16 de Outubro
A day dedicated to RUN-EU at the Polytechnic University of Leiria
On October 16, the Polytechnic University of Leiria will celebrate RUN-EU Day, an annual event dedicated to promoting the Regional University Network – European University (RUN-EU), an alliance co-led and co-founded by the institution. Through a series of activities, debates, and workshops, the day will bring together students, staff, and local communities from Leiria, Peniche, and Caldas da Rainha, celebrating the alliance’s contribution to regional transformation and development.
The 2025 edition will focus on the theme “European Values”, reflecting the core principles of the European Universities Initiative promoted by the European Commission. RUN-EU Day will be celebrated simultaneously across all nine partner institutions in Europe, highlighting students as key agents of change.
At the School of Health Sciences (ESSLei), a workshop on “Communicating European Values in the Context of European Universities” will explore best practices in communication within a democratic, diverse, and free European academic space. The session will feature experts from three European universities and national partners, namely Ana Vaz Ferreira (BAUHAUS4EU/Politécnico de Castelo Branco), Anna Coutinho (FilmEU/Universidade Lusófona), Maria do Carmo Gomes (PIONEER/ISCTE), and João dos Santos (RUN-EU/Politécnico de Leiria).
Meanwhile, the School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha (ESAD.CR) will host the initiative “RUN-EU for Everyone”, taking place at the Auditorium of Pedagogical Building 1 (EP1) from 10:00 a.m. The event will include the presentations “The Voice of ESAD.CR Students in RUN-EU: The Importance of the Student Council in the First Person” and “Students’ Experience: Sharing RUN-EU in the First Person”, delivered by students and lecturers of the School.
The day will conclude with a public roundtable in Peniche, at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM), on the topic “Defending European Values Today”.
Organized in collaboration with Europe Direct Oeste, Lezíria e Médio Tejo, the roundtable will be moderated by Susana Peralta, professor at Nova SBE, and will feature António Silva Ribeiro, Admiral and Full Professor, and Luís Loureiro de Amorim, Deputy Head of Mission at the Representation of the European Commission in Portugal.
» Programa da Mesa-Redonda (PT)
RUN-EU currently unites eight higher education institutions from Portugal, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, and Finland, and is now expanding to include new members from Romania and Czechia.
This European University alliance aims to strengthen a high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable European higher education area based on shared values and regional engagement — promoting the green, digital, and social transitions that shape the future of Europe.