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The 6th meeting of ATHENA European University partners: future perspectives

May 5, 2023
VILNIUS TECH delegation participates in the sixth ATHENA European University partners meeting in Rome, Italy.

During the partners' meeting in Rome, the rectors of partner universities discussed the future vision of the Alliance and the agreement to intensify cooperation in the long term. This is the first meeting after the submission of the application for the second phase.

Part of the delegation also participated in the meeting of industry representatives and the ATHENA alliance. The ATHENA industrial collaboration seminar held at the Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano had several activities including discussions on the relationship between research and industry and a tour of the Sensor Medica premises.

Workpackage teams, executive board and steering committee spent three days discussing the alliance growth, improvement, problem-solving, and sharing annual progress results. New associated partner – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences presented their activities and vision.

The ATHENA alliance places great emphasis on collaboration between academia and industry, and the meeting in Rome provides an opportunity to strengthen ties with industry and university partners. By working closely with industry and university partners, ATHENA European University can ensure that its research and education programs remain relevant and responsive to the needs of the labour market.

What is ATHENA European University?

The European Universities Initiative is a flagship project of the European Union in the field of higher education and research, aimed at making European universities more internationally open, more efficient and inclusive.

The Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Alliance (ATHENA) is one of the pilot projects of European Universities selected by the European Commission in 2020, bringing together the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal, coordinator), the Universities of Maribor (Slovenia), Orleans (France), Siegen (Germany), Hellenic Mediterranean University (Greece) Niccolò Cusano University (Italy), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania), Maria Curie Skłodowska University (Poland) and University of Vigo (Spain).

In 2022, ATHENA welcomed three new associated partners: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine) and Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine).

Focused on the theme of the digital transformation of societies, ATHENA's ambition is to create resolutely internationalized training courses, to offer international mobility to the greatest number of students including those with disabilities, to promote the emergence of collaborative projects in research and development and to foster new European perspectives not only to more than 166,000 students and 15,000 staff of the alliance, but also to local communities and partners.

Benefits of ATHENA for Lithuanian Universities

Alliances are expected to have an impact on national systems: the regulation of studies, and the development of new forms of study. It is very important for VILNIUS TECH to participate in these changes, to be a leading force, and to initiate changes. In Lithuania, as many as five universities are participants in the European University Initiative. Lithuanian universities, which belong to the alliances of ATHENA, ARQUS, ECIU, EU Conexus, and Transform4Europe, are working together: coordinating many joint actions, jointly preparing proposals for changes in the legal framework, submitting proposals for the validation of interdisciplinary studies, microcredit, joint study programs and joint degrees, especially joint doctoral programs – there are many areas in which the forces of Lithuanian universities are united and solutions are offered.

ATHENA operates in all the main areas of the university's activities: studies, science and cooperation with society and business. The latter activity is also directly related to the development of social and technological innovations. All these directions are of great importance for VILNIUS TECH.

More information about ATHENA:

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