ENHANCE Takes the Stage in Glasgow
The ENHANCE Alliance is delighted to return to the EAIE Annual Conference and Exhibition this year, taking place in Glasgow. Building on last year's debut appearance in Gothenburg, where ENHANCE exhibited for the first time and joined more than 35 European University Alliances on the conference floor, this year the Alliance moves from the exhibition hall to the podium: ENHANCE Secretary General Naveed Syed will represent the Alliance across two high-profile panel sessions dedicated to the role of university alliances in Europe's competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and talent strategy.
Hosting the Conversation: Building Europe's Competitive Edge
"Building Europe's competitive edge: How university alliances of technology can become strategic assets"
9 September 2026, 09.00–10.00
Castle 2&3, Crowne Plaza Hotel (Ground Floor)
ENHANCE opens its EAIE 2026 programme by hosting its own session. Structured as a fishbowl-style conversational panel, the session brings together policy, industry, and alliance perspectives to explore whether Europe's university alliances can evolve beyond cooperation frameworks and become genuine strategic assets: connecting education, skills, research, innovation, and industry in service of Europe's technological sovereignty.
Naveed Syed hosts and moderates a panel featuring:
Ioana Dewandeler, Policy Officer, Higher Education, European Commission
David Moss, UK Head of Research and Innovation Ecosystems, Siemens
Sofia Costa D'Aguiar, Executive Director, EELISA
Rafael Toledo-Moreo, Deputy Secretary General, EUt+
The conversation will move from individual perspectives – policy, industry, and the lived experience of building and running alliances – toward a shared question: what would it take for university alliances to become genuine strategic assets for Europe by the end of the decade?
Joining the Panel: STEM Talent in European University Alliances
"STEM talent in European university alliances: Policy and practice for attracting and strengthening talent in Europe", organised by EUt+
11 September 2026, 10.30–11.30,
Boisdale 1, SEC Centre (Ground Floor)
This panel examines how European university alliances are reshaping cross-border collaboration to attract and strengthen STEM talent across higher education and research. Panellists will share evidence from joint doctorates and the European degree, and discuss inclusive career pathways, while addressing persistent barriers around recognition, mobility, and funding, with a European Commission representative adding a policy lens on inclusive, transformative STEM internationalisation.
Naveed Syed represents ENHANCE alongside:
Sofia Costa D'Aguiar – Executive Director, EELISA
Yann-Maël Bideau – Policy Officer, Higher Education Unit, DG EAC, European Commission
Rafael Toledo-Moreo (Host) – Deputy Secretary General, EUt+
A Growing Voice Among Europe's University Alliances
Together, the two sessions mark a step change in ENHANCE's visibility at EAIE: from exhibiting alongside peer alliances in 2025 to actively shaping the conference agenda in 2026, both as host and as panellist. The recurring presence of ENHANCE alongside EELISA and EUt+ across both sessions also reflects the depth of the working relationships ENHANCE has built with fellow European University Alliances, already visible in last year's co-hosted interactive session with the two alliances in Gothenburg.
With European policymakers, industry leaders, and alliance representatives sharing the stage, ENHANCE's EAIE 2026 sessions position the Alliance at the centre of the debate on what European university alliances should become next: education and mobility networks, or strategic infrastructure for Europe's competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and talent pipeline.
Follow ENHANCE's channels for updates and takeaways from Glasgow.
