CLIMB UNITED: USMB takes action against sedentary lifestyle in Higher Education
The Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB), together with the Università di Torino (UNITO), the Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR), the Universidade da Beira Interior (UBI), and the University of Ljubljana (UNILJ), has launched CLIMB UNITED – Ascend Together, a European project tackling sedentary lifestyles in universities. Funded by the European Commission, the initiative brings together these five partner universities to identify barriers to physical activity and test innovative solutions. Starting in January 2026, students and staff from all five universities will be able to participate in a dedicated survey designed to help shape the project. CLIMB UNITED aims to promote an active lifestyle and engage university communities across Europe in sustainable, long-term change.
Our Geminae partners: Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
The University of Los Andes in Colombia was founded in 1948. It is the first private higher education institution in Colombia that is secular and independent of political parties, with no interest in defending the interests of any social or economic group. It has more than 30 faculties and 155 research groups. It is also committed to internationalisation and cooperation with networks such as Geminae. In total, it has more than 100 agreements with universities in more than 30 countries.
UNITA Ethical Committee and Reporting Channels
Created in accordance with the UNITA Code of Ethics and Conduct, the UNITA Ethical Committee serves as an advisory body dedicated to supporting ethical decision-making, ensuring compliance with shared standards, and promoting a culture of ethics through guidance, training, and dissemination activities.
“Differenziamolo Strano 2025”: UniTO for the European Week for Waste Reduction
Almost 1,500 electronic devices – 500 kg of WEEE – have been collected in three campuses at UniTo during the European Week for Waste Reduction. The event “Differenziamolo strano 2025” involved the UniTO Green office (UniToGO), the Alliance UNITA and the AMIAT, Turin Waste Management Company as a local stakeholder. Per la Settimana Europea per la Riduzione dei Rifiuti, l’Università di Torino ha promosso l’evento “Differenziamolo Strano”, una raccolta straordinaria di RAEE (Rifiuti da Apparecchiature Elettriche ed Elettroniche), coordinata da UniToGo il Green Office dell’Università di Torino e in particolare il Gruppo Rifiuti, che ha coinvolto studentesse, studenti, personale universitario, cittadine e cittadini. L’iniziativa, realizzata in collaborazione con AMIAT, ha visto la partecipazione attiva di tre punti raccolta: al Dipartimento di Fisica, al Campus Luigi Einaudi e alla Scuola di Management ed Economia, grazie al presidio di volontari e volontarie dedicato all’attività di assistenza e informazione. Grazie all’impegno collettivo sono stati raccolti e avviati al trattamento conforme 487,6 kg di RAEE (1.467 pezzi), tra cui tastiere (86,64 kg), computer portatili (49,17 kg), stampanti (45,65 kg), materiali informatici vari, forni a microonde, modem, cellulari e molto altro, con una raccolta particolarmente significativa di 808,88 metri di cavi. Hanno partecipato alla raccolta circa un centinaio di conferenti. “Questa iniziativa testimonia l’impegno dell’Ateneo nella diffusione di una cultura della sostenibilità che coinvolga università, cittadinanza e territorio. Continuare su questa strada significa investire nelle competenze della sostenibilità e nella tutela ambientale condivisa. Educare al riconoscere che cosa è un rifiuto e al suo corretto trattamento, può avvenire anche fuori dalle aule e riguarda tutti noi, nel nostro”, spiega la prof.ssa Laura Corazza, Delegata della Rettrice per la sostenibilità. L’iniziativa conferma il ruolo di UniTo come attore attivo nella transizione ecologica, nel rafforzamento delle politiche di sostenibilità, in stretto legame con quanto promosso dalla nostra adesione alla Rete delle Università per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (RUS). Inoltre, tale iniziativa è stata realizzata in partnership con UNITA Universitas Montium, la nostra Alleanza Universitaria che promuove tra i suoi valori etici: integrità, impegno, professionalità, diversità e inclusione, e sostenibilità. Per rimanere aggiornati sull’impatto della raccolta e sulle iniziative condotte da UniToGO è possibile far riferimento al profilo Instagram e al sito web del Green Office. Read the full article: https://www.otto.unito.it/it/articoli/differenziamolo-strano-2025-raccolti-500-kg-di-raee-unito
UNITA WP2 Annual Meeting held in Guarda with a focus on European cooperation and territorial engagement
Between 28 and 29 October, the city of Guarda hosted the annual meeting of Work Package 2 – UNITA Communities, bringing together representatives from the partner universities of UNITA – Universitas Montium for two days of collaborative work dedicated to strengthening European academic communities that are more inclusive, multilingual, and connected to their territories. A sessão de abertura marcou o arranque da reunião, reafirmando o papel da UNITA na Iniciativa Universidades Europeias e a relevância da relação com os territórios para o desenvolvimento de um espaço académico europeu mais coeso. Ao longo do encontro, as equipas de trabalho reuniram-se em plenário e em grupos temáticos, promovendo a partilha de experiências, o alinhamento estratégico e o reforço de redes de cooperação entre as universidades parceiras. Durante os trabalhos foram abordadas