First annual ChallengeEU conference brings together Europe's higher education institutions in Poland
On 6–7 May 2026, the first annual conference of the European University Alliance ChallengeEU will be held at the University of Warmia and Mazury (UWM) in Olsztyn, Poland. Mid Sweden University is of course participating!
"The conference will be an important meeting place for us where we get to meet partners from all over Europe and get an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperation within the alliance of which we are a part," says Anders Fällström.
Under the theme "Bridging regions – connecting universities", the focus is on how universities can contribute to a sustainable future through collaboration, innovation and regional engagement. The program includes plenary sessions, workshops and working meetings where participants discuss everything from digital and green transition to social inclusion and collaboration with the surrounding society.
From Mid Sweden University, representatives from the university management, project and work package leaders, as well as representatives from the equal opportunities representatives, faculty representatives, support for international collaborations, and student representatives participate. The goal of Mid Sweden University's presence is partly to participate in the conference and meet colleagues to check where we are just over a year into the alliance, and start preparing our mid-term report. This is also the first time a formal visit has taken place at UWM.
"This is the alliance's first real chance to meet and capture the development so far, but also the way forward. We meet digitally almost every week, and now it will be exciting to meet the people behind the screens for real," says Anna Lindahl, project manager for ChallengeEU.
The conference also highlights how ChallengeEU works with so-called challenge-based learning – a way of working where students and researchers together address societal challenges in close collaboration with external actors. In addition, the Alliance's development, results and future challenges are highlighted.
ChallengeEU is one of the EU's European Universities alliances and brings together nine higher education institutions with the aim of strengthening the quality of education and research, as well as increasing mobility and cooperation across national borders.
The conference will be held both on-site and digitally, which will enable more employees to take part in the content.