The 1st ACE²-EU Annual Congress marks a pivotal milestone in the ACE²-EU Alliance’s journey toward establishing a legally recognised European higher education inter-university campus, one with European and global reach, reputation, and impact, focused on Addressing Future Challenges and Delivering Sustainable Societal Transformation Today.

This landmark event serves as a strategic convergence point where the Alliance’s Applied, Connected, Entrepreneurial, and Engaged (ACE²) approach comes to life. The Congress brings together key stakeholders to engage in governance deliberations, student learning programmes, cultural exchanges, stakeholder engagement activities, and to celebrate the collective achievements from the first year of our ambitious four-year transformation programme.

At its core, the Congress aims to oversee the project’s implementation at the highest strategic level, addressing the Alliance’s mission to equip students, staff, and external partners with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to collectively tackle future challenges, from the digital and green transitions to current socio-economic transformations.

The event will facilitate in-depth discussions and strategic decision-making on project implementation, review outcomes, and planning priorities. It will also cover administrative and financial governance, communication and dissemination, exploitation activities, and frameworks for monitoring, quality assurance, and evaluation.

Empowering Students and Celebrating European Identity

In parallel with governance activities, students from all partner universities will participate in Applied Blended Challenge (ABC) programmes, developed by the ACE²-EU APP-Factory. These challenge-based learning experiences connect education directly to real-world societal needs and transformation goals.

Additionally, the ACE²-EU Kaleidoscope Culture Festival will highlight the Alliance’s dedication to multiculturalism, inclusion, and intercultural competence, featuring collaborative performances and presentations that showcase each partner university’s unique cultural identity and contributions to a shared European vision.

This Congress marks a strategic turning point in the Alliance’s evolution, from vision to operational reality FOREU4ALL and lays the foundation for the Operational Delivery and Development Phase (2025–2029) of the ten-year strategy toward European University legal recognition and lasting societal impact.