Togetherness for Well-Being in Research, Education, and Diversity: EUniWell Rectors’ Assembly held in Konstanz

05/04/2026 | by Janina Baumann

88 university leaders, student representatives, and staff convened at the University of Konstanz for the 10th EUniWell Rectors’ Assembly from 22–24 April 2026 to reinforce the Alliance’s commitment to unity and collaboration across Europe.

A group of around 25 people in business attire pose for a formal photograph on a sunny terrace, with woodland and distant mountains in the background.
A speaker presents to an audience in a university lecture theatre, with attendees seated in tiered rows listening to the presentation.
Prof. Beatrix Busse speaks with a microphone in her hand, Prof. Katharina Holzinger is standing next to her.

The 10th Rectors’ Assembly at the University of Konstanz focused on strengthening joint efforts and initiatives across the Alliance under the theme of “Togetherness”. The biannual Assembly brought together Rectors, institutional leaders, academics and student representatives from all twelve EUniWell member universities to discuss and set the Alliance’s long-term strategic direction and priorities. The event highlighted the importance of collective action in promoting well-being across research, teaching, and inclusion, particularly in a challenging climate for European cooperation. 

Professor Katharina Holzinger, Rector of the University of Konstanz and host of the Rectors’ Assembly, emphasised in her opening remarks that this shared commitment is not only institutional but deeply rooted in a common vision of collaboration and responsibility: „EUniWell is a European University Alliance committed to well-being in its broadest sense: the well-being of people, the environment and society. By connecting universities across Europe, it addresses shared challenges through collaboration, interdisciplinarity and a strong sense of responsibility to society. A network committed to the vision that excellent teaching and research evolve where perspectives come together and international cooperation remains an ongoing process.”

This Rectors’ Assembly combined academic input with interactive workshops, creating space for dialogue and concrete outcomes. Throughout the three days, discussions moved beyond individual projects to encourage a more strategic, Alliance-wide approach to developing shared research agendas, educational programmes, and inclusive practices. This demonstrated how EUniWell member institutions can align more closely to advance long-term strategic goals and position the Alliance as a forward-looking, integrated European University centred on well-being.

Expanding a shared vision for well-being

During the official opening reception – held on a boat cruise on Lake Constance – EUniWell Chief Development Officer Beatrix Busse said: “Gliding together on a boat through the water – where languages meet, people connect, and borders dissolve – we are experiencing what EUniWell stands for in motion. We are in a crucial time of the European University Alliances initiative. We no longer have to justify what we are doing and how we are doing it. But because of this and the stage that this world is in, we have to justify that we deserve the support that we need. We are truly on a Mission, placing well-being firmly on the agenda in Brussels and beyond.” 

Building on this inspiring opening, Professor Laura Epp and Professor David Schleheck from the Limnological Institute at the University of Konstanz invited participants to engage more deeply with the Lake Constance ecosystem. In a relaxed and sunlit setting, they provided rich insights into the water’s ecological dynamics, guiding attendees through more than 150 years of research.

The topics of the Closed Session of the Rectors’ Assembly on April 23 were framed by the EUniWell 2030 Strategy Framework, which positions the Alliance to become:

  • A/the Voice for Well-Being
  • A European University
  • Communities for Well-Being.

Participants discussed: the positioning of the Alliance within the European higher education and research landscape; .  sustaining and scaling successful EUniWell initiatives such as the Seed Funding Programme; sharing research infrastructures; and expanding global collaborations focused on excellence and well-being. The Rectors’ Assembly also welcomed the new Rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Professor Rosa Crujeiras Casais.

Togetherness in action: shaping the Alliance in interactive workshops 

The Open Session of the Rectors’ Assembly featured a novel format – combining keynote lectures with interactive workshops – designed to collaboratively explore togetherness and well-being through teaching, research, and diversity. EUniWell Chief Student Officer Gaida Lefeuvre-Mendoza highlighted the importance of the Assembly’s theme in her remarks: “Today’s topic is togetherness, “Gemeinsinn”, and that is precisely what the students are asking for.  Not as a mere concept but as a way of working.We need togetherness to put potential into action. Together we can build something that none of us can build alone – a way to move forward.” 

In his keynote, Professor Dirk Leuffen, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Impact at the University of Konstanz, presented insights from his research on the conditions underpinning European and international cooperation and solidarity. He noted that collaborative engagement extends across all areas of life: “Human sociality is key to success for our species. In academia, working together has also become more important over the decades.” 

The second keynote was delivered by Dr Ulrike Capdepón Busies, DAAD Professor and Coordinator of the Center for European Studies at the University of Guadalajara.  She emphasized the concept of communal sense as a basis for solidarity, collective responsibility, and democratic coexistence, and emphasised universities’ roles as spaces for remembrance, civic engagement, and defending democratic values.

