One year of UNITE!: pioneering the European higher education of the future
Based on an article originally published on the UNITE! website on 5 November.
A year ago, UNITE! was selected as one of the 17 European University Alliances to pilot an entirely new concept of the European Commission towards the European Education Area of the future. Born as an Erasmus+ project and later receiving additional funding by the H2020 framework programme, these pilot projects are laying the foundations of a solid structure that will enable the full potential of UNITE! as a European University Alliance.
Since the kick-off in Darmstadt at the beginning of November last year, decisive foundations have been laid, but above all, various initiatives and projects have been launched from which students, graduates and teachers have already benefited directly.
UNITE! enables the partners to contribute their respective strengths to the alliance and can rely on many years of cooperation within the CLUSTER network. Above all, UNITE! serves to stimulate new cooperation at different levels. Creating structures is intended to facilitate any cooperation among the partners and to enable university members of all status groups of the partners to take the initiative in establishing new links with the UNITE! partners, exchanging ideas and initiating projects.
"We are committed and enthusiastic pioneers. We are willing to find solutions and pilot activities that address the challenges of implementing the idea of European Universities. We are convinced that UNITE!, and the other university alliances, are a first step in a long-term transformation of higher education in Europe", says Tanja Brühl, UNITE!’s president and Technical University of Darmstadt’s rector.
Read the original article including a list of UNITE!’s first-year activities
Aalto's internal UNITE!-mailing list shares information and news about UNITE! and its events, staff trainings and ongoing activities that are open to Aalto staff and students to join and are hosted by different UNITE! universities. Please contact johanna.kaila@aalto.fi to be added to this mailing list and stay updated about UNITE! activities.
Unite! University Alliance
Aalto University is a member of Unite! alliance together with eight other European universities.
Read more news
Demo Day breaks records in 2026: Inside Otaniemi’s fastest growing startup showcase
Hosted by Aalto Startup Center and A Grid, Demo Day brought together nearly 800 visitors, 90 startup booths, and over 75 investors. What began as a grassroots gathering in 2018 has grown into one of Finland’s most vibrant startup showcases.
Coming up next autumn at Aalto's Department of Architecture: a studio course on the reuse and expansion of the present Architecture and Design Museum buildings in Helsinki
Capstone Studio 2026 at Aalto explores adaptive reuse of the Architecture and Design Museum in Helsinki, using photography, collage and urban design methods.
Antti Ahlava talking on Relationships in Design Principles & Practices conference (Rome, Italy)
Antti Ahlava presented “Relationship-based Architectural Design” at the Design Principles & Practices conference in Rome, discussing new methodological approaches in architecture.