In 2015, a group of forward-thinking institutions came together with a shared vision: to strengthen the voice and impact of young research universities in Europe. From that ambition, the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) was born. Ten years later, YERUN has become a vibrant network championing collaboration, and excellence in higher education, research, and innovation.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of YERUN, a milestone that has been celebrated with a series of initiatives. At the heart of these celebrations were two exceptional days in Brussels on 4 and 5 June 2025, bringing together YERUN members, European policymakers, partners, and friends to reflect on a decade of achievements and to look ahead to the future.
4 June – High Level Reception
The first day of the celebrations took place at the YERUN Brussels Office and was dedicated to a moment of reflection with YERUN members and Brussels-based policymakers. The gathering offered an intimate opportunity to look back at how far the network has come.
Participants were warmly welcomed by Prof. Dag Rune Olsen, YERUN President; and Prof. Adam Kola, YERUN Vice President. YERUN Secretary General Silvia Gómez Recio opened the session with a powerful reflection on YERUN’s 10-year journey, highlighting the network’s evolution from a young network to an influential and proactive voice in the European higher education and research landscape. Through insightful and personal member reflections, participants traced the story of how YERUN was born, how it has grown, and how it has met new challenges and opportunities.
External perspectives from long-time partners offered further depth to the session. Dario Capezzuto, Policy Officer at DG RTD at the European Commission; Sergej Možina, Counsellor for Research at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU; and Emmanuelle Gardan, Director at the Coimbra Group, all shared valuable insights into the importance of collaboration with YERUN. Their remarks reaffirmed the network’s relevance and contribution to policy dialogue and strategic cooperation in Europe.
5 June – 10 Years of YERUN: Looking Ahead, Growing Together
The following day, the celebrations moved to SPARKS in Brussels with the YERUN 10th Anniversary Conference, under the inspiring theme “10 Years of YERUN: Looking Ahead, Growing Together”. The day opened with a short but powerful video showcasing the value and impact of the YERUN network and its members. This was followed by welcoming speeches from YERUN President Prof. Dag Rune Olsen and Secretary General Silvia Gómez Recio, both of whom emphasised the significance of the moment, not only as a celebration of the past but as a launchpad for the future.
The Conference continued with a keynote address by European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, who recognised the critical role of universities in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness. She emphasised that universities are at the centre of Europe’s strategic vision, especially in deep tech, quantum technologies, and regional innovation, and reminded the audience that “young universities are not just participants, they are leaders.”
The speech was followed by a video message from European Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, created specially for the occasion. She offered a vision on the future of education, skills, and universities in Europe, stressing the role of universities as launchpads for lifelong learning and as crucial bridges between education and enterprise. “Let’s make Europe the destination of choice for brilliant students, innovative researchers, and bold creators,” she urged.
A key highlight of the morning was the high-level panel discussion on one of the most pressing questions for Europe’s future: “What Do We Need for a Competitive Europe?”. Moderated by Charlotte Van Velthoven-Geerdink (Charly Speaks), the panel brought together Andrzej Szeptycki, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Poland; Eszter Lakos, Member of the European Parliament (European People’s Party); Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council; and Pauline Rouch, Director of the Common Policy Centre at DG RTD, European Commission. The panel explored what it will take for Europe to maintain and strengthen its competitiveness. The discussion addressed the need to accelerate innovation, close regional R&I gaps, strengthen the social role of universities, and ensure that knowledge creation and critical thinking remain central to Europe’s strategy.
The Conference then moved into three parallel morning panel sessions, each exploring a theme central to YERUN and the broader higher education, research, and innovation landscape.
The first session, “How Can the R&I Sector Better Contribute to Europe’s Future?”, brought together an inspiring group of speakers to examine how research and innovation funding can be better aligned with Europe’s ambitions. Moderated by Charlotte Van Velthoven-Geerdink, the panel featured Caroline Grewis Vandierendonck, Head of the STEP Taskforce, DG BUDG, European Commission; Pirita Lindholm Director of ERRIN; Colin Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Global and Community Engagement at University of Limerick; Malin Ideland, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Doctoral Education at Malmö University; and Geoff Rodgers, Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise and Employment at Brunel University London. Together, they offered a rich and engaging discussion on ways to enhance Europe’s global competitiveness, including the need to reduce regulatory burdens, foster a culture that embraces innovation and risk, improve coordination and flexibility in funding, and fully leverage universities to support talent development and start-up ecosystems.
The second session, “Europe’s Competitiveness: What Are the Real Assets of Europe? Can Technology Alone Save Us?”, moderated by Massimo Busuoli, Director at NTNU, featured Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Prosperity at DG RTD, European Commission; Lina Gálvez, Member of the European Parliament (Socialists and Democrats Group); Jonathan Deer, Treasurer of EASSH – European Alliance for Social Science and Humanities, and Director of Research and Innovation at City St George’s, University of London; and Rianne Letschert, President of Maastricht University. The discussion called for a broader, more holistic approach to competitiveness, one that goes beyond GDP and fully values curiosity-driven research. Speakers highlighted the urgency of interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of universities as spaces for breakthrough thinking and societal engagement, and the need to rethink how excellence is defined and supported. Academic freedom, independent funding, and long-term impact were underlined as critical elements of Europe’s research future.
