News

President Ilkka Niemelä appointed as Unite! Vice President

Unite! European University Alliance will strengthen its leadership with two new Vice Presidents. Aalto University is one of the nine partner universities in the alliance founded in 2019. Unite! is building a new European university model.
President Ilkka Niemelä, Aalto University
President Ilkka Niemelä, Aalto University. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

Based on the feedback from the European Commission, Unite! has decided to strengthen its leadership and establish two new Vice President positions. President Ilkka Niemelä from Aalto University and Rector Daniel Crespo from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Barcelona Tech were elected for these positions by the Academic Forum of Unite! on 29 November, 2022.

“I’m honored to have been elected as one of the two Vice Presidents of Unite!. After the pilot phase started in 2019, the alliance is entering a new exiting stage of development guided by its Mission statement 2030 prepared by a concerted effort of the Unite! community. I’m looking forward to working together with Tanja and Daniel to drive the Unite! agenda to be a technology and innovation driver for the advancement of a green and digital Europe", says President Niemelä. 

Dr. Tanja Brühl, President of TU Darmstadt, was elected to continue as the President of Unite!. Together with the new Unite! Vice Presidents she will be responsible for developing the strategy of Unite! further as well as overseeing and leading the governance of the alliance. The Vice Presidents will additionally support or substitute the President in official policy meetings and for media appearances.

The ambition of Unite! is to create a new European university model through shared education programmes, virtual and physical mobility, innovative pedagogical methods, and harmonized models of governance.

Unite! University Alliance

Aalto University is a member of Unite! alliance together with eight other European universities.

Read more on Unite!
Unite! logo
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

On the left, a bright gradient in rainbow colours. On the right, a curly-haired person with a necklace and dark clothing.
University Published:

Anne Lähteenmäki believes that even a small gesture of acceptance builds trust

In the 100 words series, Anne Lähteenmäki, Professor of Radio Astronomy at the School of Electrical Engineering, shares how she has promoted equality, diversity and inclusion at Aalto
Eden Telila pictured at a ski slope
Cooperation, Studies Published:

Eden Telila's master's thesis contributed to Ramboll's geotechnical toolkit

Geoengineering alum Eden Telila helped Ramboll automate manual tasks.
Researchers working in a laboratory.
Cooperation, Studies, University Published:

Join a Unite! matchmaking event on forging new consortia for Horizon Europe applications

Calling researchers and industry partners to connect at a virtual matchmaking session designed to spark project collaborations for Horizon Europe funding. Registration deadline, 12 March.
Three people having a discussion at a table with laptops. Text: Visiting Professorships at TU Graz, October 1, 2026 - January 31, 2027.
Cooperation, Research & Art, Studies, University Published:

Apply Now: Unite! Visiting Professorships at TU Graz

TU Graz, Austria, invites experienced postdoctoral researchers to apply for two fully funded visiting professorships. The deadline for expressions of interest is 20 February 2026, and the positions will begin on 1 October 2026.