Intra-Alliance Activities and News
Published in December, the announcement of the EMERGE Cultural Programme 2026 marks a significant step for the EMERGE European University Alliance. The initiative reinforces the Alliance’s commitment to cohesion, inclusion, and a shared sense of European belonging—fully aligned with the EU motto “United in diversity.”
At the heart of the EMERGE European Alliance, three student ambassadors from Rennes 2 University are actively promoting international cooperation on campus. Through representation, mobility, intercultural exchange, and fieldwork, they share their experiences and show how this role is shaping their academic and professional paths. Read through the interview here to learn more.
Last week, Rennes 2 University welcomed Reza Tavalla, PhD candidate at the University of A Coruña for a short research stay organized within the framework of the EMERGE European University Alliance. During his visit, he presented his doctoral research at the CREAD research center, engaging in discussions on digital media, youth, nationalism and populism in contemporary Europe.
From October 13–17, 2025, colleagues from the EMERGE Alliance (Empowering the Margins of Europe through Regional and Global Engagement) gathered on the Villejean campus to share ideas, build connections, and strengthen this strategic Alliance. For five days, teams from the nine universities of the EMERGE Alliance are coming together to share experiences, address common challenges, and strengthen cooperation.
From October 13 to 17, the Villejean Campus will come alive with the Erasmus Days, a week of activities, meetings, and creative exchanges celebrating cultural diversity, international collaboration, and the European spirit of openness. Discover the exhibition United in Diversity, which portrays the European Union’s member states through their historical, geographical, and cultural characteristics. It highlights what makes each country unique, while showing how all are united under a shared European project. This exhibition is organized in partnership with the Maison de l’Europe de Rennes and Haute Bretagne – Centre EUROPE DIRECT, and the EMERGE Alliance. Focus on the EMERGE Alliance Partner countries and universities
In September, eight PhD students from Rennes 2 University participated in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) at the University of La Coruña, Spain with other doctoral students of the EMERGE European University Alliance. The week-long event focused on Horizon Europe projects, offering rich exchanges and learning opportunities to remember.
As part of the L’Encyclopédie des migrants exhibition, conceived by the association L’âge de la tortue, Rennes 2 hosted a moving evening of readings on September 30 at the Central Library. Volunteers from the association gave voice to letters written by and about people whose experiences of migration, belonging, and resilience are too often overlooked.
On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Rennes 2 University President Vincent Gouëset, accompanied by a delegation of senior leaders, attended the launch of the EMERGE European University Alliance at the University of Limerick—an event that marked a defining moment for the future of inclusive and interconnected higher education in Europe.
On May 15 -16, 2025, the EMERGE Language Forum officially launched its activities, marking a major milestone in the development of a Plurilingual Language Policy (PLP). The event took place at a two-day hybrid seminar and brought together linguists, language policy experts, and educators to begin the co-design process of alliance comprehensive and inclusive language strategy.
Representing Rennes 2 and the EMERGE alliance were Anne Goarzin, Vice-President for EMERGE, and Lucie Milcent, EMERGE Project Manager. The event provided valuable opportunities to connect with rectors and vice-rectors from European universities and to discuss the future of higher education cooperation. Two round tables focused on the role of European University Alliances in driving collaboration and resilience across Europe and beyond. Discussions explored shared successes, ongoing challenges—such as the future European degree and legal frameworks for alliances—and emphasized the alliances’ role as pillars of stability in uncertain times.
Over the course of two semesters, students and staff from three universities—Rennes 2 University, Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF) in Germany, and Matej Bel University (UMB) in Slovakia—collaborated to develop and deliver the Tridem BIP, an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). Designed to combine virtual learning with a short-term mobility experience, the programme culminated in a dynamic week of intercultural exchange and hands-on learning activities in Rennes and its surrounding region.
