How did the pandemic amplify trends and transformations of society, in research and education? Which challenges are more easily met when acting in the Alliance? What will research, education and administration look like after the pandemic? These are the questions the participants of the online launch conference of the ENHANCE Alliance organized on 12 March 2021 tried to answer.

ENHANCE is the alliance of TU Berlin, Warsaw University of Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Politecnico di Milano, RWTH Aachen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Chalmers University of Technology.

The conference was divided into two parts.

The general part consisted of the speeches of alliance authorities and the representative of the European Commission Vanessa Debiais-Sainton as well as the discussion panel with the participation of rectors, vice-rectors and the representatives of students from universities being part of the ENHANCE Alliance. There was also a short performance of the entertainment band of Warsaw University of Technology ”The Engineers Band” and the student orchestra from NTNU Trondheim. A video promoting the ENHANCE Alliance was presented as well.

Professor Mariusz Malinowski, the Vice-Rector for Research of WUT, and Gabriela Maciejewska, the Head of the ENHANCE Student Forum, participated in the discussion panel.

Four parallel thematic workshops were organized as well: Post-COVID Education, Smart Working, International Research Mobility and International Education Mobility.

The authorities of universities being members of the ENHANCE Alliance, scientists and experts discussed issues such as digital education and its value for universities, the way of work organization after the pandemic and international research and education mobility.

The conference was attended by over 1000 participants representing all universities belonging to the Alliance as well associate partners, including the Łukasiewicz Research Network.