anders Söderholm, Rector of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, serving as the second Vice President.

In his new role within the Unite! leadership, Prof. Wójs will be responsible for the area of research.

“I am very pleased, because from the very beginning of our involvement in the alliance we have placed strong emphasis on developing scientific cooperation. This is where I see the greatest potential and benefit for our university,” said Prof. Wójs.

One of the key priorities of the new Vice President will be to support doctoral students and young researchers by creating opportunities for exchange, collaboration, and networking to help them advance their international academic careers.

“We also aim to strengthen research cooperation between the alliance’s universities to foster the development of more joint scientific projects,” added Prof. Wójs.

The vice presidency of Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs is a significant distinction for Wrocław University of Science and Technology. All nine universities within Unite! are among Europe’s top scientific institutions. In the Shanghai Rankings, they hold high positions, with the best ones—KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the University of Lisbon—ranking between 201 and 300.

Unite! is another university network where representatives of our university serve in leadership roles. Just a few days ago, Prof. Renata Krzyżyńska, Vice-Rector for External Relations, was elected Vice President of the prestigious T.I.M.E. Association.

Symbolic transfer of leadership

The new presidents were unanimously approved by the Unite! General Assembly during the 12th Dialogue at Aalto University in Finland.

The first President of Unite!, Prof. Tanja Brühl from TU Darmstadt, symbolically handed over her role. During her term, the number of member universities grew from seven to nine, the first joint study programs were launched, and inter-university courses, a virtual campus, and the Seed Fund—supporting initiatives for students, lecturers, and researchers—were established.

“Six years ago, Unite! was just an idea. Today it is a strong alliance whose impact reaches far beyond our regions. Unite! creates opportunities for the entire academic community. We combine groundbreaking research with real-world impact,” said Prof. Brühl. “I want to thank all ‘Uniters’ who are co-creating our alliance—thanks to your enthusiasm and commitment, our shared journey continues.”