Governance and organisational structure
CHARM-EU is the Challenge-driven, Accessible, Research-based, and Mobile European University Alliance working to co-create a new, innovative model for European Higher Education in line with the European Values, the European Green Deal, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The CHARM-EU governance is flat, flexible and bottom-up, and allows the innovators to take the lead. It requires an interconnected structure at the Alliance level and between member universities.
Here you’ll find a brief outline of CHARM-EU’s governance structure, management, terms of reference and supporting teams.
CHARM-EU Governance structure
STRATEGIC BOARD
The Strategic Board is responsible for approving the strategic decisions for the Alliance. It oversees the Alliance’s strategy, membership, new programmes and projects, finances and general management.
Prof. Joan Guàrdia Olmos (UB)
Rector of the University of Barcelona (UB) (Chair as coordinating institution)
Joan Guàrdia Olmos is a professor of Methodology of Behavioural Sciences at the Faculty of Psychology. He arrived at the University of Barcelona as a student of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, and he combined these studies with Psychology studies. Expert on statistics and the systematic study of human behaviour, he has given lectures at the Faculty of Psychology, but also in the faculties of Pharmacy, Economics and Business, Geography and History, Nursing, Education, and Biology. He has given seminars and courses and has supervised doctoral theses in different national and international universities. Guàrdia has published more than 30 books and more than 260 science articles, apart from being the principal researcher of many research projects. He has held several positions in academic management and is now a member of the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB and the Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), where he does research on quantitative and computational neuroscience.
Prof. Linda Doyle
Provost, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Linda Doyle is the 45th Provost of Trinity College Dublin. She was appointed by student and staff representatives and came into office in 2021. Provost Doyle served previously as Trinity’s Dean & Vice President of Research and was the founding Director of CONNECT, the Science Foundation Ireland research centre for future communication networks. Prior to her appointment as Provost, she was Trinity’s Professor of Engineering and The Arts. With expertise in the fields of wireless communications, cognitive radio, reconfigurable networks, spectrum management and creative arts practices, she has served as Chair of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board in the UK and has been a member of the Open Research Europe Scientific Advisory Board. As well as her contributions to research and the arts, the Provost is an advocate for women in engineering and computer science. She holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from University College Cork and an MSc, PhD, and PGDIP STATS from Trinity College Dublin. She is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford.
Prof. Dr. Henk Kummeling (UU)
Rector Magnificus , University of Utrecht (UU)
Henk Kummeling (1961) has been Rector Magnificus of Utrecht University since 1 June 2018. He studied law in Nijmegen and obtained his doctorate there in 1988. This was followed by an appointment as a Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law at Tilburg University. Henk Kummeling has been a Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at Utrecht University since 1995. Between 2008 and 2014, he was Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics, Governance and Organisation (LEG). In 2015, the Executive Board appointed him as a distinguished professor. This appointment is a recognition of his great scientific track record. Education and research form the connecting thread in his career, which he has pursued both within and outside the academic world. More interdisciplinarity in research and education, internationalisation, small-scale and intensive education and further social anchoring of the university are important points of attention for Henk Kummeling.
Prof. László Borhy (ELTE)
Rector of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Budapest
László Borhy graduated in Archaeology from the Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University in 1988, and received his PhD in Roman Provincial Archaeology from the same university in 1996. His research focuses on Archaeology and History of Roman Pannonia, Latin Epigraphics, Roman Military History, Roman Arts and Sources of Later Roman Military History. Prof. Borhy has published nearly 100 papers in the field of Roman Archaeology. Currently, he is professor of archaeology at ELTE. Between 2015-2017 he served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, since August of 2017 he is Rector of ELTE. He was awarded the Prize of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2007. Since 2013 he is Corresponding Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Philippe Augé (UM)
President, University of Montpellier (UM)
Philippe Augé is a professor of public law specializing in tax law, tax procedures and public finances. President of University of Montpellier 1 (UM1) from 2009 to 2014, he led the merger of two universities (UM1 and UM2) to create, on January 1, 2015, University of Montpellier (UM), of which he was elected president and re-elected in 2019. The University of Montpellier was awarded the I-SITE label in 2017 with the “Montpellier University of Excellence” project focusing on three societal challenges: Nourish – Care – Protect. This program of excellence was made permanent in March 2022, a few months after the university became an experimental public institution and Philippe Augé was re-elected for a 4-year term.
