Universities with Purpose

Advancing the Third Mission through Engagement, Knowledge Valorisation and Leadership

Friday, November 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM CET

Maison Irène et Frédéric Joliot Curie

100 Rue du Trône 1050 Ixelles | Brussels, Belgium

Showtime!

Universities with Purpose: Advancing the Third Mission through Engagement, Knowledge Valorization, and Leadership

On 28 November 2025, YUFE will hold a capacity-building forum at the Maison Irène et Frédéric Joliot-Curie in Brussels. This event will focus on the pivotal role European Universities play in fostering societal progress and contributing to economic and social development through effective knowledge leverage.

This forum will bring together academic leaders, policymakers, students and community stakeholders from across Europe to engage in debate about the increasing importance of universities in addressing societal challenges. Through three panels, participants will have a chance to discuss, reflect on, and explore various approaches and strategies for cultivating a more socially responsive and impactful higher education sector.

Prof. Daniel Mouchard, President of the YUFE Alliance, will open the forum by initiating discussions on the future of universities in Europe. Participants will be invited to reimagine universities as dynamic and entrepreneurial entities, capable of generating value not only through knowledge discovery but also through its dissemination and application for the benefit of the community. A key element in achieving these ambitious goals is the embrace of inclusive leadership. This approach ensures that diverse voices and perspectives are not only heard but actively sought out and integrated into decision-making processes.

This forum will offer representatives from European Universities a prime opportunity to showcase their initiatives and share effective methods for disseminating their best practices.

Meet Our Speakers

Imagine the University of the Future brings together university leaders, policymakers, students, and community partners to explore how higher education can drive societal change. Our speakers will share diverse perspectives on civic engagement, innovation, citizen science, and inclusive leadership, inviting us to rethink what universities can become.

Daniel Mouchard-Zay

President of Sorbonne Nouvelle University, President of the YUFE Alliance, Vice-President of the Council for International and European Relations of France Universités, Professor of Political Science

Daniel Mouchard is a professor of political science at the Institute of European Studies, specialized on political sociology and political theory applied to European issues. Director of the Faculty of Languages, Literatures, Foreign Cultures and Societies from 2018 to 2023, he served as Deputy Director, then Director of USN's Institute of European Studies (2006-2008), and Vice-President of the Board of Directors (2008-2010). Between 2010 and 2018, he worked as an advisor in the office of the Mayor of Paris, then as chief of staff to the Deputy Mayor for higher education, research, and student life.

Carle Bonafous-Murat

Senior Liaison Officer Brussels Office, France Universités.

Vanessa Debiais-Sainton

Member of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu at the European Commission

Dr Anastasia Constantinou

Senior Officer and Head of the Innovation Management Sector at the Research and Innovation Support Service of the University of Cyprus (UCY) & YUFE Institutional Coordinator for UCY

Dr Anastasia Constantinou has been actively involved in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship activities of YUFE, has co-coordinated the Horizon 2020 SwafS project YUFERING to transform the YUFE Alliance R&I and KT strategies and policies and has had a leading role in the other YUFE projects related to Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Inno4YUFE and DIOSI). She is currently a member of the YUFE Alliance Executive Committee and of the Impact Assessment Working Group.

Daria Glavan Šćulac

Strategic Lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Strategic Lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the YUFE Alliance, the Diversity Officer at the University of Rijeka, and Deputy Chair of its Gender Equality Council. She is actively involved in shaping and implementing institutional policies that promote inclusion, equality, and safety in academia.

Karen Bush

Former YUFE ED&I lead and HR professional

Karen Bush is a Human Resources professional who specialises in the field of equity, diversity, and inclusion. She works with senior leaders to create environments where differences are embraced and individuals can flourish, leading to long-term value to both organisations and society. Karen is currently on a career break to fulfil her multi-generational caring responsibilities.

Snježana Prijić Samaržija

Former Rector of the University of Rijeka (UNIRI)

Snježana Prijić Samaržija is a professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Rijeka. Before completing her two mandates as Rector of UNIRI, she spent eight years serving as the Vice-Rector for Students and Studies. She was President of the Rectors Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, President of YERUN and the Alpe-Adriatic Rectors Conference, as well as a member of the Strategy Council of the European Alliance YUFE. She is a member of the Steering Committee for Education and a member of the Subgroup for Higher Education Policies at the Council of Europe.

Professor Tasos Christofides

Rector of the University of Cyprus (UCY) & Member of the YUFE Strategic Council

He is currently the only Rector, founding member of the YUFE Alliance, since he has been in office from the beginning of YUFE and is one of YUFE's most passionate supporters.

Tasos has been a member of the Academic Staff of UCY, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, since its foundation in 1991. He is on the editorial board of four international journals of probability and statistics and has provided consulting services for various organizations including the Statistical Service of Cyprus. He has served on various National and International scientific and expert committees, among them the European Statistical Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee of the Greek Statistical System. He is the current President of the Cyprus Statistical Society.

Aleksandar Šušnjar

Director of the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR)

Before taking up this role in 2024, he was employed at the University of Rijeka, where he acted as the YUFE Institutional Coordinator. His other professional experience includes different initiatives dealing with European cooperation, higher education quality, social dimension, student engagement, and qualification frameworks.

Bojana Ćulum Ilić

Full Professor at the University of Rijeka

Zoran Grozdanov

Associate Professor of theology at the University Center for Protestant Theology "Matthias Flacius Illyricus" at the University of Zagreb

Nathalie Ummels

Coordinator Mondiaal Maastricht, Coordinator Refugee Project Maastricht & Earth Charter Educator

Nathalie Ummels is the coordinator of Refugee Project Maastricht (RPM), a volunteer-led organisation that connects refugees, students and local residents in Maastricht. She oversees a wide range of activities such as language sessions, buddy programmes, cultural days, children’s and arts clubs, enabling more than 1,200 participants per month to feel seen, heard and included.

Inés Huergo González

Student of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Communities of Practice for Promoting Equality in the Digital Environment Project (COPID)

Master’s student in Advanced Studies in Human Rights at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where she previously obtained a Law Degree with a specialization in International Law and a minor in Humanities. She is currently a researcher at the Gregorio Peces-Barba Human Rights Institute, where she coordinates the project Communities of Practice to Promote Equality in the Digital Environment.

Roger Heijmans

Talent Bridger & E³UDRES² Community Manager

Barbara Tan

Head Creativity & Entrepreneurship Office at the University of Antwerp

Gareth O'Neill

Principal Consultant at the Technopolis Group

Cedric Vuye

Associate Professor at the University of Antwerp

Cedric Vuye is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Applied Engineering, research group SuPAR (Sustainable Pavements and Asphalt Research). He is the program director and lab coordinator of the Department of Construction Engineering. His research primarily focuses on adding functional capabilities to pavement surface layers, such as noise reduction, air purification, and even harnessing energy.