Research and Education: What Synergies?

The annual assembly of the Coimbra Group explored the intricate and inseparable link between research and education. Held in Turku, Finland, from 4 to 7 June, it gathered three hundred representatives from the forty European universities in the network. The event included an Open Conference, alongside meetings, working groups, workshops, and sessions focusing on this year’s theme: "Research and Education Most Impactful Together".

The event was hosted by the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, both long-standing members of the Coimbra Group, a network currently comprising forty universities from twenty-two European countries. It also featured an intervention by Giovanni Molari, Rector of the University of Bologna, who, during the Open Conference, spoke on the panel “Research and Education at the Core of the Knowledge Factory”.

Throughout the annual conference, the relationship between research and education was examined from various perspectives. Discussions covered the integration of research into university curricula, its impact on the quality of teaching, the relationship between education and research in interdisciplinary fields, and the crucial role of universities as centres of innovation and development. Balancing these aspects is essential for promoting excellent educational paths and ensuring that universities contribute to the advancement of knowledge and socio-economic innovation.

Highlighting the numerous innovative degree programmes launched by the University of Bologna in recent years, Rector Molari emphasized the importance of maintaining a constant dialogue between teaching and research and integrating this dialogue by collaborating with corporate partners. This integration aims to translate scientific knowledge construction into professional profiles ready to tackle major local and global challenges. Addressing these challenges makes the synergies and complementarities between universities within the same networks—such as the Coimbra Group—particularly significant. These partnerships are crucial for promoting internationalization, academic cooperation, excellence in education and research, and societal service, as well as for providing substantial contributions to the development of European policies on education, research, and innovation.

The next annual conference and general assembly will be hosted by the University of Bologna in Bologna from 10 to 13 June 2025.