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Ljubljana – The University of Ljubljana marked the first day of the Eutopia alliance of ten European universities on Monday. The event was dedicated to climate change and sustainable development, where participants emphasized the need for an interdisciplinary approach.
“We need a knowledge-based multidisciplinary approach that includes young people, as they will be the ones living in a world of deep and global changes,” said the head of the European Commission’s representation Jerneja Jug Jerše. The EU’s goal is to become the first climate-neutral international economy by 2050, and universities, together with students and professors involved in projects like Eutopia, will play a key role, she highlighted.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Igor Papič recalled the beginnings of the connection in 2019, when he was still the rector of the University of Ljubljana. Discussions like the one about climate change and sustainability, he said, are an example of how the university can act as a lighthouse of society, providing answers to complex social problems.
“How to achieve unified responses among all fields – natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, humanities – is something we will all have to continue to work on,” he said.
The Eutopia alliance, according to the current rector of the University of Ljubljana Gregor Majdič, brings together ten European universities that are striving to transform higher education by encouraging closer cooperation between universities and disciplines. The aim is to create a common higher education space that will promote the development of education, research, and innovation. The operation of the alliance is funded by the EU. (May 13)