temáticas como políticas de intercompreensão e diversidade linguística, o desenvolvimento de comunidades de aprendizagem e investigação, iniciativas para o bem-estar académico e profissional, e estratégias para promover uma cidadania europeia ativa. Estes momentos evidenciaram o compromisso da UNITA com a construção de um espaço europeu de educação assente na colaboração, na inovação e na valorização da diversidade cultural. Para além das atividades de trabalho, o programa integrou momentos de convívio e descoberta cultural, incluindo uma visita ao centro histórico da Guarda, onde os participantes tiveram oportunidade de conhecer o património local e explorar a identidade cultural da região. Esta dimensão territorial reforça a missão da UNITA de promover a ligação entre ensino superior, comunidade e desenvolvimento regional. Em março de 2026, a Guarda voltará a receber representantes das universidades parceiras para a reunião anual da Governance Board, que reunirá os reitores das instituições da aliança para refletir sobre os próximos passos estratégicos. Um dos principais temas será a transição da UNITA de aliança universitária europeia para Confederação Europeia de Universidades, um passo decisivo rumo a uma maior integração e cooperação no Espaço Europeu do Ensino Superior. Com este encontro, a UNITA reforça o seu compromisso com um espaço universitário europeu mais colaborativo, inclusivo e territorialmente conectado, contribuindo para fortalecer as relações entre universidades, regiões e comunidades europeias.
Towards the European Degree: Exploring Pathways through Joint Labels, Best Practices, and Policy Innovation
The event “Towards the European Degree” will take place on Thursday, 27 November 2025 from 9:00 to 17:00 CET. This event, co-organized by UNITA and CIVIS alliances, will bring together representatives of the European Commission, university alliances, higher education networks, and quality assurance agencies. It will address the future Joint European Degree Label, a key initiative within the EU’s higher education strategy. Given its policy relevance and long-term implications for universities, students, and transnational learning, the event is of significant interest. Location: Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS) Online participation (no registration is required) YouTube livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@unitauniversitasmontium7685 Information: unita.events@unito.it Programme
3rd CALL for application for HORIZON 2020 MSCA-Cofund Choral PhD
3rd CALL for application for HORIZON 2020 MSCA-Cofund Choral PhD 14 Marie Skłodowska ‐ Curie Positions for Early Stage Researchers in Cultural Heritage in 6 universities within the UNITA Alliance Offer Description As part of the UNITA Alliance, 14 excellent Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will enrol the CHORAL programme in Cultural Heritage. Coordinated by the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, CHORAL (Cultural Heritage Outreach in RomAnce Languages) is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. This prestigious programme is linked to the Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges. About the CHORAL Programme CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to nurture the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of Cultural Heritage. While rooted in cultural heritage, the program spans a wide range of scientific domains, including architecture, anthropology, arts and culture, computer science, history, literature, linguistics, management, musicology and more. Selected candidates will be enrolled in PhD programs under joint supervision, awarding a double degree and requiring international mobility. Why Pursue a CHORAL PhD? High-Quality Training: Receive expert-led research training through the UNITA Alliance’s dedicated Cultural Heritage Hub, encompassing diverse fields within and beyond cultural heritage. Comprehensive Support: Benefit from dedicated guidance from the initial stages of your PhD to professional integration. Transformative Impact: Contribute to the socio-economic and cultural transformation of rural and cross-border mountain territories. Financial Support: Includes travel, mobility, and research costs. Double Degree: Graduate with a double degree from two European universities. Programme Details Application Deadline: January 17, 2026 20 PhD Research Topics for 14 positions in 6 universities within the UNITA Alliance: Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour Université Savoie Mont Blanc Università di Torino Universidad de Zaragoza Università degli Studi di Brescia Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov Funding: 3-year fully funded PhDs, starting Fall 2026 How to Apply Detailed information about the PhD Research Topics and the conditions to apply: https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/choral-project.html Where to apply https://aap.univ-pau.fr For more details, please contact the choral support office at choral@univ-pau.fr
UNITA Starting Grant: The Department of Chemistry of UniTO visits the CISE in Guarda and Covilhã, Portugal
On Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4, a delegation from the Department of Chemistry of UniTo visited the CISE – Centro de Investigação em Sistemas Electromecatrónicos at its campuses in Guarda and Covilhã, Portugal. The visit took place as part of the Starting Grant project “Efficient Green Hydrogen Utilization”, funded by UNITA, a European Universities Alliance supported by the European Commission under the European Universities initiative.
