CESAER 2025: “Leading Together” and New Guidelines for European Universities of Science and Technology
The CESAER Annual Report – “Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research” for 2025 summarises a transformative period for European universities of science and technology and is published under the title “Leading Together”. The report focuses on the key areas of activity of this international non-profit association of higher education institutions, namely: strategic influence on the European Research Area and European Education Area, based on data and insights from the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO); research and education funding policies; talent and human capital development; and the integration of analytics into the governance processes of educational and research institutions.
The report includes an overview of the organisational structure, characteristics of utilised resources, and a description of the association’s activities as well as the achievements of its task forces as a result of collective efforts. As of April 2026, the association includes 56 science and technology universities across Europe and Israel, with Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute being the only partner from Ukraine.
In 2025, CESAER emphasises the role of universities as “architects of change”. Key highlights of the report:
● Policy advocacy: Active promotion and representation of the interests of technical universities within the ERA Forum, particularly regarding sustainable research careers and the simplification of grant-related bureaucracy. This is especially relevant in the context of shaping the FP10 framework programme.
● Quality and digitalisation: The focus has shifted from basic digitalisation to the use of AI for institutional data management and the automation of research processes. Particular attention is paid to research security across Europe and cooperation with the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).
● Resilience and the “third mission”: Recognition of universities as critical nodes of regional and national resilience. This requires a shift in success metrics from purely academic indicators to socio-economic impact.
● International mobility and networking: Transition to a model of deeper integration, where joint research programmes (such as those funded by DAAD) become systemic rather than isolated initiatives.
To align university activities with the broader European trajectory, the following forward-looking conclusions from the report should be considered:
– Transition to “data-driven” governance. Universities are encouraged to integrate institutional analytics principles. This means not only collecting statistics but also using predictive models for decision-making, such as workload planning and forecasting research group performance. For academic staff, this implies transparency of research indicators and the use of digital tools for automated reporting (ResearchGate Spotlights, ORCID, CRIS systems). At Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, this is supported by the goal-setting system within the automated MyKPI platform.
– Adaptation of talent development models. Based on the work of CESAER task forces, it is recommended to shift the focus from quantitative indicators (number of publications) to qualitative impact metrics (societal impact, innovation potential, participation in international consortia). This is crucial for motivating young researchers and retaining talent.
– Strengthening the role in international alliances. Active participation in CESAER Task Forces and other international university networks provides valuable experience for professionals across all fields. Therefore, university staff are encouraged to engage in international professional networks, associations, and academic alliances to facilitate project collaboration. This serves as a key source of “soft power” and access to grant funding.
– Integration of Society 5.0 principles. Strengthening interdisciplinary approaches in educational programmes is becoming increasingly important. Universities of science and technology are evolving into platforms where engineers learn to assess the societal impact of their developments and acquire competencies to address complex technological challenges.
https://www.cesaer.org/news/leading-togetherannual-report-2025-2200/
