Registrations open for the Coimbra Group Annual Conference & General Assembly 2025 in Bologna
07 April 2025
The Coimbra Group is proud to announce that registrations are now open for its Annual Conference and General Assembly 2025, hosted by the University of Bologna from 10 to 13 June. This year marks a special milestone as the network celebrates its 40th anniversary, under the overarching theme:
“Forty Years of Impact: Universities and Cities Shaping a Sustainable Future”
Since its foundation in 1985, the Coimbra Group has worked to foster academic collaboration, mobility, and shared values among Europe’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The 2025 edition of the Annual Conference will honour this legacy while looking to the future – especially focusing on the essential role of universities and cities in building sustainable societies.
Spotlight on the Poitiers Declaration
At the heart of the programme is the Poitiers Declaration, an initiative launched by the Coimbra Group in 2016 to champion stronger and more structured cooperation between universities and their cities. As we reflect on nearly a decade of its implementation, the 2025 Conference will serve as a platform to evaluate its impact and explore new avenues for collaboration in the context of sustainability and civic engagement.
Two open conferences
As part of the week-long programme, two open conferences will be held:
- 11 June – Universities and the Environment:
Building on the discussions of the Coimbra Group Climate Symposium held in March 2025 in Durham, this conference will explore the role of higher education institutions in addressing environmental challenges and driving climate action. - 12 June – Rectors and Mayors Roundtable:
This high-level dialogue will bring together university rectors and city mayors to discuss current university-city partnerships, share best practices, and identify new pathways for strategic cooperation.
Main highlights
As in every edition, all Coimbra Group Working Groups will hold their annual meetings, many of which will include joint workshops and collaborative events, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue and shared learning.
Additional highlights of the week include:
- An Open Session on the European Universities Alliances titled: “How to handle the social responsibility with the Alliances?” – a timely and critical discussion on the societal impact of this major EU initiative.
- For the third consecutive year, the joint meeting of the Coimbra Group Universities with their Erasmus Student Network (ESN) local sections, to take stock of the implementation of the MoU between CG and ESN and decide further steps.
- A dissemination event of the Erasmus+ project EUniverse, focused on improving students’ mobility by implementing European values and civic engagement learning.
- The exciting final of the Coimbra Group 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) Competition, showcasing brilliant PhD candidates from member universities.
- And of course, the Annual General Assembly, where representatives will review achievements and plan for the future of the network.
Join us in Bologna
All relevant information, including the online registration form (open until 15 May) and the detailed programme, is available on the event website. We warmly invite colleagues from our member universities to take part in this special celebration of 40 years of impact.
In the meanwhile, don’t forget to keep updated with our activities and developments through the Coimbra Group social networks, and follow the hashtags #CoimbraGroup2025 and #CG40Years!