RUN-EU was represented by professors Thomas Gitopoulos and Brian Lynam from the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden), Natasha Doshi from the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences (FHV), and Sergio Pérez Castaños from the University of Burgos (UBU), who actively contributed to discussions and shared best practices from the alliance.

They showcased Short Advanced Programme (SAP) courses designed to strengthen European Values, which have already engaged more than 400 RUN-EU students.
Examples include the following SAPs:

• European Values and the 2024 European Parliament Elections
• Navigating EU Values in EU Institutions
• How to Become a True Ambassador for RUN-EU
• Moot Court on European Values

Additionally, Natasha Doshi presented the SAP Eurovalues Nexus: Empowering European Citizens at the event’s marketplace through a poster session, expressing gratitude to the Austrian National Agency for the nomination. She highlighted the value of receiving feedback and exchanging ideas with peers from across Europe.

Sergio Pérez Castaños, Professor of Political Science, participated as a panellist in the roundtable “Sharing European Values – How to Get Out of the Erasmus+ Bubble?”. His intervention emphasised the importance of moving beyond traditional mobility programmes to connect international experiences with civic engagement and the development of European citizenship. He also announced his upcoming SAP ‘Democracy, Citizenship, and Emerging Challenges: European Values at Risk?‘, starting in February.

All participants agreed that the event provided a unique opportunity for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. Learning about diverse initiatives related to European values will significantly enrich RUN-EU’s future projects and strengthen its commitment to internationalisation, democracy, inclusion, and active citizenship.

Through its involvement in this TCA, RUN-EU reaffirms its mission to empower students and faculty as agents of change, promoting and defending European values across higher education. Participants find these programmes highly transformative, with over half strongly agreeing that they feel more interested in European topics and a similar proportion reporting a significantly stronger sense of European identity.