The extraordinary meeting of rectors of SEA-EU was dominated by discussions on the development of Joint Programmes, the expansion of the alliance, and the acquisition of legal status. The event was hosted by the University of Gdańsk on 29 July.
Rector of the University of Gdańsk prof. Piotr Stepnowski opened the meeting by outlining the most crucial challenges currently facing the alliance of the coastal universities. During the meeting, participants reviewed the consortium’s achievements to date and outlined strategic directions for the coming months.
One of the main discussion points was the issue of formalising the alliance by granting it legal status. This is a key element of the current SEA-EU 2.0 development phase, expected to strengthen the partnership’s governance and operational functioning.
Participants also discussed the prospect of collaborating with the Maltese representatives to the European Union to establish a SEA-EU office in Brussels. This office would act as a coordination centre and support the raising of funds for joint scientific, research and educational initiatives.
Other key agenda items included a strategy for securing continued funding beyond 2027 and preparations for the November Governing Board meeting, which will take place at the University of Parthenope in Naples. Participants also agreed on the key programme issues to be addressed at this meeting.
The first successes of the joint study programmes were welcomed: SeaBluE (awarding 28 scholarships), STORM (awarding 12 scholarships) and MIPMAL (awarding 14 scholarships). The rectors also discussed the next steps in developing the academic offering within the alliance.
The final part of the meeting was dedicated to the potential expansion of the consortium with a new institutional partner as part of the planned SEA-EU 3.0 phase. This discussion was led by the rector of the University of Cádiz prof. Casimiro Mantell.
