In the period of time from 2nd until 6th of November 2021, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) in Germany hosted the 3rd meeting of the European University of Technology (EUt+). The implementation of the different work packages and tasks that met in Darmstadt brings all eight universities closer to creating a joint model of a European university.
At the moment, one of the main goals of the consortium at the moment is the creation of a joint European degree in the fields of telecommunications and mechanical engineering, which is planned to be available to EUt+ students in the Fall semester 2022. The Work Package three (WP3) is dedicated to this goal and the respective RTU faculties as well as the RTU Study Department are actively involved in the process.
Other WP meetings took place in Darmstadt as well, namely, WP5 continues to promote student and staff mobilities within the EUt+ consortium, WP6 is responsible for infrastructure integration and the necessary IT tools, WP7 is actively working on the EUt+ brand awareness, global outreach, as well as developing strategic partnerships with companies for providing internships for EUt+ students, while the activities within WP8 facilitate the dissemination and sustainability of EUt+, including new projects and fundraising for the EUt+ consortium. During the Darmstadt meeting the partners also had the chance to get to know the hosting university better by visiting different faculties and laboratories of h_da.
At the end of the week EUt+ rectors signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the creation of European Research Institutes, the related EUt+ Graduate Research School and supporting research office. This agreement will actively enable joint research activities between the partners, allowing to combine resources and infrastructures with the aim of becoming a point of reference for research in Europe. Based on the MoA, EUt+ will establish European Culture and Technology Laboratory (ECT Lab+), European University of Technology Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies (EUTINN), EUt+ Sustainability Lab, European Laboratory for Pedagogical Action - Research and Student-Centred Learning (ELaRA) and EUt+ Data Science Research Institute.
The Darmstadt meeting was an important milestone as it took place one year after the official start of the EUt+ initiative on 1 November 2020. Many important goals have been reached within the first year and all partners are dedicated to continue investing the time and resources necessary for the creation of EUt+.
