eudres.experience: Living European Values

Gabriele Permoser has filled central E³UDRES² positions from the very beginning: at first as the project coordinator at the St. Pölten UAS and since December 2023 as the E³UDRES² Managing Director. In this position, she coordinates various projects that have emerged from the alliance, contributes to their further development, and identifies potential synergies.

"We Act Together According to European Values"

You have been part of the E³UDRES² alliance from the very beginning. What makes E³UDRES² so special for you?

E³UDRES² is not about following yet another project plan. We rather think and act way beyond the project period. We engage in much closer collaboration, we further projects together, and adopt longer-term perspectives. This is what clearly sets E³UDRES² apart from other projects and initiatives. In fact, this is something that should be anchored at the core of our institution: “We want long-term collaboration at all levels.”

What were the fields where you could benefit for your personal development?

Definitely in intercultural collaboration! Geographically speaking, most member countries are located not that far away from each other. Nevertheless, we have experienced quite substantial cultural differences, for example, when it comes to the communication within the university or the different speeds and processes in decision-making. This encourages us to reflect on our own way of doing things and helps us to grow.

In your opinion: what have been the biggest successes of E³UDRES² so far?

Of course, we could measure our success by the number of start-ups that have been founded or the amount of funding we have been awarded. What is much more important for me, however, is that we, in E³UDRES², act together according to European values and actively collaborate at all levels.

There was a key moment for me during the Enlargement Ceremony in Brussels in 2022 when we welcomed three new partner universities.

The student representative from Romania said that they find it extremely important that such initiatives exist – that they involve young people, in particular, those who are currently growing up in political systems that are not pro-European, and give them the opportunity to live European values. I believe this was such a beautiful and important remark. After all, E³UDRES² is not limited to the project team – everybody can get involved!

What do you want for the future?

I would like E³UDRES² to shift away from being perceived as an appendage  to become an inherent part of the mindset in higher education institutions, regardless of the funding we receive.