10 July 2014 | At their annual meeting on June 24th, the Presidents of the EuroTech Universities discussed the recent achievements, new developments and strategic positioning of the Alliance. The meeting took place at DTU following the successful launch of the new popular science magazine Technologist during the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in Copenhagen on June 24th 2014.
The meeting was focused on defining the direction for the future based on a review of the Alliance’s development and activities over the past year. Since the last Presidents’ meeting in June 2013 in Brussels, the Alliance has initiated new projects in innovation and entrepreneurship, among others a joint educational platform in economics and management of innovation and entrepreneurship, uniting 25 professors from all four partner universities. The Alliance has successfully launched EU proposal preparatory workshops in Brussels, which so far have triggered six joint proposals under Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+. The universities have successfully continued initiatives such as the GreenTech projects, high-level events in Brussels and the positioning of the Alliance as an active stakeholder in establishing the European Research Area (ERA).
The EuroTech Universities Presidents also discussed the enlargement of the Alliance to include a fifth member, the refinement of the Alliance governance structure and the thematic priorities for the next year. At the meeting, President Herrmann (TUM), President of the Alliance since June 2013, handed over this role to President Patrick Aebischer (EPFL). For the next year, Henrik Wegener, Provost of DTU, will chair the Governing Board and Ana Santos Kühn, Director of the TUM International Center, will chair the Operations Board.
As of June 2014, the Alliance’s Brussels Office is officially registered as a non-for-profit association in Belgium. The Presidents’ Meeting also served as the first general assembly of the members of the association.
