CLUSTER General Assembly gathers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

CLUSTER international university network recently gathered at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which is celebrating its 200th anniversary. From April 9 to 11, the delegation from Politecnico di Torino - currently chairing the network - coordinated the meetings of the governing bodies and working groups, confirming Politecnico's long-stanting proactive role in defining the network's future strategies.

Over the three days, the Steering Committee, the General Assembly, and the six thematic working groups met. One of the most significant recent developments was the revamping of the Sino-European Engineering Education Platform (SEEEP), an initiative launched by CLUSTER 15 years ago. This platform involves a group of some of the top Chinese technical universities, including four that are ranked in the top 50 and one that is in the top 10 according to the QS ranking. Additionally, a new communication strategy has been launched, which includes updating the website and enhancing social media channels to strengthen CLUSTER's visibility and international impact.

The highlight of the plenary session was the workshop “CLUSTER: a network to coordinate international opportunities,” during which Secretary General Roberto Zanino chaired a round table discussion with representatives of the six European University Alliances involved in the network. The discussion highlighted the potential of CLUSTER as a platform for dialogue and exchange between the Alliances, capable of generating synergies, promoting strategic alignment, and co-designing common tools and initiatives.

Along with the European perspective, the workshop also covered global issues, such as the cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa, introduced by INP Grenoble's Vice President for International Relations, Gülgün Alpan, and the prospects for collaboration with China, presented by IST Lisboa's President, Rogério Colaço.