NEWS & EVENTS

In this Face of ENLIGHT interview, Professor Ulrich Norbisrath of the University of Tartu reflects on rethinking academic boundaries through interdisciplinarity and innovation. He highlights how digital tools, collaboration, and human-centered teaching are reshaping higher education. His perspective points to a future of learning driven by curiosity, creativity, and cross-border exchange. To read the full interview, click here.

Last month, students and scholars from across Europe gathered in Tartu, Estonia for the ENLIGHT Student Network Conference 2026, themed Digitalisation in European Universities: Efficiency, Sustainability and the Human Touch of AI. Over two inspiring days, participants came together for challenging workshops, lively debates, and hands-on experiences centred around digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and their impact on society and everyday life.

What happens when a researcher stops waiting for opportunities and starts building them?

For Professor Ekaterina Yahyaoui at University of Galway, the answer is a story of persistence, human connection, and remarkable results.

On 27 April 2026, the fifth meeting of Slovak universities involved in European University Alliances took place at the Science Park of Comenius University Bratislava, a member of the ENLIGHT alliance and host of this year’s gathering. The event brought together representatives of Slovak higher education institutions with the aim of exchanging experiences and strengthening cooperation across alliances.

The ENLIGHT Alliance is supporting a pioneering educational initiative led by Comenius University in Bratislava: the first registered lifelong learning micro-credential in Slovakia.

Launched in April 2026, the programme “Humour as a Communication Tool in Healthcare” is coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava. It highlights the growing importance of communication skills in healthcare and explores how humour can strengthen trust, empathy and the overall quality of care.

The programme brings together academic expertise and practical experience through collaboration between ENLIGHT partner universities – Uppsala University, University of Groningen, University of Göttingen and University of Galway – as well as external partners ČERVENÝ NOS Clowndoctors, Clowns on Call / Clownjouren Uppsala, and Teddy Bear Hospital.

Combining online learning with an in-person workshop in Bratislava, the programme is designed as a flexible hybrid learning experience. It is being implemented with the ambition to follow European Commission approaches to micro-credentials and to contribute to emerging practices in this area.

Supported through the ENLIGHT internal seed funding scheme (Incubator Grant, Round 2), the initiative reflects the alliance’s commitment to innovation in lifelong learning and international collaboration. The course will also be presented at the European Association for International Education Conference 2026 as an example of forward-looking educational practice.

By connecting academic knowledge with real-world experience and a human-centred approach, the programme contributes to shaping more compassionate healthcare systems across Europe.

This year, the international Pharmacy Game team at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, is delighted to invite educators and professionals from around the world to the 5th PG International Symposium, taking place 21-22 May 2026 in Groningen, the Netherlands, where we will explore how simulation and gamification are reshaping pharmacy education and enhancing practice readiness.

The call for papers for the 2026 ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference in Bern is now open. Share innovative teaching ideas, connect with the ENLIGHT community, and inspire learning beyond the classroom. The conference focuses on contextualized learning, connecting knowledge and skills to meaningful real-world contexts.

New deadline for submiting proposals is 12th of April 2026.

Find out more and submit your abstract

Learn more about the ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference

In this episode, we take a closer look at how joint blended teaching and learning can be effectively implemented within the ENLIGHT European University Alliance. Dr. Nils Nölke (University of Göttingen) and Prof. Dr. Matias Valdenegro Toro (University of Groningen) share insights from their work combining face-to-face teaching with digital learning formats.

Drawing on their experiences, they highlight the importance of strong teamwork, continuous reflection and improvement, and a consistently student-centered approach. Their collaboration demonstrates how international partnerships can enrich teaching practices and create meaningful learning experiences across institutions.

Listen to it now and gain practical inspiration for developing innovative and collaborative teaching approaches across Europe.

Are you looking for a unique and engaging way to spend your summer? Then join UniTartu Summer School 2026 from 27 July to 7 August 2026 in the vibrant and historic city of Tartu, Estonia! Applications are open until 20 April 2026.

This summer, the University of Tartu is offering 12 exciting courses across a variety of topics, including self-driving cars, Ukrainian folklore, community education, data engineering, information disorders, and many more. Whether you are interested in gaining in-depth academic insight, meaningful international experience, or connecting and networking with like-minded peers, there is a course for you!