10 March 2026
This year, Maastricht University hosted the YUFE Alliance’s Annual Strategic Forum. Over three sunny days, stakeholders from across the YUFE community gathered to reflect on the alliance’s achievements and chart the next steps toward a more connected, inclusive, and resilient European higher education landscape.
This year’s event brought together University Rectors, the Student Forum Executive Board, Institutional Coordinators, and YUFE Task Leaders from the ten partner universities, all eager to shape the future of YUFE.
The first day started off with a collaborative session aimed at refining how we define and communicate YUFE’s impact through our different activities. The team at Maastricht University hosted a guided tour of the city, offering participants a journey through history, from its Roman roots to its fundamental role in the creation of the Euro. The day ended with a welcome dinner, offering the opportunity for colleagues across the Alliance to reconnect and to catch up since the last Strategic Forum.
The second day opened with inspiring welcome words from Prof. Dr. Jan Smits, Interim Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University, and Jaqueline Prado, YUFE Student Forum President. Both speakers outlined an ambitious vision for the future of the Alliance. As Maastricht University is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Forum offered a perfect moment for the YUFE community to celebrate together, with a great keynote from Associate Professor Dr. Gideon Koekoek, who reminded us of the important role university alliances play in connecting science to society.
We followed with a poster session where key YUFE Task leaders presented the progress reports from the past year, highlighting the impact of our recent activities while providing a clear outlook on our future priorities. The afternoon featured three parallel sessions focused on YUFE’s strategic direction, international education, and innovation, all working toward the shared goal of strengthening our impact as a University alliance.
The second day concluded with a prestigious dinner at Château Neercanne: the historic site of the 1991 EU summit talks that led to the Maastricht Treaty. Against this symbolic backdrop of European unity, we held the 2025 YUFE Outstanding Collaboration Award Ceremony, celebrating the winning teams whose partnership and hard work continue to drive our Alliance forward.
On the final day, we focused on the road ahead, as the YUFE Central Office presented a review of the past year’s achievements alongside a strategic outlook for the future. This closing session also provided a platform for the Student Forum representatives to share their insights and collaborative ideas for driving the Alliance’s innovation.
Overall, the YUFE Annual Strategic Forum served as a collective reflection on YUFE’s trajectory within the European higher education landscape. Every participant contributed to the dialogue, leaving Maastricht with shared energy and a clear commitment to the next steps of our journey. We share the same sentiment as Maria-Valerie Schegk, Secretary General, that we “return home full of inspiration after gathering with our YUFE community.”
A special thanks to Prof. Dr. Jan Smits and the entire YUFE team at Maastricht University for their exceptional hospitality. It was truly a breath of fresh air to move our vision forward within such a beautiful and historic setting!
