The meeting featured collaborative working sessions among the Task Teams, providing an opportunity for direct exchanges with the Hub Leaders and the Vice-Rectors of the partner universities. These sessions strengthened coordination among the teams and supported the definition of future strategic priorities.
During the opening session, Vice-Rector Prof. Adriana Apostoli introduced the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, reflecting on its constitutional and democratic significance.
The Charter of Nice, proclaimed on 7 December 2000, enshrines the founding values of the European Union as a community based on rights, citizenship and public responsibility. It provided a meaningful framework for the opening of the UNITA WP4 Meeting.
Over the course of the two-day event, the Task Teams worked together to assess the progress achieved in recent months, identify priorities for the coming period, exchange good practices and plan the next WP4 activities.
At the same time, the Vice-Rectors for Research and International Affairs met to evaluate the Advanced Grants applications. The committee approved funding for innovative scientific projects addressing the 6 UNITA Hubs: Global Health, Circular Economy and Environment, Cultural Heritage, Digital Transition, Green Energy, and Inclusive Societies. The selected projects will strengthen the network of inter-university collaborations across Europe, enhancing their competitiveness in attracting international research funding.
In the longer term, reinforcing research and innovation capacity will contribute to a more integrated and competitive educational offer at Master’s and doctoral levels, paving the way for the future UNITA Graduate School.
Particularly ambitious is the initiative to develop the 6 UNITA Hubs into European Research and Innovation Institutes/Centers, working in close synergy with local territories and communities, especially—but not exclusively—in peripheral, rural, mountain and cross-border areas.
Final of the My 3-min PhD Thesis competition
During the first day, delegations from the partner universities also attended the final round of the My 3-min PhD Thesis competition, in which 20 doctoral candidates presented with enthusiasm and competence their research projects in a clear, engaging and accessible way to a non-specialist audience within just three minutes.
Following the presentation of the 20 research projects in the beautiful setting of the Teatro Mina Mezzadri in Brescia, the jury—composed of academic staff and professional staff from the UNITA universities, together with Alessandra Ideo (Education and Human Capital Area, Confindustria Brescia, an Associated Partner of the Alliance)—announced the winners of the 2026 edition.
Rector Prof. Francesco Castelli and Vice-Rector for International Affairs Prof. Roberto Ranzi presented the awards to Luca Elettrico (first place – Università di Torino), Ariana Andra Șerpar (second place – Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara), and Emeline Delcros (third place – Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour).
The WP4 meeting concluded with a final plenary session, during which the Task Team co-leaders shared the main outcomes of the task and cross-task meetings and presented the next steps that will guide the future activities of WP4.
