European Degree Forum 2025

Biography

Gloria Aura Bortolini is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and television presenter with extensive international experience across media, cultural events, and audiovisual production. She has collaborated with leading institutions including Venice Biennale, RAI, Ca’ Foscari University, and international film festivals, combining strong communication skills with a deep passion for storytelling and public engagement. Her work explores travel, art, education, and women’s empowerment as catalysts for cultural dialogue and social innovation.

Biography

As Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu’s task is to guide the overall work on strengthening Europe’s human capital, from skills and education to culture and sport.

Roxana Mînzatu is leading the work on the Union of Skills, focusing on investment, adult and lifelong learning, vocational education and training, skill retention and recognition and enhancing skills intelligence.

Learn more about Vice-President Mînzatu

Biography

Patrizia Nanz has been President of the European University Institute since March 2024. She combines a distinguished scientific record with proven leadership experience, having served as Director of the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam, and Funding Director of the Franco-German Forum for the Future. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum of themes, with a particular focus on such topical issues as the future of European democracy, public participation, innovative public administration, and the socio-economic transformations linked to climate change.

Professor Nanz has served as Vice-President of Germany’s Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management and Head of the Collaborative Governance Lab. She has advised regional and national governments, as well as the European Commission, and built an extensive network in both the academic and political domains. 

Patrizia Nanz studied philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy and history and literary studies as well as philosophy at universities in Munich, Milan, Montréal and Frankfurt Rhine-Main. She also trained as a journalist and worked as editor for S. Fischer Verlag (Frankfurt) and Feltrinelli Editore (Milan). Nanz later obtained a doctorate in Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institute. After having been a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods (Bonn) and Marie-Curie Fellow at Westminster University (London), she has been Professor of Political Theory at the University of Bremen and the University of Potsdam. She has also been Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study (Berlin) and Visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Biography

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen is the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the European Commission.

She took up this position in September 2023. Prior to that she was the Director-General in the Directorate-General for Communication, she has served as Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer. Between 2009 and 2014 she was Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission; and Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission from 2004 until 2009 under former Commission President Barroso.

She began her career in political communication as Environment Spokeswoman in 1999 (Commissioner Margot Wallström), having previously held positions in the Commission’s departments for Industry (1995-97) and Information, Communication and Culture (1997-99). Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen was a Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament (1989-90).

She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at the Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at the Institut d’études Politiques de Paris.

Biography

Lavinia Monti is the Director of the Office for the Internationalisation of Higher Education at the Italian Ministry of University and Research. She holds a BA (cum laude) in Political Science (international track) from Sapienza University of Rome, a Master’s in EU Policies from the College of Europe in Bruges, and a Ph.D. in Human Rights in International Protection Systems. With over twenty years of experience in public administration, she has served in senior managerial positions at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (2010–2024) and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004–2010). 

Her portfolio includes leading the Office of the Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for Economy and Finance, managing the National Reform Programme and EU Semester coordination, overseeing investor relations at the Treasury Department, and guiding Italy’s delegation to the Lisbon Methodology Working Group. 

Since 2025, she has been responsible for Italy’s international relations in higher education, representing the country in key European and international fora, including the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee, the European Education Area Strategic Framework Working Group, the EU Directors General for Higher Education, the Erasmus Committee, and the Italy-China University Rectors Forum. 

Biography

Heidi Boussen has been Director of the Higher Education and Student Finance Department of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science since July 2022. In this role she oversees the efforts to ensure and promote the quality, accessibility, effectiveness and efficiency of the Dutch higher education sector, including all activities related to internationalisation. 

Prior roles include Director of Health and Safety in Employment at the ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, as well as acting Director Public Transport and Railways at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water.

Biography

Magdalena Maciejewska is the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland (MSHE). Magdalena has recently rejoined the MSHE. Between 2009 and 2016 she has been the Director of Science Department in the MSHE, focusing on financing projects, evaluation of scientific entites, and policy making in the field of basic and applied research. 

Magdalena’s previous work experience includes being the director general of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, and also head of Stategy Department at the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Since January 2024 she is responsible for international cooperation in scope of higher education and science, internationalization, supervision of the National Agency for Academic Exchange and EU policies – recently focused mainly on higher education package, Erasmus+ and European University Alliances. Magdalena is also an Alumni of US Department of State’s International Leadership Visitor Program ”Women in STEM fields”.