Prof. Mikael Lindfelt (AAU)
Rector of Åbo Akademi University
Mikael Lindfelt is Professor of Systematic Theology, especially theological ethics, philosophy of religion and philosophy of life. Lindfelt also holds degrees and excellence awards in philosophy and sports studies. He was appointed Rector of Åbo Akademi University on 1 February 2022, but before that he was Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology (2017–2019) and Vice-rector for Education (2019–2022). In his field of research, Lindfelt has published and edited 13 books and a total of about 70 articles. He has led and been active in several national interdisciplinary research projects, where theological and ethical perspectives have been part of natural, psychological and life science projects. In addition to being Rector of Åbo Akademi University, Lindfelt is a member of the board of Novia University of Applied Sciences, a member of the board of Science Park in Turku and a member of the board of the Academica Foundation in Stockholm.
Prof. Paul Pauli (JMU)
President of the University of Würzburg
Paul Pauli studied psychology at the University of Tübingen and later held positions as a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich and as a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Medical Psychology and Psychosomatics at the Technical University of Munich.
He completed his doctorate in 1991 and earned his habilitation in medical psychology at the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology at the University of Tübingen in 1997. From 2000 to 2001, he held the Chair of Clinical Psychology Research at the University of Southampton, England. Since 2001, Paul Pauli has held the Chair of Psychology I, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at JMU. His research interests include anxiety disorders, pain and addiction. He is president of JMU since April 2021.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Susanne Staude (HRW)
President of the Hochschule Ruhr West
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Susanne Staude graduated in 1998 in Special Environmental Engineering from Brunel University in the UK. After finishing her studies, she worked in the UK and Germany as a development engineer in the automotive industry before moving to Cologne University of Applied Sciences in 2003. From October 2006 to October 2010, Susanne Staude was a research assistant at the Chair of Thermodynamics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. In February 2011, she completed her doctorate at the University of Duisburg-Essen on the topic of “Mechanistic Investigations on Premixed Laminar Flames” and has been Professor of Thermodynamics at the Institute of Energy Systems and Energy Economics at the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences since March 2011. In October 2015, she was appointed Vice President for Learning and Teaching, and in 2018 she became interim President at Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences. Susanne Staude was elected as President in 2019. Since then, she has strongly promoted internationalization and the dissemination of the European Idea within Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences.
Rector Margareth Hagen (UiB)
Rector at the UiB
Margareth Hagen is the rector at UiB and a professor of Italian Literature. She has broad organizational and managerial experience at UiB, including roles as Head of Research at the Department of Foreign Languages and leading the Equality Committee. She served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities until July 2017. Hagen’s research has focused on the relationship between poetics, literature, and history in 16th-century Italy. Recently, she has explored issues at the intersection of the humanities and natural sciences. She is a central member of the Literature and Science research group, which aims to bridge the gap between these two disciplines. Hagen has led several key initiatives at UiB, such as revising the strategic plan, developing the Policy for Young Researchers, and establishing UiB’s Brussels office.
Executive Board
The Executive Board executes the strategic decisions approved by the Strategic Board and is responsible for tactical and operational matters.
Members of the board
- Meritxell Chaves, CHARM-EU Secretary General
- Sergio Villanueva, CHARM-EU Director at the University of Barcelona
- Jake Byrne, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Trinity College Dublin
- Doris Alexander, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Trinity College Dublin
- Jan Haarhuis, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Utrecht University
- Bert van den Brink, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Utrecht University
- Gilles Subra, CHARM-EU Director at the University of Montpellier
- Ferenc Takó, CHARM-EU Director at Eötvös Loránd University Budapest,
- Marko Joas, CHARM-EU Director at Åbo Akademi University
- Doris Fischer, CHARM-EU Director at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg
- Simone Roth, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Rühr West University of Applied Sciences
- Julia Thalmann, CHARM-EU Co-Director at Rühr West University of Applied Sciences
- Ida Fauskanger, CHARM-EU Director at University of Bergen
External Advisory Board
The External Advisory Council supports project implementation, review and assessment. Its members are external to CHARM-EU partner universities, provide an external perspective, serve as an external independent source of advice and challenge and act as external neutral rapporteurs. It meets once a year to advise the Strategic Board. The meetings are chaired by the Alliance Secretary General and the chair of the Executive Board attends. The results are reported to the Strategic Board.
External Relations Committee
The External Relations Committee plays an advisory role by conducting an annual review and suggesting updates to the Alliance’s External Relations Strategy, including offering guidance and expertise on the composition of external stakeholders, identifying potential external stakeholders for engagement, recommending approaches for effective communication with external stakeholders, in alignment with the Alliance’s expansion plans, assisting in the introduction of external stakeholders to the Alliance through a designated point of contact within the Alliance to support Alliance initiatives.
Student Council
The Student Council represents CHARM-EU’s student body at organisational level. It represents the views and the experiences of students, who provide feedback on decisions and activities of the Alliance in all matters related to student affairs, student well-being and student life.
The members are elected by their fellow students and appointed for a maximum of two academic years. If new members are required, they can be appointed whenever necessary. The Student Council elects their Chair and a Deputy Chair. The Chair and Deputy rotate every six months.
