A Look Back at the Winter School: Innovation, Leadership and Collaboration in Higher Education 

A Look Back at the Winter School: Innovation, Leadership and Collaboration in Higher Education 

The CHARM-EU Winter School 2025 at Utrecht University, held from January 13th to 17th, offered a unique opportunity for academic professionals to enhance their leadership and innovation skills. The programme focused on how to foster innovation within higher education institutions, with a particular emphasis on inter-institutional collaboration. This unique focus, addressed the leaders of larger-scale inter-institutional projects, such as the leadership of several relatively new European University Alliances, directors and coordinators in international educational collaborations or heads of internationalisation.

WinterSchool2025

The event gathered a total of 16 participants from universities across Europe, many of whom represented European university alliances. These included alliances like CHARM-EU, INGENIUM, CIRCLE U, EU-CONEXUS, and UNITA, highlighting the collective focus on fostering cross-border collaboration in higher education. Attendees included deans, directors, professors, and coordinators, each contributing valuable insights from their respective areas of expertise, such as international relations, educational initiatives, language development, and strategic governance. This diverse representation underscored the shared commitment to advancing European educational and research partnerships.

Fostering innovation in higher education 

The opening day was dedicated to fostering innovation in higher education. Professors Paul Boselie and Bert van den Brink, from Utrecht University, led a session on how external factors, such as institutional culture and size, influence innovation strategies. They shared examples from Utrecht University’s transitions, such as the shift towards Open Science, and encouraged participants to reflect on their own institutions.  
 

Inter-institutional collaboration 

Tuesday’s theme was inter-institutional collaboration. Professor Patrick Prendergast, who served as the 44th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 2011 to 2021, shared his leadership experience including in the development of global partnerships and in fundraising. He conveyed his perspectives on the key elements for building successful international partnerships with the group and presented strategies to overcome barriers for innovation within one’s own institution.  

Navigating cultural differences in leadership 

On Wednesday, the focus shifted to intercultural communication, a vital skill for leaders in inter-institutional environments. Cati Jerez Paredero from the University of Barcelona led a session on developing intercultural competencies. Participants experienced how to navigate cultural differences and communicate inclusively.  

European strategies for innovation 

Thursday’s session focused on European strategies for innovation in higher education. Katrine Moland Hansen from the University of Bergen joined the group and delivered a presentation on the transition of European Higher Education, discussing its historical context and current trends. Additionally, experts including Meritxell Chaves, Katrine Moland Hansen, and Patrick Prendergast provided valuable insights into the participants’ challenges and opportunities for fostering inter-institutional collaboration. In the afternoon, Natalie Holwerda-Mieras, author of Storydesign, led a storytelling workshop, teaching participants how to craft compelling narratives to inspire and engage their audiences. 

Reflecting and sharing innovations 

On the final day, participants presented their innovation projects, incorporating storytelling techniques from the previous session. The reflection workshop, facilitated by Maria Angel Ferrero (University of Montpellier), used Serious LEGO as a creative method to help participants visually represent their challenges and solutions. Four challenges were analysed by the participants using LEGO: generating knowledge and synergy in co-creation with stakeholders; convincing reluctant and non-reluctant stakeholders to take part in their project; journey to secure base and embracing collaboration with the global south.  

The whole week was wonderfully facilitated by Utrecht University’s expert in educational leadership, Hetty Grunefeld.  

Building connections for the future 

Throughout the week, networking opportunities allowed participants to connect with peers from various institutions and European University Alliances and share ideas. As one participant remarked:

The winter school offered insightful advances and practical tools to enhance our leadership skills within our universities and Alliances. One of the greatest advantages of the week in Utrecht was the opportunity to collaborate not only with experienced trainers but also with colleagues from diverse management profiles, representing various higher education institutions and Alliances. This diversity provided me—and, I believe, all of us—with valuable, multi-perspective feedback on the challenges and educational projects I am working on.’ Neringa Narbutiene, EU-CONEXUS institutional Coordinator at Catholic University of Valencia. 

In conclusion, the Winter School at Utrecht University was an enriching experience that equipped participants with the skills, knowledge, and connections necessary to lead successful inter-institutional collaborations in higher education.