T4EU presidency

T4EU aims to further develop its joint governance structure by implementing a rotating presidency, nominating a Secretary General

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About the T4EU presidency

Based on the work-plan of the Transform4Europe alliance’s proposal for the 2nd round of financing from the European Universities program, the rotating presidency has been implemented.

Rotating presidency will function on a yearly basis, with a new partner taking on the presidency from November 1st until October 31st of the following year, each former president becoming vice-president in the next year.

T4EU aims to develop its joint governance structure by implementing a rotating presidency, nominating a Secretary General as a critical figure for the T4EU Alliance, and creating a joint T4EU legal entity. The current Secretary General is Sven Idarand.

Contact: t4eu_secretarygeneral@artun.ee

The Secretary General will support the rotating presidency and, through their involvement, guarantee the continuity of the strategic framework of the whole alliance. The Secretary General and the holder of the presidency will divide the representation duties of the T4EU alliance in its relations with institutions of the EU.

The role of the presidency is neutral and mediating; it should work to facilitate commitments and agreements between the partners and nurture discussions between different management structures of T4EU. The main goal of the presidency is to foster the best work and decision-making between all the partners.

Consortium management structure

Executive Board
President and Vice-President
Steering Committee
Strategic Assembly
Student Council
Joint Offices
Secretary General

T4EU Presidency

2022–2023

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2023–2024

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2024–2025

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2025–2026

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2026–2027

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Current Presidency

About Vytautas Magnus University

VMU is a place where ideas are explored and challenged, where disciplines converge, and minds engage in open dialogue. Re-established in 1989 after decades of imposed limitations, VMU has steadily grown into a prominent institution in the Baltic region, firmly committed to the principles of artes liberales and the pursuit of intellectual development.

VMU fosters a diverse and inclusive academic environment, encompassing a wide array of fields, from humanities and social sciences to the natural sciences, informatics, and the arts. This interdisciplinary approach encourages the exchange of ideas and a holistic understanding of the world.

With a student body representing over 80 countries, VMU cultivates a global perspective and actively participates in international collaborations. The university prioritizes student success by offering personalized learning paths, mentorship opportunities, and a supportive atmosphere that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and personal growth.

VMU is also a seedbed of research activity, focusing on vital areas such as digital transformation, sustainability, and societal change. The university has a proven track record of bringing innovative projects to fruition, collaborating with businesses, and contributing to advancements both within Lithuania and on a global scale.

VMU’s Vision for the Alliance:
Forging a Future of Collaborative Entrepreneurship

Vytautas Magnus University, leading the T4EU alliance, envisions a future where universities are not just centers of learning but hubs of collaborative entrepreneurship. We believe in empowering individuals to become agents of change, equipped to tackle complex challenges with ingenuity and a spirit of cooperation. This means going beyond traditional notions of entrepreneurship, embracing a broader definition that encompasses social impact, sustainable solutions, and the resourceful allocation of existing knowledge and technologies to create something new and valuable.

We see collaboration as the cornerstone of this vision – connecting disciplines, bridging institutions, and fostering a global network of knowledge entrepreneurs who work together to shape a better tomorrow. In 2025, VMU invites all T4EU partners to focus our collective efforts on the following key areas: continuous learning, visionary and ethical leadership, innovative and creative thinking, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinarity and inclusivity, all with a strong emphasis on sustainable development.

Our focus

Continuous Learning in the Age of Transformation: Equipping students and staff with the skills to navigate a rapidly changing world, embracing lifelong learning, and adapting to emerging global trends.
Visionary and Ethical Leadership: Championing the universities’ role as a driving force of intellectual leadership, fostering ethical decision-making, and promoting social responsibility. We’ll encourage a renewed focus on the Idea of a University, emphasizing its visionary leadership and societal impact.
Interdisciplinarity and Inclusivity: Briding the gaps between disciplines, fostering collaboration, and embracing diverse perspectives to address complex global issues.
Innovative and Creative Thinking: Cultivating a culture of experimentation, risk-taking, and “learning by doing” to spark groundbreaking solutions. By promoting innovative and creative entrepreneurship, we seek to empower individuals to tackle global issues and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Key Initiatives and Activities

