The Circle U. General Assembly and Management Board meetings took place on 26 May at the University of Belgrade. The European alliance brings together nine partner universities, including the University of Pisa. Rectors, vice-rectors, student representatives and members of the alliance governance discussed the future direction of Circle U., the development of the Open Campus ecosystem, and the impact of funding programmes supporting inter-university collaboration.
During the meeting, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin President Julia von Blumenthal was confirmed for an additional year as President of Circle U. At the same time, University of Pisa Rector Riccardo Zucchi was appointed Vice-President of the alliance.
One of the main topics of discussion was the evaluation of the Seed Funding programme, active since 2021. Over the past five years, the programme has received 235 applications and funded more than 60 collaborative projects, involving around 1,000 academics, researchers, students and administrative staff. The initiative has generated 111 tangible outcomes, including workshops, courses, research activities, publications and international collaborative networks, while also expanding mobility and exchange opportunities among partner universities.
Significant attention was also devoted to the development of the Open Campus, Circle U.’s shared learning platform, which currently offers 113 credit-bearing courses, 52 extracurricular educational activities and 34 Blended Intensive Programmes. Key achievements include the development of 36 sustainability modules and the upcoming launch, in September 2026, of the alliance’s first joint master’s programme, the MA in European Public Governance.
Alongside the institutional meetings, the University of Belgrade also hosted the public discussion “Universities Under Pressure: Academic Freedom, Democracy, and European Solidarity”, focusing on academic freedom and the role of universities in contemporary European society, also in light of the recent student mobilisations in Serbia.
The University of Pisa delegation included Rector Riccardo Zucchi, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations and Chair of the Management Board Giovanni Federico Gronchi, together with Paola Cappellini and Arianna Biancani from the International Cooperation Unit.
