ATHENA at the French-German Conference on European Universities

The conference provided a dynamic and forward-looking platform that brought together university leaders, policy makers and alliance coordinators to reflect on the changing role of European universities. Key topics of discussion included the social responsibility of higher education, the pursuit of inclusive excellence and the innovative promise of "French-German-plus" frameworks.

The participants explored the delicate balance between competition and cooperation and strategies to ensure the long-term viability of the European Higher Education Initiative and emphasised the need for a broader mix of funding sources. Several participants also expressed concern about the risk of too much compartmentalisation and emphasised the need for openness, transparency and greater involvement of external stakeholders.

Universities were reaffirmed as an indispensable environment for the promotion of academic freedom, regional development and the cultivation of democratic values. In her closing remarks, Eva Martha Eckkrammer, President of the French-German University, summarised many of the central themes of the conference. Among other things, she emphasised the need to further strengthen student participation in European university alliances, to provide more support for young academics and to deepen regional integration.

Siegfried Martin Diaz, Counsellor for Science and Technology at the French Embassy in Germany, emphasised the importance of this critical moment as the European Union prepares for the future.

French-German cooperation continues to be a cornerstone of many European university alliances. The European University ATHENA, for example, is an example of this tradition, which is based on the long-standing partnership between the University of Siegen (Germany) and the University of Orléans (France) - both members of the Franco-German University. ATHENA's presence at the conference was characterised by Ruger Winnegge (Siegen) and Anne F. Delouis (Orléans).