Policy Brief: Resilience as a Core Competency in Higher Education

Purpose and Rationale

This policy paper, developed by the Transform4Europe Alliance, addresses a critical gap in European higher education: the lack of a coherent and shared approach to resilience as a long-term institutional capacity. In an era marked by overlapping disruptions—from geopolitical instability and ecological crises to digital transformation and democratic fragility—universities must ensure both continuity and innovation. This requires us to reframe resilience as a value-based transformative capacity, which must be carefully embedded into organizational governance, learning processes and external engagement.

Proposed Innovation

For the first time, resilience is conceptualised as a multi-level institutional competence—operational at individual, organisational, and ecosystemic levels. The paper positions resilience not as reactive emergency management but as a foundational dimension of higher education strategy and collaboration. It introduces a shared definition and actionable pathways for universities and policymakers to operationalise resilience systemically.

Key Contributions

A unified definition of resilience as a core competence for learners, staff, and institutions
Concrete recommendations for universities, national governments, and EU bodies on integrating resilience into policies, practices, and quality assurance
Strategic alignment with major EU frameworks including the European Strategy for Universities, the European Skills Agenda, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs)
A compelling illustration based on the wartime experience of Ukrainian universities, demonstrating how adaptive leadership, agile governance, and civic mission can sustain academic continuity under extreme disruption

Impact and Relevance

The paper offers a forward-looking strategy to embed resilience as a cornerstone of sustainable and future-proof higher education. It empowers institutional leaders, national authorities, and European stakeholders to move from reactive adaptation toward anticipatory transformation. In doing so, it strengthens the role of higher education in ensuring knowledge sovereignty, social cohesion, and democratic resilience across Europe.

The full policy document is anticipated by the end of the year. Please monitor for further official updates and the final release notification.

VMU’s goals and priorities

Shared Knowledge:Foster a stimulating exchange of research and expertise among T4EU members, enabling collaborative projects and mutual learning, ultimately promoting knowledge entrepreneurship.
Open Doors:Expand student and faculty mobility, creating opportunities for cross-alliance exchange and lasting connections.
New Frontiers:Develop joint academic programs that transcend disciplines, fostering innovation and addressing global challenges.
Global Impact:Raise the international profile of the T4EU alliance, highlighting its commitment to collaborative entrepreneurship and its contribution to knowledge creation, economic progress, and societal progress. By fostering strong connections with social partners across various sectors, the alliance will cultivate a dynamic and inclusive community that values diverse perspectives.

A Message from the Rector

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) is proud to undertake the presidency of Transform4Europe (T4EU) Alliance for the forthcoming year and to offer the partnership a path towards solidifying our commons efforts and ambitions.

For the year 2025 VMU invites all the partners to muster our endeavours along the axes of: continuous learning, visionary and ethical leadership, innovative and creative thinking as well as interdisciplinarity and inclusivity. Professional excellence will be brought into spotlight by strengthening community competence development, fostering civic engagement and nurturing social responsibility. We will urge to reconsider the Idea of a University in the contemporary society brushing up its visionary and leadership role for societal impact and advancement. Global threats and uncertainties, environmental and geopolitical challenges as well as cultural issues will be addressed by fostering innovative and creative entrepreneurship spirit. Moreover, stronger connections and dialogue with social partners, including businesses, industries, and cultural institutions, will further contribute to a more vibrant, inclusive and interconnected community where everybody’s identities are acknowledged and appreciated and where attitudes and opinions are freely voiced and shared.

We believe that by working together and sharing our knowledge, we can make a real difference. We see universities as vibrant hubs where people connect, collaborate, and come up with innovative solutions to the world’s challenges. We believe, that working with a diverse community of partners – businesses, artists, politicians, and members of local community – we can contribute to positive transformation for home societies and Europewide.