The European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy, and the University of Rijeka, Croatia, are organising their joint institutional event on ‘Strengthening higher education and research across Europe’, which will be held at the University of Rijeka on 27-28 October 2025.

The event marks Croatia’s recent accession to the EUI, and the Institute’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the region, above all through its Widening Europe Programme. The EUI Widening Europe Programme is designed to foster European higher education and research by building bridges between the EUI and national higher education institutions in targeted countries. It offers activities for early-stage researchers, fellows, senior academics, and administrative staff.

• The first day of the event will be opened by high-level representatives from both institutions and local authorities, followed by a presentation of the EUI and a keynote lecture.
• The second day will be dedicated to practical workshops on European Research Council (ERC) projects and on Communications in Research.

List of countries targeted by the EUI Widening Europe Programme:

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

(*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244(1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Please note that this is an invitation-only event.