The University of Bucharest at #EAIE 2025

From 9 to 12 September 2025, Gothenburg, Sweden, became the meeting point for over 7,000 international participants at the 35th Annual EAIE Conference & Exhibition, one of the premier events in global higher education.

The University of Bucharest (UB) had a strong presence at EAIE 2025, represented both at the dynamic “Study in Romania” stand by members of the International Relations Office, and through the CIVIS European University Alliance, of which UB is a member. CIVIS was one of the 35 alliances represented at the conference.

UB’s delegation included: Prof. Romiță Iucu, PhD, President of UB’s Council for Strategic Orientation and Analysis; professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alina Cristovici, Director of the International Relations Office, Beatrice Crăciun – Erasmus Officer, Assist. Lecturer Alexandru Carțiș, PhD candidate – CIVIS Education Unit Coordinator and associate faculty member at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences.

The conference, held under the theme “GO-Create”, focused on collaboration, co-creation, and developing a shared vision for the future of international higher education.

European Diploma: flexibility and vision for European Universities

Prof. Romiță Iucu was invited as a speaker in the European Commission session on the European Diploma.

Representing CIVIS and coordinating the European Diploma and Joint Programmes Working Group within FOREU4ALL – the community of all 65 European University Alliances – , Prof. Iucu has played a central role in designing and validating the framework for the European Diploma, together with UB and CIVIS experts.

In his presentation, he emphasized that the European Diploma promotes flexible learning, aligning with the mission of European universities to respond to the challenges of today’s fast-changing, opportunity-driven societies. His full presentation is available on the CIVIS website.

This year’s contribution built on the ideas he advanced at EAIE 2024 in Toulouse, where he argued that the European Diploma should become a distinctive brand of European higher education.

CIVIS Alliance: International Visibility at EAIE 2025

UB’s impact at EAIE 2025 was further strengthened by its active role in CIVIS, which continues to enhance UB’s international profile and strategic positioning.

CIVIS hosted sessions both at its stand and across conference panels, and for the second year in a row, won the Best Poster Award. The winning poster, “Puzzling and rewarding: Piecing together a joint Master’s programme in a university alliance (110),” was co-authored by: Assist. Lecturer Alexandru Carțiș (UB), Sara Laginder (Stockholm University), Jeanne Sadzot (Université libre de Bruxelles).

The poster highlighted the development of the TRACEE Master’s programme and provided practical guidance for academics interested in launching similar initiatives.

CIVIS is one of the first European University Alliances, bringing together 11 universities across Europe:
Aix-Marseille Université, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Bucharest, Université libre de Bruxelles, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Sapienza Università di Roma, Stockholm University, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, University of Glasgow, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, and University of Lausanne. CIVIS also partners with six African universities: Université Hassan II de Casablanca, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), Makerere University, Eduardo Mondlane University, and University of Sfax. Together, the alliance represents over 470,000 students and more than 68,000 staff, promoting multilingual, multicultural collaboration and strengthening research and education through interdisciplinarity, shared infrastructures, and joint funding.

By participating in EAIE 2025, the University of Bucharest showcased both its institutional strengths and its active role within the CIVIS Alliance. From presenting UB’s opportunities for international students to shaping discussions on the European Diploma and joint study programmes, UB reaffirmed its commitment to driving innovation in European higher education and to building strong international partnerships.