A delegation of 26 representatives from Maynooth University, including President Eeva Leinonen, members of the University Executive, faculty, professional services staff, and student representatives, recently attended the Arqus Annual Conference 2025, held at Leipzig University in Germany.
This year’s conference, titled "European Universities at the Crossroads," brought together leaders from across the Arqus European University Alliance institutions, as well as Associate Partners from Durham, UK, and Kyiv, Ukraine, for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of European Higher Education.
Maynooth University had a large delegation at the event, highlighting our growing engagement with the Arqus Alliance. Ben Finnegan, Arqus Alliance Manager at MU, noted, “This strong participation demonstrates MU's commitment to European collaboration in research, teaching, and innovation.”
The conference featured a series of plenary sessions addressing key issues facing the European Universities Initiative. Topics included the future of higher education alliances, collaborative research strategies, and the role of digital infrastructure in strengthening partnerships across European universities. MU President Professor Eeva Leinonen chaired the opening session, which explored the legal entity for European university alliances and its implications for the structure and governance of collaborations like Arqus.
Looking ahead, Maynooth University is honoured to host the next Arqus Annual Conference in July 2026, coinciding with Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Find more information on the 2025 Arqus Annual Conference in Leipzig.
Watch the launch video for the 2026 Arqus Annual Conference in Maynooth.
