EUNIS was recently invited to give a virtual panel presentation at the CoDAU Congress (17-18 September 2025) in Milan — the annual national event that brings together directors and senior staff of Italy’s university administrations. This year’s theme focused on balancing competition and collaboration among institutions, and the role of shared infrastructure in addressing complex challenges such as student mobility, digitalisation, and strategic coordination.
With 46 Italian universities involved in European University Alliances, the topic of cross-border collaboration is more relevant than ever. EUNIS President Evelien Renders (SURF) spoke about how EUNIS supports universities in making sense of this complexity, building digital resilience, and connecting local expertise to European policy. Watch the summary video from her presentation.
Giuliano Pozza and Simone Piunno represented EUNIS on site and shared their reflections from the Italian audience:
Simone Piunno (Bocconi University): “European Alliances are a great example of coopetition — joining forces across national borders to build a stronger ecosystem. The audience was impressed by the scale of achievements already reached, and this sparked discussions on how we could collaborate even further, for example on IT and research infrastructure.”
Giuliano Pozza (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, co-leader of the EUNIS AI4ALL Special Interest Group together with Bonaria Biancu): “The contribution of the EUNIS President at the CoDAU Congress was a great example of how European universities are united by common challenges and opportunities. It raised curiosity and questions from the audience, and we believe this can further strengthen the integration of Italian universities in the European context. As EUNIS members, we should continue to promote the engagement of general managers and top decision-makers in our initiatives. It’s a great opportunity to bridge the gap between the digital community and the governance of our organisations.”