T4EU Week: Exploring Design in All Its Forms at Jean Monnet University in St Étienne

The Jean Monnet University in St Étienne invites students and PhD students from T4EU partner universities to take part in the fifth edition of the T4EU Week under the topic: “Design in all its forms”.

Five days, from 19th to 23rd May 2025, will be filled with an attractive offer of classes and accompanying events.

Organisers will offer participants a choice of 8 courses with various themes, from biology through law and history to architecture, linguistics, sustainable development and ecological transformation.

Each student can participate in 1 course, which will run through the whole week, but can select up to 3 courses during application, ranked in order of preference.

The University of Trieste will select 5 students from all educational paths to participate in one of the most important and significant events organised by our Alliance.

Students can participate in one of the following courses:

  • Bio Design: from nature optimisation to human design & nature inspired biomimetic surfaces for biomaterials design
  • Passing Design: Facilitating Innovation Through Design
  • Ancient design, Modern ideas.
  • Design: Thinking differently, designing together
  • Designs in the European Union – Legal aspects
  • Design and language : The role of words in creating forms and meanings
  • Designing Organizations to address Societal Challenges in Territories (DO-IN-ACT)
  • Design for Ecological Transformation: Laboratory for [living] Tree [as] Architecture

The full offer and a list of recommended hotels can be found here: Student Programme T4EU WEEK in Saint Etienne 2025 – Program

Courses will mainly take place in the morning. In the afternoon, you can participate in optional activities, like sports, cultural and scientific events.

To complete the course, you will have to pass a knowledge test. After successful completion, you will be awarded 3 ECTS by Jean Monnet University.

IMPORTANT!! Before you attend the selected course, remember to inform your “Coordinatore del Corso di Studi” and the “Segreteria didattica” of your Department, following the dedicated guidelinesFailure to do so will result in an impossibility to recognise your ECTSs.

To apply, please fill in this form:  T4EU Week in St. Étienne. During the application process, you may select up to three courses in order of preference.

The application deadline is 21st March.

The results of the selection procedure will be published on the dedicated T4EU webpage by 11th April.

If you need any assistance with your application, please contact t4eu@units.it For more information about the week, see the T4EU official website.

Annual T4Eu PhD conference “Societies on the Move: Challenges of Today, Prospects for the Future”

The University of Trieste invites its academic and non-academic staff to participate in the T4EU International Conference “Societies on the Move: Challenges of Today, Prospects for the Future”, which will take place on 1st and 2nd  April 2025, at Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

About the conference:

The conference will focus on the current and envisaged challenges today’s societies face due to political and economic crises, war, climate change and the rapid advancement of digital technologies and AI in all spheres of life. It is thematically related to the three Transform4Europe focus areas:

  • Societal transformation, community building and inclusion
  • Digital transformation and smart regions
  • Environmental Transformation and sustainability

Outstanding keynote speakers will deliver visionary and plenary speeches. 

Doctoral students and early-stage academics from all scientific areas are kindly invited to participate, showcase the results of their research work, engage in discussions with their peers and with established researchers The participants will receive a certificate jointly issued by the Transform4Europe Alliance universities. The conference papers will be published in Conference Proceedings after scientific review.

Conference objectives:

The conference aims to:

  • encourage PhD students and young researchers (including outstanding MA students) to involve in research networks with their peers from the eleven Transform4Europe Alliance partners;
  • provide a forum for exchange of innovative research ideas, knowledge-sharing and co-creation;
  • embed a culture of Open Science and a new approach to the scientific process based on openness, inclusiveness and cooperation.

You can apply by using this form

Deadline for submissions is 28th February”

Creative Circularity: Summer School in Estonia

EKA- Estonian Academy of Arts invites you to the “Creative Circularity” Summer Academy, part of the Transform4Europe Summer School 2025.

From August 11 to August 15, 2025, the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn will host an intensive program dedicated to sustainability and upcycling in design. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a dynamic and interdisciplinary learning environment, fostering creativity and collaboration.

