The visual shows on the left side the title "Students Driving Europe’s Competitive Future" and subtitle "Innovation, skills, and collaboration at the CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2025". On the right there is a picture of the conference where the public is in chairs attending
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026 - 12:37

The student perspective shaping the future of European Competitiveness and workforce development 

On 12 November 2025, ESN participated in the CHARM-EU Annual Conference in Utrecht, focusing on the theme: “Boosting European Competitiveness: European University Alliances as Catalysts for Innovation and Sustainability in Higher Education.”

Responding to the growing need for competitive, adaptable, and forward-looking education systems, CHARM-EU brought together multiple stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the impact of the Alliance, exchange best practices, foster European values, and promote innovation, collaboration, and cross-boundary educational offerings.

CHARM-EU stands for Challenge-driven, Accessible, Research-Based, and Mobile European University Alliance. It comprises nine partner universities: University of Barcelona, Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Åbo Akademi University, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bergen. The Alliance brings together diverse cultures, histories, languages, and economic perspectives, creating a rich environment for collaboration and innovation.

The Annual Conference featured two plenary sessions and several workshops, which fostered collaboration and the exchange of best practices with the aim of enhancing European competitiveness. Key discussion topics included:

  • Professional development and Union of Skills
  • Talent attraction and mobility
  • Inclusion and competitiveness
  • Interoperability between European universities
  • Transdisciplinarity, internationalisation and regional development

Moreover, Reka Judit Boros, Chair of the Student Council, raised the issue of the student perspective in the discussion of the evolution of competitiveness in universities. Master's students and alumni participated in organising workshop sessions and poster presentations, fostering cross-collaboration at the event. 

ESN also contributed to the event with a poster presentation on the Erasmus Talent & Innovation Labs, an initiative that aims to bridge the gap between higher education and the labour market. The Labs will provide students and recent graduates with the necessary skills, experience and international mindset to thrive in today's rapidly evolving economy. Bringing initiatives like these supports CHARM-EU’s mission of keeping students at the core of discussions on higher education innovation and workforce preparation.

The CHARM-EU Annual Conference showcases the value of European University Alliances in promoting high-quality education and boosting European competitiveness. Through the sharing of best practices, key insights and forward-looking strategies, the Alliance prepares students for the challenges of tomorrow, all the while fostering a collaborative and inclusive European Higher Education Area.

Find more information about the event here. 
Discover more about CHARM-EU and its opportunities!