Working together towards a new era of European university education

In 2026, Laurea acts as the chair of the European PIONEER university alliance and hosts the alliance’s Governance Week meeting on 22–24 September in Espoo at Laurea’s Leppävaara campus.

The opening emphasized the impact of European university cooperation, the role of students and the importance of universities in building a sustainable and competitive Europe.

Laurea’s President, CEO and managing director Jouni Koski reminded in his opening speech that the PIONEER alliance’s significance extends beyond individual projects and universities. According to him, the cooperation builds the future of European university education and creates the basis for the legacy the current generation will leave to future students, researchers and teachers. 

“I hope that in the future, when looking at the new era of European university education, it can be said that it began when a group of open-minded universities decided to see cooperation and co-development as an opportunity to build something shared, sustainable and long-lasting,” Koski said. 

Koski also reminded that Europe needs universities that not only react to changes but anticipate them and help steer their course. The alliance’s success will ultimately be measured by how widely its developed solutions are taken into use and renew practices across Europe. 

The voice of students was also strongly present at the opening of the event. The student union Laureamko’s representative Sanni Koivuluoma emphasized that alliance cooperation must be visible concretely in students’ everyday lives. 

“Cooperation matters only when students are genuinely involved in building it and when its effects are visible in their daily lives, their studies and their future opportunities. Students want, above all, concrete actions and new possibilities,” Koivuluoma said. 

Koivuluoma also highlighted equality and diversity, which she said require long-term work from the entire European higher education community. 

The event was greeted by Tuija Telén, Regional Director of Uusimaa, who examined European cooperation from the perspective of regional development. Telén described Uusimaa’s goal as building, at the same time, a happy, environmentally friendly and innovative region. In her view, the achievement of these goals is particularly supported by a strong education and RDI ecosystem, long traditions of cooperation and a practical operational culture. 

“Many ask how we can be all of this at once. I believe our superpower is our practical approach. We set goals, draw up concrete action plans and, above all, implement them,” Telén said. 

Governance Week continues in Espoo. During the working sessions, topics include the implementation of the alliance’s strategy, reporting of results, impact measurement and common key indicators. The meeting aims to ensure that the PIONEER alliance advances towards its common goals and further strengthens cooperation between European universities. 

The three-day event brings together the alliance’s Governing Board, Steering Committee, local coordinators and work package leaders from ten European universities. Governance Week is the PIONEER alliance’s central governance and development forum, where collaboration progress is evaluated, strategic goals are reviewed and future priorities are aligned.

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