Post by European University Association

How do we deliver ‘a university of value’ when the coordinates we rely on keep on changing? 🌀 European universities face a paradox: Society expects them to contribute to addressing increasingly complex challenges such as skills shortages, democratic resilience, economic competitiveness and technological disruption, while the financial and political conditions needed to meet those expectations are eroding. 📈🎓📉 💶 Public funding is tightening, costs are rising and international collaboration is now entangled with geopolitics and uneven financial commitments. So what does it mean to steer a university toward value in this environment? During the 2026 EUA Funding Forum, this panel brings together leaders who are navigating these tensions in real time and must manage the trade-offs behind financial sustainability: • What missions can we still afford? • What missions can we not afford to abandon? • And how do we make strategic choices when every choice has a cost? We will also look to the future of international collaboration. If partnerships are essential but expensive, how do we build models that are resilient, equitable and worth the investment? 🎤 Panellists: • Hester Bijl, Rector Magnificus, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands • Bernhard Fügenschuh, Rector, Universität Salzburg, Austria • Alessandra Petrucci, Rector, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy Register for #EUAFF26 before 2 September to benefit from the early registration fee, and to be able to attend this and more discussions on university funding 🔗 Link to register: https://bit.ly/li_EUAFF26