Alliance-Ready's voices

Bożena Stanio joined Alliance-Ready to deepen her understanding of Una Europa after taking part in several professional development initiatives at Jagiellonian University. Eager to strengthen her competences in international cooperation, she saw the Academy as an opportunity to learn how partner universities work, exchange experiences with colleagues across the alliance and develop new skills in communication and collaboration.

Throughout the programme, she was struck by how many challenges are shared by universities across Europe, despite their different organisational and legal contexts. The Academy reinforced her belief that successful international cooperation is built on trust, open communication and a willingness to learn from different perspectives. She particularly valued the sessions on intercultural communication, multilingualism, stakeholder management and the role of professional staff in supporting European university alliances.

For her, Alliance-Ready transformed Una Europa from the name of an alliance into a genuine community of people committed to collaboration and mutual learning. Alongside practical knowledge and new professional connections, she leaves the programme with greater confidence, fresh ideas and the motivation to continue embracing international opportunities.

"The real value of international cooperation begins when we decide to step outside our familiar environment and comfort zone. If we stay only within our local context, we often solve problems through trial and error, without realising that someone else may have already faced the same challenge and found a good solution"

Edyta Serwatka joined Alliance-Ready as an opportunity to strengthen the competences needed for international work, step outside her usual professional routine and gain a better understanding of how colleagues across Una Europa approach similar challenges. She was particularly interested in discovering different working methods, exchanging experiences and building confidence in communicating in an international environment.

One of the aspects she valued most was the open and supportive atmosphere created among participants. Despite working in different countries and university systems, colleagues quickly discovered that many of the challenges they face are shared. The Academy provided a space where participants could exchange ideas, learn from each other and explore new approaches to international collaboration.

For Edyta, the experience also changed the way she perceives Una Europa: from an institutional framework connected to projects and meetings into a living community of people willing to share knowledge, offer support and find solutions together. Alongside new practical tools and professional connections, she leaves the Academy with greater confidence and motivation to engage in future international initiatives.

"After this experience, Una Europa feels much more real to me. Before, it was mostly something connected with projects, meetings and institutional cooperation. Now I associate it much more with people, a wider community where we can share experiences, ask for advice and look for solutions together"

Having joined the Una Europa team at KU Leuven only six months before the Academy, Ekin Özeren Okumuş saw Alliance-Ready as an opportunity to better understand how the alliance works beyond her day-to-day responsibilities. The programme gave her a broader perspective on the complexity of the Alliance work and helped her recognise that navigating different institutional cultures, priorities and expectations is an essential part of international collaboration.

Among the most valuable insights she gained was a new way of looking at complexity, not as a problem to solve, but as a defining characteristic of European university alliances. The sessions also highlighted the importance of understanding stakeholders' different perspectives and reinforced her idea that meaningful collaboration depends on dialogue, trust and shared understanding.

For Ekin, one of the greatest strengths of the Academy was the opportunity to meet colleagues from across the alliance, exchange experiences and realise that many of the challenges faced in international cooperation are shared. The experience strengthened both her professional confidence and her sense of belonging to a community working towards a common goal.

"Working within Una Europa means being part of something much bigger than individual projects or activities. It means contributing to a long-term effort to transform how European universities work together"

Esko Koponen joined Alliance-Ready to refresh his experience of working within Una Europa while exploring new ways to strengthen the alliance's impact, both at his home institution and across the partnership. Throughout the programme, he particularly appreciated the openness of the discussions and the participants' willingness to share experiences, creating an engaging and collaborative learning environment.

The Academy provided him with practical approaches that he plans to integrate into his everyday work, particularly the project-based mindset presented during the training. Beyond new methods and tools, the experience reinforced his understanding of Una Europa as both a network of people and a collaborative structure, where meaningful relationships are just as important as governance and processes.

Meeting colleagues from different universities also offered a valuable opportunity to step outside familiar routines, exchange perspectives and build connections that will continue beyond the Academy. For Esko, these relationships are among the programme's most enduring outcomes, making future collaboration across the alliance even more accessible.

"Una Europa is becoming an integral part of my work rather than an additional task. Working together with colleagues across the alliance has given me a much better understanding of how our member universities collaborate and how we can continue building on those connections in the future"

Karolina joined Alliance-Ready to explore a new professional development format focused on the everyday realities of working within a European university alliance. Building on her previous experience in Una Europa Staff Weeks, she was looking for practical tools and fresh perspectives to strengthen her work in international collaboration.

