The 17th and 18th of June marked a new milestone in the establishment of RUN-EU as a true European university. In the heart of Europe, in Brussels, the agreement was signed to establish the non-profit legal entity that will support our shared services, including the run.eu platform, which is intended to serve as our virtual campus.

Alongside this significant event in our shared history, other important meetings took place in the annual calendar.

The Strategic Steering Group (SSG) met to finalise the agreement and consider RUN-EU’s future sustainability, to establish a European Zone of Inter-regional Development to improve quality of life in Europe. This will be achieved in partnership with industry, institutions, and decision-makers, in line with European values and the diversity of European culture.

On the first day, the Executive Management Board held working meetings to discuss and plan the short- and medium-term future, and on the following day, together with the SSG, they selected three impact cases competing in the Impact Showcase Challenge, the event that aims to share good practices and inspire our community by showing how our work has the power to transform our institutions and the regions in which they operate. At the end of these meetings, a collective workshop was held to identify distinctive and innovative future flagship training offers that will help us compete in the global higher education ecosystem.

We also had the privileged opportunity to attend a session on the mid-term review led by Faidra Diona (EACEA), the RUN-EU Project Officer. She kindly offered to answer questions and follow the progress of the meeting until its conclusion.

This meeting in Brussels was particularly meaningful for two reasons. Firstly, it took place close to the heart of the European Union. Secondly, we were welcomed by Krista Taipale, the Director of the Häme Brussels Office of the Regional Council of Häme, an associated partner of RUN-EU.