“Students are the heart and driving force of the alliance” was the motto for the community meeting held at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Barcelona Tech by Unite!, an alliance bringing together nine European universities, including Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Dialogue Unite! is a cyclical, multi-day event. Students, researchers, and administrative staff from the partner universities meet once every six months to work in on-site task teams responsible for activities such as designing joint degree programmes, developing innovations in teaching, creating partnerships with companies that can support the career development of students and graduates, and strengthening research cooperation.

Universities befitting the 21st century

The main theme of the Barcelona meeting was students. “Today's universities must adapt to changes and new realities, such as the development of artificial intelligence, information overload, and fake news. We live in an era of dynamic change, so universities must, apart from preparing us for certain professions, equip us with the skills to respond flexibly to future challenges,” said student Milica Zivanic at the opening ceremony.

Over 400 people from all parts of Europe came to the Catalan capital, including a strong delegation from our university.

Deciding on changes on the spot

“The alliance is maturing and strengthening before our eyes. In Barcelona, to shorten and simplify the decision-making process, we set up three bodies comprising representatives of all the universities’ authorities. They will decide on the direction of the alliance in three strategic areas – teaching, international cooperation, and research,” emphasises Prof. Kamil Staniec, Vice-Rector for Education at Wrocław Tech.

Another widely discussed issue was common curricula and double degrees for master's students. “Unite! is becoming a brand that stands for quality. There are double degree programmes at the university, but thanks to the alliance, the catalogue is becoming steadily wider and wider. An ambitious student can be admitted to our university, in Wrocław, and after graduation receive a diploma from two universities, gaining an immediate advantage on the labour market,” explains Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka, Vice-Rector for Cooperation with Wrocław Tech’s Environment,

Unite!’s offer for students and employees includes summer schools, workshops, and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) – free-access online courses that you can sign up for via the Metacampus platform.

Doctorate in three minutes

In addition to workshops and work in task teams, the event's programme included initiatives for students – e.g. a competition to present a doctoral dissertation in a three-minute show and U!Talks – with short speeches modelled on the TED format.

Another Unite! Dialogue will be organised by Finland's Aalto University in October this year.