CUAS Joins the ACE²EU European University Alliance
On November 1, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) proudly joined the ACE²EU European University Alliance, uniting with esteemed higher education institutions form nine countries: Austria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. The ACE²EU Alliance, which stands for Applied, Connected, Entrepreneurial, and Engaged European University, was established under the European Universities Initiative (EUI), a flagship initiative of the European Commission.
CUAS and the ACE²EU Mission
The mission of ACE²EU is to equip students, staff, researchers, and external stakeholders with the skills and competencies needed to address future challenges collaboratively. This mission is fulfilled by partnering with external stakeholders to create joint learning opportunities and activities across all mission areas of its universities.
CUAS plays a pivotal role in this consortium, taking on exciting projects and responsibilities. The Alliance’s work is organized into distinct activities and operational units, including several key work packages (WPs):
- APP Factory (Applied Programs and Pedagogy Factory - WP2): Develops joint, student-centered, challenge-based learning opportunities, including short programs and full degrees.
- ARIES Incubator (The Applied Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Support Incubator WP3): Stimulates and supports joint research and innovation activities, fosters entrepreneurship, and strengthens the research community.
- SPACE Centre (Societal Partnerships and Cultural Engagement - WP4): Co-creates joint service-to-society activities and promotes cultural awareness.
Spotlight on the ACE²EU SPACE Centre
The SPACE Centre, a flagship initiative of ACE²EU, is headquartered at the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) in Latvia and led by Dr. Ieva Zemite. Its management board includes co-leaders from Austria (CUAS), Spain (University Francisco de Vitoria), and Portugal (Instituto Politécnico de Santarém). The SPACE Centre’s mission is to foster impactful service-to-society initiatives and enhance cultural awareness by collaborating with societal and governmental stakeholders to address pressing social issues. The Centre will officially launch on January 21, 2025. At CUAS, the SPACE Centre activities are rooted in the School of Management. The core CUAS team includes Dr. Marika Gruber, Mélissa Pébayle, Dr. Colin Heller, and WP4 leader Dr. Svetlana Buko. The Centre's initiatives are based on two pillars:
- Social Impactors (SI): A dynamic platform that leverages the Alliance’s expertise to address socio-economic challenges, focusing on: inclusion, multiculturalism and multilingualism, social well-being, dignity, respect, and gender equality. CUAS Lead: Dr. Marika Gruber
- Culture Hub (CH): A collaborative initiative aimed at celebrating and deepening understanding of the diverse cultures within the Alliance. By promoting integration, inclusion, multilingualism, and mutual respect, this hub fosters intercultural collaboration. CUAS Lead: Dr. Colin Heller
“With becoming a full member in an EU-funded European University Alliance, we reached an important strategic goal, which marks the onset of a lasting transformation of our institution. In an increasingly competitive and ever-faster changing environment in the higher educational sector, we consider a strategic and structured collaboration with other universities across Europe and their networks of regional and internationally active companies and organizations to be an essential prerequisite to prepare future generations as well as external stakeholders with the relevant skills and tools to tackle current and future economic, political, and societal challenges. Hence, we at the School of Management see it as our duty to contribute to and shape this major change process right from the beginning and thus support bringing ACE²EU to life.” Dr. Thomas Fenzl, Dean School of Management, CUAS.
Student Engagement
The School of Management actively involves its students in WP4 initiatives. A notable example is the ACE²EU Kaleidoscope Culture Festival, scheduled for 2025 in Ingolstadt, Germany. This event, led by CUAS Intercultural Management student Mariia Marsel Osovska and her team, will celebrate multiculturalism, multilingualism, and inclusion, providing a platform for students to showcase their cultural heritage. The festival is integrated into CUAS’s Project Management module as part of its BA curriculum.
A Europe-Wide Collaboration
The ACE²EU Alliance connects a diverse array of partner institutions:
- Latvia: Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) (WP4 Lead)
- Austria: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) (WP4 Co-lead)
- Portugal: Instituto Politécnico de Santarém (IPSantarém) (WP4 Co-lead)
- Spain: University Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) (WP4 Co-lead)
- Germany: Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI)
- North Macedonia: Goce Delčev University (UGD)
- Poland: Medical University of Gdańsk (MUG)
- Romania: University Constantin Brâncuși Târgu-Jiu (UCB)
- Lithuania: Kauno Technikos Kolegija (KTK) / Lithuanian University of Applied Engineering Sciences (LIK)
For more information, visit:
CUAS International ACE²EU Initiative
ACE²EU Official Website
