Vår utdanningsansvarlig, Marija Stevkovska Pedersen, deltok nylig på ECIU Styremøte i Brussel! Der deltok hun blant annet i ECIU styremøte med alle rektorene i ECIU alliansen. Hun sitter også i Student Council i ECIU. I den anledning hadde hun en tale foran styret som ble utrolig godt tatt i mot i Brussel. Les hele talen her:
«I would like to give some reflections on studying in ECIU that are based on my own journey and insights gathered from ECIU learners over the past three years. From a learner perspective, European University alliances are already transforming how we learn, collaborate, and stay relevant.
Learners prefer flexible, interdisciplinary, multicultural collaboration and engagement with real societal challenges on the EU level and beyond. The ECIU alliance offers this, marking a clear shift from traditional programmes and exchanges. Through this model, learners work on real problems in international, multidisciplinary teams, building academic knowledge alongside essential skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking competencies essential for Europe’s digital transformation, green transition, and global competitiveness.
To illustrate this in practice, let me briefly share my own experience. Three years ago, during my master’s in Risk Analysis and Governance, I realised that artificial intelligence was becoming highly relevant, but it was only covered at a general level. Through the ECIU Engage portal, I took scalable micro-modules on AI, building relevant knowledge at my own pace while gaining international perspectives on ethical challenges.
For me, this experience demonstrated the real value of ECIU — creating ecosystems where knowledge across institutions is accessible through micro-courses and challenges, connecting education, research, innovation, enterprises, and societal needs. For learners, this translates into real opportunities to collaborate internationally, apply knowledge to real-world challenges, and develop skills directly relevant to the labour market.
This shift is also closely linked to lifelong learning. In a society shaped by rapidly changing technologies and needs, knowledge must be continuously updated. ECIU enables learners to reskill and upskill throughout their careers, remaining relevant in the labour market.
Importantly, we acknowledge and recognize that this approach also aligns strongly with the ambitions of the Union of Skills. Flexible pathways, micro-credentials, and stronger links between universities, enterprises, and society are key to a more responsive European education system. Learners are pragmatic — they value relevant, effective education.
At the same time, alliances are still evolving, and structural barriers remain. ECIU opportunities should become fully embedded within the majority, if not all, study programmes, accessible to every learner across partner institutions.
As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, and the learner message is clear: continue helping the alliances to develop and ensure balanced attention across disciplines, as they all matter.
Learners are confident that initiatives like ECIU are not only educational innovations but
strategic instruments for strengthening Europe’s long-term competitiveness and effective lifelong learning.
Thank you.»