The programme includes:

  • Green Transformer Student Challenge – A hands-on competition promoting innovative and sustainable design solutions. The most outstanding projects will be recognized.
  • Recrafted: A Workshop for Shoe & Bag Upcycling – A practical session focused on repurposing materials into unique fashion items.

This initiative offers an excellent opportunity to collaborate with experts, develop new skills, and connect with students from across the alliance.

📩 For further information, please contact: hanna-britt.augasmagi@artun.ee

Bachelor Tracks for Spring Semester 2024/2025

T4EU Students, get ready: you have access to a diverse selection of courses across our alliance universities.

The brand-new T4EU Course Offer at Bachelor Level for Spring/Summer 2025 is now available!

Explore the latest T4EU “course cards” and discover exciting learning opportunities.

Vytautas Magnus University, the University of Primorska, and the University of Silesia in Katowice have already revealed their selections!

🌍 More courses will be added continuously, so stay tuned!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay updated on new course additions.

Join the T4EU International Conference ‘PROF-SYNERGY’ in Kaunas

The University of Trieste invites its academic and non-academic staff to participate in the Transform4Europe Alliance’s International Conference “Enhancing Professional Excellence: Synergy of Academic and Non-Academic Staff (PROF-SYNERGY)”, which will take place on April 9-10, 2025, at Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania.

About the Conference
Building on the tradition of past Transform4Europe events, this year’s conference introduces an innovative approach by bringing together academic and non-academic staff. The goal is to foster meaningful collaboration, promote professional development, and enhance the collective growth of the educational community.
Attendees will explore topics such as digital learning technologies, innovative teaching methods, resilience skills, lifelong learning, and quality culture development.

Programme Highlights
• Keynote speeches by experts in education and professional development.
• 20+ professional development sessions designed to inspire and educate.
• Awards ceremonies recognizing innovative contributions by academic and non-academic staff.
• Social events, a Science Café, and a campus tour of Vytautas Magnus University, including visits to university laboratories.

Awards Opportunities

T4EU Non-Academic Staff Award: These awards are organised for the first time, therefore, we encourage you to apply! Applications are accepted until 31 January 2025. The application form is accessible here. The winners will be awarded during the T4EU Conference.
T4EU Innovative Teaching Award: These awards are implemented according to WP.5.2 (the target group is Teachers/Academic Staff). The deadline for applications is 31 January 2025.

For any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Transform4Europe team at transform4europe@vdu.lt.

Call for Applications: Transform4Europe Visiting Professorship

The University of Trieste and the University of Primorska jointly invite applications for the Visiting Professorship Programme for the second term of the 2024-2025 academic year and the 2025-2026 academic year.

Update on Deadline

The submission deadline has been extended to January 10, 2025 to allow more time for interested candidates.

Who Can Apply?

We welcome applications from full, associate, assistant, and emeritus professors—or individuals in equivalent positions—affiliated with research institutions outside the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Alliance.

Programme Highlights:

  1. Teaching and Collaboration: Professors will deliver lectures and collaborate on courses across various disciplines, including Economics, Humanities, AI, Health Sciences, and more.
  2. Focus Areas: Digital transformation, environmental sustainability, and societal inclusion.
  3. Duration: Programmes range from 20 days (10 days per university) to 5 months (2.5 months per university), to be completed by July 31, 2026.
  4. Funding: Travel and accommodation costs are covered according to the host universities’ policies.

How to Apply?

Submit your application by January 10, 2025, including:

Evaluation Criteria:

Applications will be assessed based on alignment with the T4EU mission, expected impact, and proposed activities.

Without Borders: Matteo Comelato’s International Journey with Transform4Europe!

Matteo Comelato is originally from Borca di Cadore, a small village in the heart of the Dolomites. He is currently a graduate student in Science and Technology for the Environment and Nature at the University of Trieste. During his studies, he took part in several initiatives organised by the Transform4Europe Alliance.

What brought you to your area of study? What are your current interests?

