YUFE is one of the first seventeen alliances selected by the European Commission in 2019 to develop a unique model of a European University. The fourteen YUFE partners aim to contribute to a more competitive, innovative and united Europe through structural cooperation in education, research, innovation and engagement with local communities.
One of the main goals of the cooperation between staff, students, citizens, businesses, government and policy makers is to address local and European challenges to achieve solutions that have global relevance. Moreover, they work together to develop and promote joint educational programmes, services of added value for the YUFE local communities and to enhance the mobility of students and staff across the Alliance. Together, the YUFE partners are creating an inclusive higher education landscape without borders that is in line with current developments in society and the labour market.
The YUFE Townhall is a 2.5-day umbrella event involving all of YUFE’s programmes and activities bringing together the entire YUFE community. Its focus will be on European Higher Education and its links to wider society. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will now mainly take place virtually, which will actually make it more inclusive, accessible and sustainable with wider engagement across the whole of Europe.
Two of the YUFE Townhall sessions will be open to the public. The first session gives an overview of what has been achieved by YUFE in it’s first year. The second open session asks a variety of stakeholders, including the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, the DG of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and the CEO of a triple-helix campus, what European Universities can contribute to society, with a focus on regional employability following the quadruple helix model. The quadruple helix model brings together science, policy, industry, and society. The third working session is organised and hosted by the YUFE Student Forum.
