From meetings to Finnish cultural experiences, Uniters strengthened the shared vision of Unite! and built lasting collaborations at Aalto University.
From 6–9 October 2025, the XII Unite! Dialogue brought more than 350 representatives from nine European universities to Aalto for a week of collaboration, networking, and new ideas.
The Dialogue opened with a Finnish tango and warm welcomes from Aalto’s Key Liaison Officer, Minna-Kaarina Forssén, Aalto VP of Education, Petri Suomala, Aalto President Ilkka Niemelä, and Unite! President Tanja Brühl. Unite! communities shared their latest achievements, and the unveiling of Blooming Beyond Borders by Aalto student Suthasinee Naktnasukanjn symbolised growth and cooperation across borders.
Key governance sessions gathered the Steering Committee, Academic Forum, and Rectors’ meetings. A major highlight was the election of Vivien Quéma, President of Grenoble INP – UGA, as the new Unite! President, joined by Vice Presidents Anders Söderholm (KTH) and Arkadiusz Wojs (Wrocław University of Science and Technology). Tanja Brühl (TU Darmstadt) concluded six impactful years of leadership, reaffirming Unite!’s mission to connect European universities.
Students Unite! for Representation and Empowerment (SURE!) also elected new leaders: President Marcel Sobecki (Wrocław), Vice President Matilde Godinho (Lisboa), Secretary Pau Morente (UPC), and Treasurer Laura Armando (Politecnico di Torino). Student Liaison Officers met with SURE! to strengthen collaboration and student engagement.
In a parallel programme, 32 early-career researchers joined the Dialogue, hosted by Aalto academics, to explore joint teaching and research opportunities.
As is now tradition, the Unite! Awards were handed out to nine deserving recipients. The Awards celebrate excellence across the community.
Beyond meetings, participants enjoyed Finnish culture through sauna evenings, cooking, architecture tours, hiking, and the Gala Dinner — featuring Aalto bands Polyrytmi and A-Top, with President Ilkka Niemelä on guitar.
The next Unite! XIII Dialogue will take place at Politecnico di Torino from 9–12 February 2026, under the theme “From short-term E+ projects to long-term alliances: contributing to EU competitiveness.”