Throughout the programme, she was particularly impressed by the richness of the learning experience, which combined expert-led sessions with continuous exchange among participants. The Academy deepened her understanding of the opportunities and challenges that characterise alliance work while providing practical methods, such as stakeholder analysis and collaborative problem-solving, that she plans to apply in her daily activities.

One of the programme's most significant takeaways was a renewed appreciation of the human dimension of international cooperation. For Karolina, successful alliances are built not only on strategies and structures, but also on trust, relationships and authentic collaboration. Alongside new professional competences, she leaves Bologna with lasting connections, new friendships and greater confidence in navigating the complexity of European university alliances.

"This Academy made me realise that sometimes we feel there is no way forward when facing a challenge, but with the right tools, patience and genuine human connections, it is always possible to find a path ahead"

Klaus Wiehl joined Alliance-Ready not only to deepen his own knowledge, but also to experience the pilot programme firsthand in view of the next phase of collaboration between Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Bologna within the upcoming Una.Via project. Seeing the Academy from a participant's perspective, he believes, is essential to helping further develop and promote the initiative across the alliance.

While already familiar with many of the trainers and their expertise, he was impressed by how much new knowledge the programme still offered, particularly in the practical use of artificial intelligence and stakeholder engagement within international collaboration. He also valued the Academy's intensive, hands-on format, which combined practical learning with meaningful exchanges among colleagues from different partner universities.

Beyond the new competences gained, the experience strengthened his collaboration with colleagues across the alliance and reinforced the importance of investing in professional staff as drivers of institutional cooperation. For him, the Academy demonstrated how high-quality training, combined with strong interpersonal connections, can help build a more collaborative and resilient European university community.

"This was potentially the best professional development experience I have had so far"

Having recently joined Una Europa activities, Lavinia Cocconi saw Alliance-Ready as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the alliance's structure, objectives and collaborative dynamics. The programme provided her with practical tools for international cooperation while helping her build connections with colleagues from partner universities and develop a broader perspective on her role within the Alliance.

Throughout the Academy, she particularly valued the combination of practical methods and interpersonal skills, from stakeholder engagement and communication to intercultural awareness. Although her current role is not yet fully focused on international projects, the experience encouraged her to adopt a more international mindset and reinforced the importance of looking beyond institutional boundaries in everyday work.

As a member of the University of Bologna, she also appreciated the opportunity to welcome colleagues to her home city, sharing Bologna's atmosphere while strengthening professional relationships in an informal setting. For her, the human dimension of the Academy, through conversations, shared experiences and peer learning, was just as valuable as the training itself.

"Alliance-Ready helped me realise that working within Una Europa means being part of a dynamic international community built on collaboration, exchange and shared goals. The relationships and perspectives I gained throughout the programme will continue to shape the way I approach my work."

Having recently joined Una Europa, Lynn Feldmann saw Alliance-Ready as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the alliance and of the intercultural collaboration that underpins its activities. As someone new to the network, she was eager to explore how professional staff from different institutions work together and to develop the skills needed to navigate an international environment.

The Academy offered her valuable insights into the dynamics of cross-cultural cooperation while providing a space to connect with colleagues from across the alliance, exchange experiences and broaden her perspective on European university collaboration.

"I decided to participate in the Training Academy because I'm very new to working in Una Europa, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn more about intercultural collaboration and working in an international environment"

For Rossella Tabaroni, Alliance-Ready offered the opportunity to strengthen the competences needed to navigate the growing complexity of European university alliances while reflecting on the evolving role of professional staff. She particularly appreciated the programme's holistic approach, which combined intercultural awareness, practical tools and the responsible use of AI with a broader reflection on professional identity within the Una Europa ecosystem.

Among the most valuable outcomes of the Academy, she highlights the opportunity to exchange ideas, challenges and best practices with colleagues from partner universities in an open and collaborative environment. The experience reinforced her view that working within Una Europa means acting as a bridge between strategic ambitions and everyday practice, helping translate institutional transformation into concrete action.

The Academy also provided her with practical tools for stakeholder engagement and a renewed awareness of the role that middle managers and professional staff play in connecting different organisational levels and supporting the long-term success of European university alliances.

"I am taking home a concrete toolkit for stakeholder mapping and a greater awareness of my position as a middle manager"