Biography

Sarah Bayens (born 2000) began playing the violin at the age of five. She studied with Koen Rens in Turnhout until she started her professional training at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, under the guidance of Shirly Laub, where she studied until 2023. From 2024-2025 she pursued her studies in Vienna, under the tutelage of Ulf Wallin at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. In 2019, she won the prestigious Young Belgian Talent competition. She was named Young Musician of the Year 2022 by the Belgian Music Press Association and was part of De Twintigers, a program organized by Radio Klara. The Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles has awarded her numerous prizes. In 2017, Sarah performed as a soloist with the ORFEO Chamber Orchestra, and in February 2023, she interpreted Kurt Weill’s Violin Concerto with the orchestra of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. In June 2023, she also performed as a soloist with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège as part of the Classic Academy. She has been invited to perform at several festivals, and has been an active member of various chamber music ensembles, including Susato Trio (of which she is a founding member), and since 2023 the Trio Fenix and ensemble Oxalys. 

Biography

Beatrix Busse is vice-rector for teaching and studies and professor of diachronic English linguistics at the University of Cologne, as well as the chief development officer of the European University for Well-Being. She is the inaugural board chair of FOREU4ALL, and serves as vice-chair of the executive board of the Coimbra Group.

Beatrix Busse studied English and History at the universities of Osnabrück and Keele (GB). She received her doctorate in English linguistics from the University of Münster in 2004, and obtained her Habilitation at the University of Bern (CH) in 2010. In 2011, she was appointed to a full professorship for English linguistics at Heidelberg University. There she was Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching for six years before moving to Cologne.

Her scholarly interests include corpus- and transfer linguistics, stylistics, and language (discursive place-making) in urban spaces, especially in Brooklyn, New York.

Biography

Jelena Dzankic is Part-Time Professor in the Global Governance Programme at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute. She is Director of GGP Southeastern Europe and Co-Director of the Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT). 

She holds a PhD degree in International Studies from the University of Cambridge and has taught and researched at the University of Edinburgh, University College London, University of Graz, and Central European University. Her research interests include the politics of EU enlargement, state creation and disintegration, and citizenship policy.

Biography

Mirko Varano serves since June 2024 as Vice Rector for International Affairs at Tecnologico De Monterrey - ITESM, Mexico. 

Mirko has been active in the field of internationalisation of higher education for the past 30 years. He covered different positions of responsibility at the Turin Technical University between 1992–2008 in the field of international relations. He was appointed as CLUSTER network coordinator from 2008 to 2010. He was previously Senior Advisor for International Projects at KTH Royal Institute of Technology with a focus on Erasmus+, Joint Programmes, and university networks. At the same institution he was appointed a member of the international strategy group from 2013 to 2016, and Key Liaison Officer for the Unite! European University Alliance since November 2019. 

Mirko holds a Master’s degree in Political Science with a specialisation in International Relations and European Studies from the University of Turin, Italy. Mirko was elected Chair of the Expert Community European Collaborative Programmes for the 2022–2024 term, and has recently been appointed as member of the Thematic Committee "Partnerships" Steering Committee. Mirko has an extensive competence in the development and implementation of international Dual Degrees and Joint Programmes. 

Biography

Gloria Aura Bortolini is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and television presenter with extensive international experience across media, cultural events, and audiovisual production. She has collaborated with leading institutions including Venice Biennale, RAI, Ca’ Foscari University, and international film festivals, combining strong communication skills with a deep passion for storytelling and public engagement. Her work explores travel, art, education, and women’s empowerment as catalysts for cultural dialogue and social innovation.

Biography

Timothée Toury is Secretary General and founding architect of the European University of Technology Alliance (EUt+). An Associate Professor at Université de technologie de Troyes (France), he is a graduate of ENS Paris and Paris-Saclay. 

He has authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications, patents, and book chapters, mainly in physics and nanotechnologies, and has led six European research and innovation projects.  He is a member of the board of the French quality assurance agency CTI.

He currently serves — or has served — on numerous executive boards and councils across higher-education institutions and acts as an expert advisor to international bodies on university governance and pedagogical reform.

Biography

Alessandro Arienzo is professor of History of Political Thought and Political Philosophy at the University Federico II. He is the Rector’s delegate and IC for the Aurora University Alliance, and participate in the board of the EURIDICE’s Joint European Master: Digital Society, Social Innovation, Global Citizenship. He is Vice-Chair of the ETUCE Higher Education and Research Standing Committee, on behalf of which he has participated in the EHEA/BFUG peer and working groups. 

He has long represented Political and Social Sciences in Italian National University Council (CUN). He coordinates the “Ars Rosa - Reason of State and Democracy” Study Center and the UNINA task force “Human & Future.”

Biography

Virpi Laukkanen, Ph.D. (Econ.) works at Savonia University of Applied Sciences as Head of Education in Business, Tourism and Hospitality department. Laukkanen is also Academic Director in EU4DUAL European University Alliance. 

As Academic Director, she is strongly involved in the development of joint degree programmes and leads the Joint Master coordination group of the alliance. 