I come from a small village of 700 inhabitants in the Cadore valley, in the heart of the Dolomites. Living in such a unique natural setting, I developed a strong connection to the environment right from the start. This led me to choose the degree course in Science and Technology for the Environment and Nature at UniTS. Over the years, I have developed a great interest in rural areas and maps. Growing up in a mountainous area, where life can be challenging, reinforced my desire to study the resilience of rural communities. I therefore developed a strong interest in maps during my second year at university, when I took Professor Bacaro’s course on geographic information systems and map digitisation. I discovered the potential of maps in depicting data in a clear and understandable way, especially when dealing with topics such as rural depopulation and the analysis of natural events. Using maps to illustrate the frequency and intensity of events is an effective way to make the public understand what is really happening on the ground.

How did the idea of participating in the Transform4Europe project come about?

During my second year of studies, Professor Bacaro told me about the Transform4Europe project, which was still in its infancy at the time. I was intrigued by the opportunity to integrate English language courses from other European universities into my studies. I participated in T4EU Week and attended an International Negotiation course in Katowice, Poland. Although not strictly related to my curriculum, it was an incredibly interesting experience. I was impressed to see students from different disciplines coming together to study the same topic, with strong interaction and collaboration. I noticed that students were asking a lot of questions, showing a real interest in the topics. This desire to understand and communicate was evident and contributed to a very positive learning environment. It was an immersive experience, during which we participated in various cultural events organised by the university, such as concerts of traditional music and screenings of Polish films.

Did you have other experiences in the Transform4Europe project?

Yes, after T4EU Week I continued working as a student coordinator. I worked as a volunteer during T4EU Weeks in Trieste, assisting T4EU Trieste coordinators in different organisational phases. Moreover, I had the opportunity to attend two other courses within T4EU project: I remember with pleasure Intercultural Relations, a course I attended remotely and which gave me important tools to communicate effectively in multicultural contexts. Another course I attended was Corporate Digitisation at the University of Saarbrücken, Germany. We explored how complex it is to digitise business processes, discovering that behind simple digital archiving there are very complex steps that require attention.

The T4EU programme is funded by the EU and aims to create a common European consciousness. How do you think this experience has influenced your view of your role as a European citizen? Did you feel part of a community?

The T4EU project confirmed my vision of a European community. Living this experience on my own skin, encountering students of different nationalities and sharing ideas around a working table without any language or cultural barrier was rewarding. The desire to communicate overcame all obstacles, creating an inclusive and enriching environment. It was an experience that I highly recommend to all students: participating in projects like this allows you to feel part of something bigger and to build international relationships that can leave a mark.

European Student Assembly 2025

Call for applications by students at the Transform4Europe alliance universities

On 26-28 May 2025, the European Student Assembly (ESA) will take place in Strasbourg at the European Parliament. 

The European Student Assembly is a grassroots project that gathers more than 200 students  each year from different European University Alliances (EUA) to debate current issues, draft political recommendations for the future of Europe and advocate them among stakeholders and decision makers.

AS A T4EU STUDENT, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY! APPLICATIONS WILL BE OPEN UNTIL 1ST DECEMBER

Accommodation costs will be COVERED by ESA, while travel costs for selected students will be covered Transform4Europe.

Get in touch with your local T4Eu office to receive all the necessary information: t4eu@units.it 

Please read the #ESA24 handbook before applying.

Would you like to “taste”… a language?

As part of the Transform4Europe alliance, we are excited to invite our students, faculty, and staff to join a unique experience: a “taste” of languages!

For the third year in a row, the Vytautas Magnus University Institute of Foreign Languages is offering Language Tasters, online events focused on minor and lesser-taught languages.

While not everyone may choose to study a rare language, these one-hour sessions allow us to explore new sounds, phrases, and cultures with guidance from native speakers.

This year, we are invited to “taste” four languages: Taiwanese and Chinese, the Canadian-Ukrainian dialect, Indonesian, and Uzbek.

Sessions will be held in English and led by current or former international students from Vytautas Magnus University.

The events will take place each week of November on MS Teams.

Please keep in mind that the time indicated is EET. Please check the time according to your time zone here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Join us for this enriching intercultural experience!