European Campus of City-Universities meets in Portugal for the first time to explore paths towards a sustainable future
Under the theme "Preparing Communities for a Sustainable Future," the meeting of the nine European universities currently part of EC2U, including the UC, will bring together around 400 participants in Coimbra from 19 to 22 May.
The University of Coimbra (UC), together with the Coimbra Academic Association (AAC), Coimbra City Council (CM de Coimbra), and the Erasmus Student Network Coimbra (ESN Coimbra), will host the EC2U – European Campus of City-Universities forum in Portugal for the first time, from 19 to 22 May (Monday to Thursday). During the four-day event, around 400 participants from various countries are expected to visit the city.
Under the theme "Preparing Communities for a Sustainable Future," the meeting of the nine European universities currently part of EC2U – the University of Poitiers (France), the University of Coimbra (UC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi (Romania), the University of Salamanca (Spain), the University of Pavia (Italy), the University of Turku (Finland), Johannes Kepler University Linz (Austria), and Umeå University (Sweden) – aims to encourage deep reflection on the challenges cities and higher education institutions face in becoming more sustainable, while also promoting best practices for climate action.
The event will feature over 40 activities designed for the different groups taking part in the Forum, including students, university staff, municipal representatives and the general public. Throughout the week, there will be meetings of various EC2U working groups and municipalities, networking activities, a mobility fair, a science competition, and panels reflecting on sustainable development and climate action.
The official launch of the EC2U Forum will take place on Tuesday 20 May at 8:15 pm at Quinta das Lágrimas, bringing together the entire Alliance community. The session, conducted in English, will feature speeches by the Rector of the University of Coimbra, Amílcar Falcão; the Vice-Rector João Nuno Calvão da Silva; the Mayor of the city, José Manuel Silva; the General Coordinator of the EC2U Alliance, Ludovic Thilly; the Rector of Umeå University, Tora Holmberg; and the President of the General Directorate of the Coimbra Academic Association (AAC), Carlos Magalhães, who will represent the student community.
On Wednesday 21 May, the activities at Convento São Francisco will be open to the UC community and the general public from 10 am to 7.30 pm.
The programme for the EC2U Forum in Coimbra is available here.
Activities on 21 May | Convento São Francisco
Think Tank “Climate Quest” | 10:00–11:30 | Foyer
During this session, the results and best practices from the various local editions of the Think Tank – held at EC2U universities and dedicated to the theme “Resilience to Climate Change in Cities and Communities” – will be presented in an interactive format with participants.
EC2U Mobility Fair | 12:00–13:00 | Foyer
The universities of the EC2U alliance will introduce themselves to the community and to all potential students interested in undertaking their studies (or part of them) at one of the EC2U alliance universities.
Citizen Science | 13:30–15:00 | Auditorium*
Organised jointly with the alliance’s partner institutions (especially municipalities), this session aims to showcase projects and initiatives involving active public participation in scientific research, promoting collaboration between citizens and professionals to solve problems and generate knowledge.
Students’ Voice | 15:30–17:00 | Auditorium*
In this session, students will present their proposals to address various challenges related to sustainability and climate action – including renewable energy solutions, eco-anxiety, sustainable mobility, and creation of green spaces – in a contest similar to “Shark Tank”.
Science Contest | 17:30–19:30 | Auditorium*
The University of Coimbra, the University of Pavia and the University of Poitiers will compete in this scientific battle. This “science battle” is a competition promoted by EC2U to bring the community closer to science. Throughout the session, scientists from each team will creatively respond to questions previously submitted by the audience.