Biography

Biography

Yiannis Kasoulides was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1971. He began his career as a primary school teacher and later earned degrees from the University of Ioannina, the University of Cyprus, and a PhD from the Open University of Cyprus. Over the years, he has served as a teacher, Head Teacher, Health and Safety Officer, and visiting professor at the Open University of Cyprus. Since 2018, he has served as a Senior Educational Officer at the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, representing Cyprus in numerous European and international higher education forums and expert groups.

Biography

Barbara Del Sala is a Public Affairs professional with 25 years of experience in Communications and Government Affairs across various industrial sectors. She currently serves as Institutional Affairs Director at Baker Hughes, where she leads Institutional Relations at national and regional levels in Italy, supporting the company’s operations both locally and across Europe. 

Barbara also manages the Florence and Apuane Learning Centers, Baker Hughes’ main European venues for conferences and training, and oversees the Baker Hughes University, a strategic learning accelerator offering leadership, industry and technical development programs for customer companies’ current and emerging leaders. 

Biography

Josephine van Zeben is Provost for Education and Academic Staff Development at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy and professor of Transnational Law at the Florence School of Transnational Governance. 

As Provost, she leads the EUI’s educational initiatives, encompassing doctoral supervision, master’s, executive and postdoctoral programmes. She is also responsible for academic staff development, promoting an inclusive, diverse working culture that upholds academic excellence. 

Her research focuses on the regulation of transnational issues by public and private actors, with particular emphasis on polycentric governance theory and developments related to the European Union, as well as on environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, agriculture and pollution.

Biography

Giacomo Calzolari (Ph.D., University of Toulouse) is full-time professor in the Department for Economics and Provost for Research and External Relations at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. As Provost for Research and External Relations, Professor Calzolari contributes to advancing and supporting the EUI’s research profile and fostering institutional partnerships. 

He is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and has an extensive publication record in top-tier economics and finance journals. His research, which focuses on artificial intelligence, competition policy, industrial organization, regulation, banking, and the economics of incentives, has received wide international recognition and has pioneered the analysis of the impact of artificial intelligence in markets and competition. 

He also serves as Editor of the International Journal of Industrial Organization and European Economy – Banks and Regulation and advises multiple national agencies and the European Commission on antitrust and competition policy.

Biography

Director of the Erasmus+ National Agency Higher Education within the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) since 2020 and Vice-President of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) since 2025.

Stephan Geifeshas been working for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) since 1999. Before his actual position he has been Head of Division Transnational Education and Cooperation Programmes, including among others, the German binational universities abroad. 

Prior to this position he was Director of the DAAD Paris Office, Secretary General of the Franco-German University (FGU) and Scientific Coordinator at the German Historical Institute of Paris.

Stephan Geifes studied History, Sociology and Roman Languages at the University of Bielefeld, the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris (EHESS) and at the Institute d’Études politques (IEP) in Paris. After earning a master’s  degree in history, he continued his studies at the École nationale d’administration (ENA). 

In 2012 he finished his PhD in History at the University of Bochum. He has published on European and international higher education exchange.

Biography

Dominika Guzik is the Education and Youth Policy Coordinator at the Erasmus Student Network. She oversees ESN’s policy work in the fields of education and youth, ensuring coherence and strategic alignment across the organisation’s advocacy efforts. She coordinates ESN’s Education and Youth Liaison Office and represents the organisation in discussions on European higher education policies, contributing to initiatives such as the Erasmus+ programme, the European Education Area, the European University Alliances and the European Degree.

As an active ESN volunteer for more than six years, she is passionate about the internationalisation of higher education and all forms of academic mobility, striving to make mobility a reality for all. 

Biography

Joan Guàrdia Olmos, born in Barcelona in 1958, studied Philosophy and Education Sciences (Psychology section) at the UB. He graduated in 1982 and gained a doctoral degree in 1986. He took a master’s degree in Statistical Data Analysis at the University of Essex in 1989. He obtained the Chair in Methodology of Behavioural Sciences at the Faculty of Psychology in 2007. 

His academic and research career has generated six national teaching premiums and five research premiums, as well as four teaching premiums from the Catalan government, three for research and two for university management. He has recently been awarded his first premium for transfer activities. 

From 1987 to 2009, he taught the subjects of Statistics Applied to the Human Sciences I, Data Analysis in Psychology, Epidemiological Studies, Statistics, Ethics and Principles of Statistics. Since 2009, he has mainly taught the subjects of Research Methodology, Research Techniques and Statistics. 

The areas he teaches in master’s degree programmes are in the same field of knowledge. All of them are distributed between the University of Barcelona, the University of Granada (Faculty of Psychology), University of Guadalajara in Mexico ( Health Sciences), University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo de Michoacán in Mexico (School of Psychology), the University of Sonora in Mexico (School of Psychology) and the University of California in the United States (School of Psychology).

