On 20 November 2025, the historic main building of the University of Vienna was transformed into a lively hub for international cooperation and academic dialogue. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Circle U., more than two hundred students, researchers, staff members and European partners gathered to honour the values that underpin the Alliance: interdisciplinarity, openness, innovation, and the shared ambition to build the future of the European university.
The official ceremony, centred on the theme “Celebrate Five Years of Circle U.: From Education and Research to Impact”, began with opening speeches delivered by Sebastian Schütze, Rector of the University of Vienna, and Julia von Blumenthal, President of Circle U. and Rector of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. They reviewed the achievements of the past five years and highlighted the role of the Alliance in strengthening European cooperation across education, research and society.
This was followed by two keynote lectures under the title “Global Health Meets AI”, addressing two crucial global challenges: health and artificial intelligence. Professors Robert Boehm and Joerg Menche demonstrated how interdisciplinary research at the University of Vienna can contribute to innovative and sustainable solutions. After a brief musical interlude came the PhD Impact Talks: concise, engaging presentations by PhD candidates from across the Alliance, coordinated by Marco Masia, Head of Entrepreneurship at the University of Vienna. A concrete demonstration of Circle U.’s commitment to supporting young researchers and fostering projects with real societal impact. The University of Pisa was represented by Guglielmo Arzilli, a PhD student of the National PhD Programme in Artificial Intelligence.
The closing remarks conveyed a clear message: Circle U. is a bridge connecting people, disciplines and ideas, overcoming geographical and cultural boundaries. The Alliance continues to grow and open new opportunities for students, staff and researchers, reminding us that genuine collaboration is rooted in human connection.
A particularly symbolic moment was the celebration of the Alliance’s fifth anniversary with a dedicated cake. The ceremonial cutting was performed by Professor Giovanni Federico Gronchi, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations of the University of Pisa and Chair of the Circle U. Management Board, together with Kevin Guillaume, Secretary General of the Alliance. Also in attendance were Rector Riccardo Zucchi and a delegation of academics, technical-administrative staff, PhD candidates and students — including the four Circle U. Ambassadors from the University of Pisa — who contribute actively to the Alliance’s development.
The event also featured a Poster Session, offering an overview of the projects developed within Circle U.’s partner universities — evidence of original and cross-cutting collaborations pursued by students, researchers and administrative staff.
“Celebrating five years of Circle U. means recognising the strength of a shared vision of the European university: open, innovative, and deeply committed to its societal impact,” comments Professor Giovanni Federico Gronchi, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations and Chair of the Circle U. Management Board. “For the University of Pisa, being part of Circle U. is not only a strategic choice but a concrete commitment to building opportunities for students, researchers and staff. Over the past year alone, we have made a significant contribution to the life of the Alliance by organising initiatives centred on interdisciplinary education, responsible innovation and engagement with the local community: from the Tenuta Lab, dedicated to sustainability and social innovation, to the Sustainable Wine Intensive Week, and the Summer School Towards Human-Centered, Inclusive, and Equitable Artificial Intelligence, developed within the AI Knowledge Hub, which we coordinate together with the University of Belgrade.”
“Looking at Vienna and at the enthusiasm of this celebration, it is clear how solid and constructive the collaboration among our nine universities has become,” Professor Gronchi continues. “Circle U. is much more than an alliance — it is a community of people who share ideas, energy and responsibility. Above all, it is a platform where students can grow, experiment and imagine their European future. The next five years present both a challenge and an opportunity. As the University of Pisa, we will continue to work with conviction to support the development of Circle U., strengthening its educational and scientific impact and contributing to the creation of an authentic European university — more inclusive, more sustainable, and more responsive to society’s needs.”
