The University of Coimbra hosts the largest EC2U European Forum and reaffirms its commitment to sustainability
The event brings together more than 400 participants from European universities to discuss the future of sustainable communities.
The University of Coimbra is hosting the EC2U Alliance (European Campus of City-Universities) Forum from 19 to 22 May, welcoming over 400 participants. Held under the theme “Preparing Communities for a Sustainable Future”, this is the first time the Forum is taking place in Portugal.
Amílcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra, said the event “demonstrates our active engagement in this European Alliance”, adding that “it has even been cited in Brussels as a model of success.”
The Mayor of Coimbra, José Manuel Silva, also emphasised the strong partnership between the city and the university: “The University is the centre of knowledge, and the city is where that knowledge is put into practice.” He also noted that the city and the University are united in their shared goal of sustainability.
“We are delighted to welcome our ninth member, Umeå University,” said Ludovic Thilly, EC2U’s Executive Coordinator. He expressed his enthusiasm for the continued growth of the network. “This alliance certainly makes the future look brighter,” he added.
João Nuno Calvão da Silva, The UC Vice-Rector for international relations and alumni, emphasised the importance of the meeting: ‘This is the largest EC2U forum to date,’ he said, describing it as ‘a clear statement of our commitment to the values of the European Union’.
More than 40 activities are taking place across the city this week, including panel discussions, a mobility fair, working meetings and networking sessions. These activities aim to strengthen European cooperation in climate action and sustainable urban development.
About EC2U
The European Campus of City-Universities is a multicultural and multilingual European university alliance coordinated by the University of Poitiers, which seeks to create an open and innovative space for seamless mobility between its nine universities and their associated cities. The alliance is based on unique cooperation, involving academic communities, municipalities, regional authorities, socio-economic agents, and citizens.
In addition to the University of Poitiers and the University of Coimbra, EC2U includes Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (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).
