On 29 September 2026, the#edu4SDGs project was featured during the conference “Towards a Joint European Degree” at Lodz University of Technology in a panel discussion on alternative forms of educational collaboration.
Moderated by Rasma Pīpiķe (Riga Technical University), the panel brought together Daniel Franco from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Rafał Nykiel from Team Coaching, Lina Landinez from the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), and Catarina Alves from Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo (ABD).
Drawing on three years of #edu4SDGs experience, the conversation explored a central challenge for sustainability education: how to move from knowledge to action. The discussion also addressed the role of emotional intelligence, empathy, skills and collaboration in empowering learners to contribute to sustainable change. These themes are central to the #edu4SDGs approach.
The panel complemented the conference’s focus on joint European degrees by exploring other ways in which universities and organisations can collaborate across borders. While joint degrees offer one pathway towards deeper European cooperation, #edu4SDGs demonstrates the potential of collaboration built around shared challenges, innovative learning approaches and competence development.
The conference brought together representatives of higher education institutions from across Europe, including representatives of universities belonging to the ECIU University alliance. This created a particularly relevant setting for #edu4SDGs, as Lodz University of Technology (TUL), the project coordinator, and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), a project partner, are both members of ECIU University. Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo (ABD), another #edu4SDGs partner, is also represented on the ECIU Board.
Against this broader European backdrop, the panel highlighted an important message: European educational cooperation can take many forms, from joint degrees to flexible, challenge-based and competence-oriented initiatives that bring institutions and organisations together around common goals.