The third session, “Who Leads the Leaders? Rethinking University Leadership in a Changing World”, was facilitated by YERUN Secretary General Silvia Gómez Recio and featured Lana Par, Vice President of the European Students’ Union; Thomas Estermann, Director of Governance, Funding and Public Policy Development at European University Association; Ada Pellert, Rector of the University of Klagenfurt, and Jens Ringsmose, Rector of the University of Southern Denmark. Together, they reflected on the evolution of university leadership and the importance of inclusive, transparent, and adaptable governance models. The conversation underscored the value of student engagement, clear institutional vision, and communication as drivers of transformation in higher education.
After the lunch break, the Conference resumed with a short video featuring testimonials from YERUN members, who reflected on the value of the network and what being part of it has meant to them. Their messages underscored the sense of connection, collaboration, and shared ambition that has shaped YERUN over the past decade.
This was followed by an inspiring keynote speech by Jamil Salmi, Global Tertiary Education Expert and long-time friend of YERUN. In his address, “The University of the Future”, Salmi challenged outdated models and offered a compelling vision for student-centred, interdisciplinary, and equity-driven education. He stressed the need to move beyond rigid systems and embrace more flexible, inclusive, and experiential learning environments. “Old ways won’t open new doors,” he concluded, a phrase that perfectly captured the day’s spirit.
One of the most memorable moments of the afternoon came with a TEDTalk session featuring five outstanding researchers from YERUN member universities. Gideon Koekoek, Associate Professor of Physics at Maastricht University, explored how “big science” projects like the Einstein Telescope are boosting physics research and STEM talent retention. Gabriele Spilker, Professor of International Politics- Global Inequalities at University of Konstanz, examined how perceptions of inequality shape political behaviour and policy. Adam Izdebski, Researcher at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, shared lessons from historical epidemics and their implications for public health strategies. Tina Kold Jensen, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at University of Southern Denmark discussed the public health impact of PFAS and the importance of independent academic research. Finally, Cyprien Verseux, Postdoctoral Fellow and Junior Research Group Leader at ZARM, University of Bremen, presented how Mars-focused research is yielding sustainable solutions for Earth. These powerful presentations illustrated how young universities are not only producing knowledge, they powering change.
The afternoon continued with a second round of parallel panel discussions that delved into timely and cross-cutting topics.
The panel “Enabling Talent to Grow: Creating the Right Conditions for Careers” brought together Claire Morel,Head of Unit in charge of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, DG EAC, European Commission; Emmanuelle Gardan,Director at COIMBRA Group; Clare Viney,Chief Executive Officer at CRAC/Vitae; Julia Sievers, Head of Academic Affairs at University of Bremen; and Saša Zelenika, Rector’s Advisor for European Policies and Internationalisation at University of Rijeka, in a thoughtful exchange moderated by Marta Agostinho, Executive Director at EU-LIFE. The session emphasised that talent is not only Europe’s greatest asset, but its most precious social resource. Speakers called for increased transparency, mentoring, and a better balance between stability and agility in research careers, or “stagility”. The future of excellence, they agreed, must be holistic, open, and socially relevant, with equity and retention as key pillars of long-term success.
In the panel “Working Together for Impact: The Future of European University Collaboration”, moderated by Charlotte Van Velthoven-Geerdink, speakers Charlotte Nilsen, USN Student representative in the EDUC Alliance; Susanne Conze, Head of Unit for Higher Education, DG EAC, European Commission; Veronika Kuprovanova, Deputy Director Academic Cooperation Association; Maria Valeries Schegk, Secretary General at YUFE Alliance, and FOREU4ALL Forum Board Representative; and João Amaro de Matos, Vice Rector for Education and International Development at NOVA University Lisbon; reflected on the evolution of university alliances. They highlighted the importance of student co-creation, institutional agility, and long-term sustainability, while calling for better integration of research, more flexible and inclusive mobility models, and a shift in mindset, treating alliance funding as a beginning rather than a destination.
Another dedicated session focused on “Connect by YERUN”, an AI-powered matchmaking platform designed to link researchers and managers between them and with EU funding opportunities. Moderated by YERUN Secretary General Silvia Gómez Recio, the panel featured Dušan Misevic, Data Scientist at University of Southern Denmark, and Developer of CONNECT by YERUN; Maéva Vignes, Freelancer in Data Science & EU Research Funding, and Developer of CONNECT by YERUN; Wainer Lusoli,Deputy Head, Reforming European R&I and Research Infrastructures, REA; Anne Adams,Head of Grants Office at University of Antwerp; and Adam Kola, YERUN Vice President, and Vice Rector for Research at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. They shared key achievements of the platform, including reaching 35,000 researchers and matching them with EU calls. Connect by YERUN is helping democratise access to funding, support open science, and strengthen collaborative capacity across institutions, reinforcing the network’s long-standing commitment to openness and innovation.
The Conference concluded with a keynote speech by Christina Egelund, Minister of Higher Education and Science of Denmark. Just 26 days before Denmark assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, she delivered a moving message calling for a “second European enlightenment” rooted in science and mutual understanding. She reminded participants that Europe is more than a geographical space, it is a community of values.
From high-level political insights to concrete discussions on research, education, and collaboration, the two-day event showcased the strength and relevance of the YERUN network in the European landscape. As it enters its second decade, YERUN remains committed to supporting its members, amplifying their voices, and contributing meaningfully to the future of European higher education and research.
We extend our sincere thanks to all the speakers, moderators, and participants who joined us for the celebrations and contributed to making the YERUN 10th Anniversary Conference such a memorable and inspiring day.
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Photocredit: © Jérôme Hubert
Videoscredit: © Christophe Johanns
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We are pleased to share with you the event photos, which you can access here: https://photo.jeromehubert.be/10-years-yerun/ (PIN Code to download : 4761)