Members of the Student Council
- Jan Butí, Chair, University of Barcelona
- John Tuite, Member, Trinity College Dublin
- Teresa Pappalardo, Member, University of Utrecht
- Eszter Virágh, Member, Eötvös Lórand University
- Melvyn Sion, Member, University of Montpellier
- Amanda Byskata, Member, Åbo Akademi University
- Linda Shuinjo, Member, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
- Janosch Hagenbeck, Member, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
- Kaja Ingdal Hovdenak, Member, University of Bergen
- Alisia Gahbaka, CHARM-EU Master Representative, Cohort 3
- Emma Buijse, CHARM-EU Master Representative, Cohort 3
Academic Council
The Academic Council is responsible for the standards in teaching and research within the Alliance, oversees the academic matters and quality follow-up of all joint and common educational and research activities, advises the Executive Board about the relevance of new proposals, and provides links with the Programme Boards, Knowledge Creating teams as appropriate.
The Academic Council is chaired by the CHARM-EU Academic Director. The Chair will rotate every two academic years and there will be a Vice-Chair from the next in rotation. Academic Council members are proposed by the Executive Board and approved by the Strategic Board.
Members of the Academic Council
- Núria Casamitjana, Academic Director (Chair), University of Barcelona
- Annemarie Bennett, Trinity College Dublin
- Marjanneke Vijge, Utrecht University
- Katalin Felvinczi, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Dr. Patricia Cucchi, University of Montpellier
- Edvard Johansson, Åbo Akademi University
- Benedikt Franke, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg
- Isabel Lausberg, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
- Kjetil Rommetveit, University of Bergen
- Viktor G. Mihucz, Chair of the Programme Board, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Jan Butí, Chair of the Student Council, University of Barcelona
- Meritxell Chaves, CHARM-EU Secretary General
- Jenny Kirkwood, Secretary, Trinity College Dublin
- Julien Lorentz, Head of the Joint Virtual Office, University of Montpellier
Programme Boards
Programme Boards manage the operation and implementation of each CHARM-EU Programme, with the support of the relevant Knowledge Creating Teams. The Programme Boards are responsible for the final design, day to day delivery, admissions, assessment, mobility and implementation of a programme in line with the quality standards and procedures set by the Academic Council.
Each Programme Board Chair will be elected from among the Local Academic Programme Coordinators and will be nominated by the Programme Board. If possible, the Chair may rotate every two academic years along with a Vice-Chair, who would be the next Chair in rotation. The approval of the Chair and Vice Chair will be sought from the Academic Council.
Programme Board of the master’s programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability
- Viktor Mihucz, Chair, Local Programme and Module Coordinator, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Valérie Borrell, Vice Chair Local Programme Coordinator, University of Montpellier
Local coordinators
- Avelina Tortosa, Local Programme Coordinator, University of Barcelona
- Jan de Vries, Local Programme Coordinator, Trinity College Dublin
- Annemarie Bennett, Local Programme Coordinator, Trinity College Dublin
- Ádám Toth, Local Programme Coordinator, Utrecht University
- Pita Verweij, Local Programme Coordinator, Utrecht University
- Ines Müller-Vogt, Local Programme Coordinator, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
- Klara Schneider, Local Programme Coordinator, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
Module coordinators
- Álvaro López, Module Coordinator, Utrecht University
- Bianca Souza Nagasawa, Module Coordinator, Utrecht University
- David Mcdonagh, Module Coordinator, Trinity College Dublin
- Hélène Charreire, Module Coordinator, University of Montpellier
- Enric Tello, Module Coordinator, University of Barcelona
- Ana Moragues, Module Coordinator, University of Barcelona
- Valerie Borrell, Module Coordinator, University of Montpellier
- Patrick J. Wall, Module Coordinator, Tinity College Dublin
- Patrice Ndiaye, Module Coordinator, University of Montpellier
- Geoffroy Lesage, Module Coordinator, University of Montpellier
- Jose Garcia, Module Coordinator, University of Barcelona
- Zsófia Kollányi, Module Coordinator, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Bernadette Somody, Module Coordinator, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Niels Bovenschen, Module Coordinator
- Kristian Kasos, Module Coordinator, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Katalin Felvinczi, Module Coordinator, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Avelina Tortosa, Module Coordinator, University of Barcelona
- Annisa Triyanti, Module Coordinator, Utrecht University
Students representatives
- CHARM-EU, Pending, Student Phase 1
- CHARM-EU, Pending, Student Capstone
Others
- Florian Bergonhe, Inclusivity team member, University of Montpellier
- Jenny Kirkwood, Joint Virtual Administrative Office, Trinity College Dublin
Knowledge Creation Teams
Knowledge Creation Teams respond to the needs of the Alliance activities and fields. The KCTs identify new challenges, new research and education topics and propose initiatives/activities to the Academic Council. They have a key role in the development and implementation of CHARM- EU activities such as the creation of new educational programmes, common research activities or other projects.
