The Unite! Alliance Elects New Leadership. Vivien Quéma, President of Grenoble INP UGA, has been appointed as the new head of the Unite! Alliance. He will lead the alliance together with Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and Anders Söderholm, President of KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs will be responsible for the area of research within Unite!. “I am very pleased with this role, because from the very beginning of our presence in the alliance we have placed strong emphasis on developing scientific cooperation. This is where I see the greatest potential and benefits for our university,” says the Rector of WUST.
Young Researchers in the Spotlight
He emphasizes that one of the top priorities will be supporting doctoral candidates and young researchers by creating conditions for exchange, collaboration, and networking that foster the development of their international academic careers. “We also aim to deepen research cooperation among the universities in the alliance, so that more and more joint scientific projects can emerge,” Prof. Wójs adds.
The vice-presidency is a significant distinction for WUST; all nine universities in the Unite! Alliance rank among Europe’s leading research institutions. In the Shanghai rankings, they hold very high positions, with the strongest — KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the University of Lisbon — placed between 201–300.
A Symbolic Transition of Leadership
The new presidents were unanimously approved by the members of the Unite! General Assembly during the 12th Dialogue at Finland’s Aalto University. The symbolic transfer of leadership was carried out by Unite!’s first president, Tanja Brühl of TU Darmstadt. During her term, the number of member universities grew from seven to nine, the first joint study programmes were launched, and the alliance developed an offer of inter-university courses, a virtual campus, and the Seed Fund to support initiatives for students, lecturers, and researchers.
“Six years ago, Unite! was just an idea. Today it is a solid alliance whose impact reaches far beyond our regions. Unite! creates opportunities for the entire academic community. We connect groundbreaking research with real societal impact. I thank all Uniters who co-create our alliance — it is thanks to your enthusiasm and commitment that our joint journey continues,” says Tanja Brühl.
Unite! is yet another university network in which our representatives hold leadership roles. Just a few days ago, Prof. Renata Krzyżyńska, Vice-Rector for External Relations, was appointed Vice-President of T.I.M.E.
