Young universities celebrate successes: YERUN invites you to a debate about the future!

Young universities celebrate successes: YERUN invites you to a debate about the future!

Today, on June 17, 2025, 24 young, research-oriented universities from 17 countries celebrated their tenth anniversary at the “YERUN 10th Anniversary Conference” in Brussels. The network, known as YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network), was founded in 2015 and is based in Brussels. It aims to promote the strategic representation of its members in the EU decision-making process and to strengthen the role of young research universities in European societies. Guests from science, politics and society took part in the event to discuss the future of European university cooperation. The focus was on the topic “Looking Ahead, Growing Together”. uni-bremen.de reported.

The conference began with a panel discussion on the competitiveness of the European research landscape, including Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council. At the same time, panels were organized that dealt with the role of research and innovation in the development of Europe and the international competitiveness of the European higher education system. The research strength of young universities was particularly highlighted, which was illustrated by short lectures from researchers from YERUN members, including the Bremen astrobiologist Cyprien Verseux.

Discussions about challenges and opportunities

Further discussions took place in the afternoon, dealing with questions about promoting scientific careers and the role of artificial intelligence in international research collaborations. Julia Sievers, Head of the Academic Affairs Department at the University of Bremen, represented her university at the conference. It was emphasized that YERUN acts both as a mouthpiece for the research-strong European universities in Brussels and promotes cooperation and the defense of academic freedom, such as wikipedia.org notes.

The event concluded with a keynote speech by Christina Egelund, the Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science. She gave an outlook on the upcoming Danish EU Council Presidency. Dr. Mandy Boehnke, Vice President for International Affairs, Scientific Qualifications and Diversity, expressed the hope that YERUN will further expand its role as a common mouthpiece. She and other participants called for the need for increased collaboration to meet the challenges of the global education landscape.

Growth and changes in the network

Since its founding, YERUN has undergone dynamic development. The organization sees itself as an international non-profit organization that was officially founded on September 16, 2019. The founding members include the University of Bremen, the University of Konstanz and the University of Ulm from Germany as well as numerous universities from other European countries. Over the years, the network has expanded with new members: in 2021, the University of Rijeka (Croatia), the University of Cyprus (Cyprus) and others joined. These continuous expansions emphasize the appeal and relevance of young European universities, such as international-hochschulkooperationen.de reported.

Currently, YERUN is led by a President and an Executive Board consisting of representatives from member universities. The current president, Prof. Dag Rune Olsen from UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, is tasked with advancing the network's mission and vision. This is particularly important as the 2024 figures are expected to show 24 members from 17 European countries, underlining the growing importance of YERUN in the European higher education area.