CHARM-EU Office
The CHARM-EU Office manages the Alliance’s day-to-day activities and comprises the CHARM-EU managers in each member university and the leads of each support unit. Managers rotate as chair with the Alliance Secretary General as permanent co-chair reporting to the chair of the Executive Board. The chair rotates every six months.
CHARM-EU Managers
- CHARM-EU, Meritxell Chaves, Alliance General Secretary
- Jaime Llorca, Manager, University of Barcelona
- Conor Spillane, Manager, Trinity College Dublin
- UU, Rianne Giethoorn, Manager, Utrecht University
- Anikó Gál Bélteki, Manager, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
- Julien Lorentz, Manager, University of Montpellier
- Harriet Klåvus, Manager, Åbo Akademi University
- Pia Le Grand, Manager, Åbo Akademi University
- Martin Kufferath-Sieberin, Manager, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg
- Ines Mueller-Vogt, Manager, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
- Patro Hernández, CHARM-EU Organisation Officer,
- Blanca Burillo, CHARM-EU Communication Officer,University of Barcelona
- Silvia Gallagher, CHARM-EU Quality Officer, Trinity College Dublin
- Péter Tordai, WP5 Leader (Mobility), ELTE
- Ágnes Sarolta Fazekas, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), ELTE
CHARM-EU’s virtual thematic support offices support the operational work of the Alliance. They consist of full- and part-time staff located in each partner university and work to deliver the Allen’s projects and courses. They also provide administrative support to CHARM-EU students and staff.
Joint Virtual Administration Office
The JVAO is a virtually-connected team of administrative officers supporting students and staff working and learning within and across CHARM-EU universities. This inter-institutional office works on administrative, organisational and financial affairs in the Alliance.
You can learn more about the purpose and tasks of the JVAO with this infographic:
Contact your local JVAO
CHARM-EU UB Office (Barcelona)
Officer: Ms. Miriam Gasol
Address:
CHARM-EU UB Office
Carrer Balmes 7 2-A
08007 Barcelona, Spain
Email: Charm-euoffice@ub.edu
Practical information about the University of Barcelona and the city can be found
here.
CHARM-EU TCD Office (Dublin)
Officer: Jenny Kirkwood
Address:
CHARM-EU TCD Office
House 27, Floor 3
Botany Bay
Trinity College Dublin
Ireland
Email: charm-eu@tcd.ie
Practical information about Trinity College Dublin and the city can be found
here.
CHARM-EU UU Office (Utrecht)
Officers: Anna Bieniasz, Femke ten Bloemendal
Address:
University Corporate Offices – Student & Academic Affairs Office
Charm- EU
Postbus 80125
3508 TC Utrecht
The Netherlands
Email: CHARM-JVAO@uu.nl
Practical information:
Welcome to Utrecht – Universiteit Utrecht (uu.nl)
CHARM-EU ELTE Office (Budapest)
Officer: Mr. Adam Csaky
Address:
CHARM-EU ELTE Office
Room 233, Floor 2
Rákóczi street 5
Budapest, H-1088 Hungary
Email: charm-eu@rk.elte.hu
Practical matters:
https://www.elte.hu/en/practical-matters
Education:
https://www.elte.hu/en/education
Student Residence Halls:
https://www.elte.hu/en/student-residence-halls
CHARM-EU UM Office (Montpellier)
Officer: Mme Anja Bleidorn
Address:
CHARM-EU UM Office
Bureau administratif CHARM-EU (JVAO)
DFE, Place Eugène Bataillon
34095 Montpellier Cedex 5
Email: charm-eu-jvao@umontpellier.fr
Campus life:
https://www.umontpellier.fr/en/campus
Education:
https://www.umontpellier.fr/en/formation
Joint Virtual IT Office
The Joint Virtual IT Office (JVITO) will help solve any IT-related questions that relate to CHARM-EU courses. Students, teaching staff, administrative staff and project members can approach the JVITO with their questions. The office has experts on different work areas and a local contact person is available at each institution who can support you in your own language.
Examples of issues that we cannot help you with include the support of hardware and software given to you by your local institution, which is not connected to CHARM activities. Please contact your local IT Helpdesk for support with these services.
Purpose of the JVITO
The JVITO was established in December 2023 and provides:
- support-office for technology enhanced learning and teaching (e.g. key users of relevant applications, such as VLE, feedback tools, etc.)
- a body for collaboration on IT-related topics, answering to the needs of CHARM-EU,
- a network of staff for exchange of knowledge and skills for IT-related topics in the CHARM-EU Alliance.
