STARS EU brings together its nine universities for the first time in a joint training experience in the Netherlands

The alliance of European universities STARS EU, to which the University of La Laguna belongs, will hold from April 20 to 24 in the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, In Groningen (Netherlands), a novel educational experience that brings together for the first time students, teachers and staff from its nine associated academic institutions. The objective of the first edition of STARS EU Student Case Competition The aim is for its participants to work on real business cases, focusing primarily on the challenges faced by SMEs and family businesses.

The planned program combines collaborative work with hands-on learning and international exchange to foster skills development, teamwork, intercultural communication, and analytical abilities in diverse contexts. To achieve this, the nine participating international teams must work and develop solutions under pressure and then present them to an international jury composed of academics and industry experts.

Around 80 people, including teachers and students, will participate in this activity structured in intensive sessions of preparation, planning and presentation of results, in parallel with the implementation of interaction spaces designed to reinforce shared and transversal learning.

Pilot experience

The initiative, conceived as a pilot program, marks a milestone for the alliance, constituting the first training activity involving representatives from across its academic community. This initial competition aims to lay the groundwork for developing similar initiatives, which could be implemented gradually and on a rotating basis at each member university.

The program will conclude with a final day, during which each team will present their work and awards will be given to the best teams and participants. In addition to the competition, the event will feature a social and cultural program designed to foster networking, collaboration, and intercultural exchange among participants.

In addition to the organizing university (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), the following centers will participate in this pioneering experience: West University (Sweden); Polytechnic University of Braganza (Portugal); Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic); Aleksandër Moisiu University in Durrës (Albania); Krakow University of Technology (Poland) and Bremen University of Applied Sciences (Germany), as well as the University of La Laguna.

With this initiative, STARS EU takes a significant step in promoting joint training activities that strengthen collaboration between its universities and foster new learning opportunities in an international environment.