Biography

Gloria Aura Bortolini is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and television presenter with extensive international experience across media, cultural events, and audiovisual production. She has collaborated with leading institutions including Venice Biennale, RAI, Ca’ Foscari University, and international film festivals, combining strong communication skills with a deep passion for storytelling and public engagement. Her work explores travel, art, education, and women’s empowerment as catalysts for cultural dialogue and social innovation.

Biography

Péter Krekó is a social psychologist, behavioural scientist and think-tanker specialising in disinformation, authoritarian influence, and democratic resilience. His work focuses on the psychological and institutional mechanisms behind the spread and impact of disinformation, conspiracy theories, and populist communication strategies, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. 

He is the Director and Co-Owner of Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based policy think tank, and leads Hungary’s national anti-disinformation hub (HDMO–Lakmusz), co-funded by the European Commission through the European Digital Media Observatory, hosted at the European University Institute. 

Krekó holds a PhD in social psychology from Eötvös Loránd University, and currently serves as a Research Affiliate at the CEU Democracy Institute, Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), and Engaging Central Europe Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS). 

His previous international experience includes visiting positions at Indiana University as a Fulbright Visiting Professor, the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna (IWM), the University of Cambridge (PopBack Project), Johns Hopkins SAIS in Bologna, and the Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg (iASK).

Biography

Vanessa Debiais-Sainton is a Member of Cabinet for European Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu since December 2024, responsible for Union of Skills, education and training.

She previously served as Head of Unit for European higher education policies at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, leading the development of key flagships such as European Universities alliances, the blueprint for a European degree, and the European Strategy for Universities.

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Biography

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Biography

Amanda Crowfoot has been Secretary General of the European University Association – the collective voice of Europe’s universities, with around 900 members – since January 2020. She is responsible for implementing the Association’s strategic plan, acting as an ambassador for its members, and leading a Secretariat of over 40 staff members. 

Amanda previously served as the first Director of Science Europe, the association representing major public research funding and performing organisations in Europe. Prior to that, she worked at the UK Research Office – the Brussels office of the UK research councils – first as a European Advisor and then as Director of the Office.  

Biography

Ulla Preeden is Vice-President of EURASHE and a member of its Board, representing universities of applied sciences in European higher education policymaking. She has served for nine years as Rector of Tartu Applied Health Sciences University in Estonia. 

Ulla is a committed advocate for professional higher education as a driver of skills, innovation, and societal resilience. With a strong focus on quality of education, internationalization, and regional impact, she promotes practice-based learning and applied research that address real-world challenges, strengthening Europe’s capacity for sustainable growth and a skilled, future-ready workforce.

Biography

Lana is the President of the European Students’ Union (ESU) for the 2025/26 mandate. She has been actively involved in the student movement for over five years, beginning as president of the student council at the University of Rijeka. As a member of the Croatian Students’ Council, she engaged in national and European-level advocacy on a wide range of student issues. Prior to becoming president, Lana served as Vice-President of ESU during the 2024/25 term and was a member of its Executive Committee since October 2023. In these roles, she worked extensively on topics related to enhancing the Quality of Education and the development of the European Education Area. As president, Lana focuses on advancing the European Education Area and strengthening the Organizational Development and Capacity Building. She is committed to fostering a more inclusive, innovative, and student-driven higher education landscape across Europe.

Biography

Susanne Conze is Head of Unit for Higher education in the Directorate General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of the European Commission. The unit is the lead service for the development of the European Education Area's higher education dimension as well as devising and managing the higher education strand of the flagship Erasmus+ Programme via the National Agencies and the Executive Agency EACEA.

During her career, both in the Commission and before, Susanne worked in different areas of education and social inclusion policies as well as in the management of European education programmes. She studied history, sociology and political science and holds a PhD in history.

Biography

Gloria Aura Bortolini is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and television presenter with extensive international experience across media, cultural events, and audiovisual production. She has collaborated with leading institutions including Venice Biennale, RAI, Ca’ Foscari University, and international film festivals, combining strong communication skills with a deep passion for storytelling and public engagement. Her work explores travel, art, education, and women’s empowerment as catalysts for cultural dialogue and social innovation.

Biography

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen is the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the European Commission.

She took up this position in September 2023. Prior to that she was the Director-General in the Directorate-General for Communication, she has served as Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer. Between 2009 and 2014 she was Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission; and Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission from 2004 until 2009 under former Commission President Barroso.

She began her career in political communication as Environment Spokeswoman in 1999 (Commissioner Margot Wallström), having previously held positions in the Commission’s departments for Industry (1995-97) and Information, Communication and Culture (1997-99). Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen was a Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament (1989-90).

She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at the Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at the Institut d’études Politiques de Paris.