The General Assembly of EUNICE European University gathers in Belgium Rectors, Presidents, representatives of educational offerings, and students from the partner universities to analyse the progress of the creation of European joint degrees.
The event also facilitated the ratification of EUNICE’s relationship with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.
The University of Mons (UMONS, in Belgium) hosted the EUNICE General Assembly on 19 and 20 September, 2024, gathering Rectors, Presidents, academics, administrative staff, and students from the ten EUNICE universities. A key highlight of this event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Mohammed VI University (Morocco), attended by its Rector, Hicham El Habti, symbolising the start of a new era of collaboration with non-European partners.
This assembly also witnessed a leadership transition, as Philippe Dubois (UMONS’ Rector) passed the presidency of EUNICE (as an AISBL – International Non-Profit Association) to Abdelhakim Artiba (President of Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France), who will assume the role on 1 November for a two-year term. Minna Martikainen (University of Vaasa’s Rector, Finland) will assume the vice-presidency. This handover represents a commitment to sustained progress in EUNICE’s mission.
An engaging exchange between the EUNICE Student Advisory Board and EUNICE universities’ Rectors explored innovative ideas for the network’s future, highlighting the students’ active role in shaping the direction of EUNICE: “our 10 universities share a common DNA: they are keen to consolidate their international visibility, have strong local roots and place their students at the heart of their concerns,” remarked Philippe Dubois.
EUNICE General Assembly, September 2024. Mons, Belgium.
Towards European Degrees
Additionally, a workshop focused on EUNICE’s Excellence Programmes was held, bringing together joint degree programme coordinators and Vice-Rectors for Teaching from all EUNICE universities. “We put our focus on expanding transnational education and research through several key programmes. First, the alliance is dedicated to enriching its course offerings by providing joint online and blended courses, which already engaged 2,500 participants in the last academic year. A major priority is the creation and implementation of joint European degrees, part of its Excellence Programmes strategy,” declared Artiba.
Bringing to life these innovative and unprecedented European degrees would mean new opportunities for students to join a new type of degree awarded jointly by a group of universities across Europe and automatically recognised in the European Union.
The EUNICE (AISBL) Vice-President Martikainen also remarked that, through EUNICE, “its partner universities and regions have access to a large pool of future-oriented teaching and research, fulfilling the needs of global competencies and providing new experiences. This collaboration not only enriches the academic experience for students and staff but also drives regional development through innovative projects that address local and global challenges.”
This General Assembly provided an opportunity to discuss the integration of EUNICE and REUNICE initiatives into the ongoing EUNICE4U project, set to continue beyond December 2024.
The EUNICE delegations also attended UMONS’ academic opening ceremony, where the importance of international collaboration in higher education and EUNICE’s lasting impact on partner universities were emphasised. This event celebrated both the start of the academic year and the ongoing success of this ambitious European university network.
President Abdelhakim Artiba
Abdelhakim Artiba is the current President of Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (in northern France). He obtained his PhD in Automatic and Computer Science at the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France and his habilitation to direct research at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France, too). Artiba has a strong academic background, both in France (Supméca-Paris, 2006-2009) and abroad, as Full Professor (Belgium and Canada, 2004-2007). He has been a visiting Professor at prestigious universities such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Iowa University and University of California (USA), and Edinburgh University (UK) and has also been involved in various projects in operations engineering and logistics in collaboration with industrial partners. He created and directed for more than ten years the Center for Research and Studies in Industrial Management. He has written and co-authored more than 200 articles in different journals and prestigious international conferences.
Vice-President Minna Martikainen
Minna Martikainen is the current Rector at the University of Vaasa, in Finland. She has a rich academic background and extensive experience in developing employee well-being and strong international cooperation. Previously, Martikainen has been the Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Vaasa, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs at Lappeenranta University of Technology, and the Dean for Education at Hanken School of Economics, proving her track record within the main pillars of higher education institutions: education, research and international affairs. She has held positions of trust in networks such as Multinational Finance Society, Nordic Corporate Governance Network and the ACRN Oxford Academic Research Network. Her experience also includes board memberships and advisory roles in the corporate sector.
