February 9th, 2026
As part of the "European Universities" initiative, HKA is developing new concepts for teaching, research, and continuing education together with nine partner universities in the INGENIUM alliance. The biannual event "10 Days of INGENIUM" is a central part of this and offers participants the opportunity to actively experience and help shape European cooperation.
For the sixth "10 Days of INGENIUM", university members from all over Europe again came together this winter to learn, teach, and drive forward the strategic development of the Alliance.
Program in Iași: Science meets industry and key decisions - 26th to 30th January at the Technical University "Gheorghe Asachi" Iași
The INGENIUM Student Board met for a joint meeting in Iași, Romania, the weekend before the official start of the program. The agenda included several full-day working and coordination sessions, which focused, among other things, on optimizing workflows for international cooperation, planning upcoming projects and increasing the integration of students into the Alliance's strategy process. "Getting to know the student representatives from the different countries in person was an incredibly valuable experience. Now that we know each other personally, close cooperation in an online format will be all the more effective in future," reports Hannah Lörch from the AStA (student union). Together with David Slawin, she represents HKA on the Student Board.
Following the opening ceremony on Monday, January 26th, the program of the Senior Winter School also began under the guiding theme "Science Meets Industry". In an intensive five-day program consisting of lectures, workshops and practical projects, the participating master's and doctoral students gained comprehensive insights into product design, intellectual property, technology transfer, ethical aspects of AI, AI regulation, co-creation, and business model development. HKA was represented by six students. Professor Philipp Nenninger accompanied the students as a mentor and supplemented the program with a lecture on patents.
Parallel to the Winter School, central steering committees of the Alliance and various thematic working groups met in Iași. The meetings focused on the transition to the new "Next INGENIUM" strategy phase, which is intended to pave the way for a structurally integrated European university alliance. President Prof. Dr. Rose Marie Beck and Marie Rüppell-Wee, INGENIUM project manager at HKA, represented the University in the Alliance Council, the highest decision-making body of the Alliance. "With the strategic decisions made there, we are strengthening INGENIUM as a European university with clear governance and joint academic offerings. At the same time, we are sharpening our profile as a bridge between universities and regional partners in order to sustainably promote innovation and cooperation in Europe," says President Beck.
Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, emphasized the pioneering role of INGENIUM on the way to a strong, sustainable Europe: “Europe is currently being reshaped. We need alliances like INGENIUM to not just react or adapt to this change, but to be able to lead it.”
Program in Skövde: Focus on sustainability and European teaching innovations - February 2nd to 6th at the Skövde University of Applied Sciences
In Skövde, the second week of the 10 Days continued with the Junior Winter School "Sustainability in Action". The five HKA students who took part on site worked in international teams on practical projects on ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Workshops such as "Climate Fresk", formats for digital learning games, lectures on sustainable development and an ethics keynote offered a variety of exciting learning impulses.
At the same time, the Staff Academy took place in Skövde: Lecturers and employees of the Alliance discussed innovative didactic approaches - from interactive teaching methods and digital storytelling to responsible AI literacy and practical health teaching. With their contribution "Being Touched! Teaching Beyond Borders", Professor Moritz Schell and Professor Sebastian Krügler from HKA presented new approaches to university didactics that activate learning.
The program was supplemented by sessions of the working groups, which focused on topics such as joint study programs and sustainability-oriented teaching. With the successful conclusion of the 2026 winter edition, INGENIUM is entering the next project phase from a stronger position. Work on a joint European campus, new mobility and study models as well as sustainable, innovative teaching concepts will continue in the coming months - with the active participation of HKA.