These are the five Geminae Universities recognised for their best practices: social inclusion, innovation and sustainable development among the values highlighted
The UNITA Alliance recognised five Geminae Universities in its Best Practices Awards during the Geminae Conference held at UNIZAR last September. These projects were recognised for their focus on community development, fair values, ecology, innovation, and sustainability. The winners are: la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Argentina), la Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), la Université de Antananarivo (Madagascar), la Universidad del Rosario (Colombia), and the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Brasil), which received recognition for two projects. El proyecto, presentado por Raúl Narciso Guedes, tiene como objetivo introducir el ámbito científico en los institutos. Para ello quieren encontrar y entrenar nuevos talentos. Conectar los institutos públicos con las universidades públicas y hacer que el desarrollo del interés científico sea accesible e inclusivo para la juventud. El proyecto, presentado por José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto, tenía como reto acercar la universidad a la sociedad, proporcionar conocimientos técnicos a los productores y sus familias y promover el desarrollo rural sostenible. Para ello, hicieron una feria de agricultura y artesanía, unas jornadas culturales y educativas llevaron a cabo un proyecto de ‘zero carbón’ y ‘zero basura’. El proyecto, presentado por Cecilia Sanz y Verónica Artola, ahonda en la creación de un ecosistema de tecnología digital para abordar temas de salud a través de juegos de mesa interactivos, una mascota interactiva para las universidades y escuelas. El proyecto, presentado por Katherin Johana Neura, consiste en aprovechar los espacios de la universidad para crear un laboratorio vivo. El objetivo es experimentar en sostenibilidad, probar nuevas tecnologías de energía eficiente, manejo del agua, biodiversidad, desarrollo urbano sostenible. El proyecto, presentado por Harilaka Andriamaniraka, consiste en la reestructuración del edificio de una escuela de doctorados, una nueva forma organizativa del personal, desarrollo de capacidades y cooperación internacional. El proyecto, presentado por Angela Santamaría Chavarro, es un documento madre sobre el caso de las mujeres de la sierra nevado de Santa Marta. La tesis central es hacer visible la relación entre la sexualidad de las mujeres y niñas y la sexualidad de la madre tierra y analiza los crímenes sexuales en Zalkuma. Los proyectos galardonados reflejan, así, los valores de cooperación, innovación y compromiso social que impulsan la Alianza UNITA y Geminae, consolidando los puentes de la Alianza más allá de las fronteras europeas e inspirando un futuro más justo y sostenible.
Almost 100 UNITA members gather in Zaragoza for the working group meeting on impact and dissemination
On 22 and 23 October, the Faculty of Economics and Business and the Paraninfo building welcomed representatives from the Alliance’s member and partner universities in Portugal, France, Italy, Romania and Switzerland. UNITA welcomed the members of the Impact and Dissemination Work Package to the Universidad de Zaragoza. The aim was to bring together the representatives of the Alliance in this working group to review UNITA’s main objectives and strengthen the relationship between its members. Efforts have been devoted to external dissemination, financial and green sustainability, the UNITA impact observatory, and the inclusion of Geminae partners beyond Europe. During these days, the members of each task team met to analyse their work over the last few months, share new ideas and make plans for the future. They also attended a conference on impact, given by the ENLIGHT Alliance, and a workshop on how to make reels for social media, led by Jara Sacristán. Finally, the conference concluded with a closing session in which the co-leaders of each task within the working group presented the conclusions of the meeting and the plans to be followed. The event was also attended by the Vice-rector for Internationalisation and Cooperation, Sergio Salinas, who highlighted the great team formed by the people who work to ensure that the Alliance continues to grow.