Interactive workshops were structured to define a shared direction for EUniWell in teaching, research, and diversity. Guided by the statement, “Imagine it is 2030. EUniWell has become the voice for well-being in this field across Europe”, participants explored how they envision collaboration within the Alliance, what defines EUniWell in these areas, and what makes its initiatives successful. The discussions contributed to the identification of key priorities for the next two years, reflections on individual contributions to achieving this vision, and the following guiding statements:

  • Teaching: EUniWell co-designs inclusive, interdisciplinary teaching that combines digital exchange with in-person learning, builds on complementary strengths, and connects students and teachers as partners within an integrated multicultural campus.
  • Research: EUniWell shares infrastructure, coordinates joint research and researcher mobility, strengthens PhD/PostDoc networks, and transfers interdisciplinary, open, and well-being-focused research into society through clear goals and strong collaboration.
  • Diversity: By encouraging and mobilising greater diversity in teaching, research, and collaboration, EUniWell will become the most relevant voice for well-being.

These workshops fostered alignment, strengthened ownership, and defined concrete next steps while ensuring that today’s ideas will actively shape EUniWell’s strategic development in the years ahead. At the same time, they articulated a broader normative stance of the Alliance: togetherness not only as a mode of collaboration, but as a strategic response to current societal and political developments. As EUniWell Deputy Chief Development Officer Professor Giorgia Giovannetti said in wrapping up the day: “We have to focus on cooperation, on working together towards well-being, research, as well as well-being research-based teaching. We have to exploit our differences to grow. The more the economy and policy are going toward building walls, the more we as EUniWell are going toward building bridges.”

Following the formal sessions, Rectors’ Assembly participants proceeded to a celebratory networking programme on the flower island of Mainau.

Concluding with Impact: Strengthening Well-Being Across Campuses

The 10th EUniWell Rectors’ Assembly concluded with the „Well-Being on Campus“ event. Professor Rüdiger Wilhelmi, Vice-Rector for Teaching at the University of Konstanz, opened the session that included presentations from across the Alliance member institutions, a round-table on best-practices, and workshops that highlighted shared challenges and future opportunities for improving well-being across campuses.

The 10th EUniWell Rectors’ Assembly reaffirmed a simple but powerful idea: that progress across Europe’s universities depends not on isolated efforts, but on the strength of working together across institutions, disciplines, and perspectives. It set a clear course for translating well-being and togetherness into sustained, measurable impact across the Alliance and its member institutions in the years ahead.

 

Further information

Attending Rectors and EUniWell Board Members

  • Prof. Dr. Beatrix Busse, EUniWell Chief Development Officer – University of Cologne (Germany)
  • Gaida Lefeuvre Mendoza, EUniWell Chief Student Officer – Nantes Université (France)
  • Prof. Dr. Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor – University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Dr. Alessandra Petrucci, Rector – University of Florence (Italy)
  • Prof. Dr. Peter Aronsson, Vice-Chancellor – Linnaeus University (Sweden) 
  • Dr. Jorge Piernas López, Rector Delegate – University of Murcia (Spain)
  • Prof. Dr. Carine Bernault, Rector – Nantes Université (France)
  • Prof. Dr. Katharina Holzinger, Rector – University of Konstanz (Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Rosa María Crujeiras Casais, Rector – Universidade of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
  • Prof. Dr. Rafał Krenke, Rector – Medical University of Warsaw (Poland)
  • Dr. Graham Harrison, EUniWell Managing Director – University of Cologne (Germany)
  • Mark Havasi, Student Executive Board Member – Semmelweis University (Hungary)
  • Zofia Tarc, Student Executive Board Member – Medical University of Warsaw (Poland)
  • Prof. Dr. Giorgia Giovannetti, Deputy EUniWell Chief Development Officer & Vice-Rector for International Relations – University of Florence (Italy)
  • Dr. Erica Arthur, Board Member – University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
  • Prof. Dr. Il-Il Yatziv Malibert, Deputy Vice-President for European Affairs – Inalco (France)
  • Prof. Dr. Delphine Allés, Vice-Rector – Inalco (France)
  • Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Wilhelmi, Vice-Rector for Teaching – University of Konstanz (Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Dirk Leuffen, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Impact – University of Konstanz (Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Isabell Otto, Vice-Rector for Diversity and Academic Staff Development – University of Konstanz (Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Daniel Alvunger, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation – Linnaeus University (Sweden)
  • Prof. Dr. Céline Bressollette-Bodin, Vice Rector – Nantes Université (France)
  • Dr. Inmaculada Otero Moral, Delegate of the Rector for Internationalisation – Universidade of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
  • Prof. Dr. Miklós Kellermayer, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine – Semmelweis University (Hungary)
  • Dr. Tamás Hegedüs, Director for International Relations and Alumni Affairs – Semmelweis University (Hungary)
  • Prof. Dr. Michał Grąt, Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Promotion, and Rural Development – Medical University of Warsaw (Poland)

Contact

For general information or media enquiries, please contact Eva Laurie, EUniWell Head of Communications.

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