On January 20, 2025, Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, visited the ENHANCE member Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), accompanied by a delegation including Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen (Director-General of DG EAC), Stephan Hermanns (Director of DG EAC), Katarzyna Smyk (Head of EC Representation in Poland), Vanessa Debiais-Sainton (Member of Cabinet), Annukka Ojala (Member of Cabinet), Paul Moley (Communication Adviser, Cabinet), and Nais Rigollet (Policy Coordinator, DG EAC). Notably, WUT was the sole university visited by the Vice-President during her stay in Poland.
The visit commenced with a meeting involving 14 female students from WUT, representing the Student Union, regular programs, Erasmus+ participants, and attendees of short-term learning opportunities within the ENHANCE Alliance. The diverse group included students from Poland, India, Ecuador, Nigeria, Turkey, and Mongolia. Discussions centered on students’ motivations for choosing WUT, their future aspirations, strategies to encourage women to pursue STEM fields, and support mechanisms for their academic choices.
Subsequently, the delegation engaged with the Rector and WUT authorities to discuss upcoming European Union programs related to higher education. Key topics included WUT’s initiatives within the ENHANCE Alliance—such as short-term educational offers and language tandems—preparatory actions for the European degree, promotion of technical disciplines in secondary schools, and addressing challenges like student drop-out rates and brain drain.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our colleagues at WUT for their invaluable efforts in hosting this important delegation. Their dedication ensured a productive and inspiring visit, which served as a crucial touchpoint between ENHANCE and our partners at the European Commission. Together, we are charting a path towards the future of European higher education and driving innovation and inclusivity in this shared journey.