The ULL presents the STARS EU communication at a conference on European universities

The communication of European university alliances has focused the interest of a technical session organized on June 11 at the Toledo headquarters of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, sponsored by the Association of Communication Professionals of Universities and Research Centers of the Spanish State (AUGAC) and the alliance COLORS. At this meeting, the University of La Laguna participated in the panel on “Innovation in impactful formats and tools”, providing some examples of actions developed within the framework of STARS EU, the alliance in which the Canary Islands academic institution is integrated.

Acaimo González Sarmiento, a technician from the Communication Office of the University of La Laguna, was accompanied by the Communication Officer of STARS EU, Beatriz Medina Fuentes, and presented some of the formats that the alliance is using to disseminate the activity of its members, including the STARS EU Highlights podcast, about teaching innovation; the STARS Talks expert lecture series and, especially focused on students, the STARS in the Kitchen series, in which students prepare recipes from their countries, and the Students Takeovers, an action in which a student “takes over” the alliance's Instagram account for a day to present their daily life.

Emphasis was also placed on the importance of both having a strong corporate visual identity to help solidify the brand and organizing in-person events, which facilitate greater community engagement compared to online activities. The session format was designed so that the presentations were short and encouraged audience participation and the exchange of experiences.

Arantxa Castaño, from UCLM (COLOURS alliance), also participated in this panel on innovative communication formats, and the debate was joined by the director of El Español de Castilla-La Mancha, Alberto Morlanes; the editor of Castilla-La Mancha Media, Ángeles Sánchez-Infantes; and the director of the newspaper Vecinos, Rosa Nogués, who shared some key points for alliances to improve their information presence.

The meeting, which brought together around 100 participants from 53 universities and 48 alliances, highlighted the importance of communication in these types of consortia, establishing, among other challenges, the connection with the university community and positioning strategies.

The day began with an analysis of management models and communication structures in different alliances, with the participation of Marta Calvo, from the University of Deusto (UNIC alliance), and Eva Fernández Silva, from the University of Seville (Ulysseus alliance). Initiatives that enhance visibility and connection with students were also addressed, with presentations by Bibiana Bonmatí, from the University of Barcelona (CHARM-EU alliance), and Jorge Hernández, from the University of Salamanca (EC2U alliance).

Conclusions

A common diagnosis emerged from the discussions: communication accounts for approximately 60% of the activities of the alliances, but lacks dedicated resources, allocated time, and institutional recognition. According to the participants, this lack of professionalization is one of the factors hindering greater impact.

Among the concrete proposals generated by the event were the segmentation of messages by target groups, student involvement as content creators, mobile information booths throughout university campuses, and the creation of local profiles on social media. The importance of integrating partnerships into each university's overall discourse was also emphasized, so that they are no longer perceived as a project linked exclusively to the vice-rectorates responsible for internationalization.