Speakers | 3rd European Universities Conference
Katarzyna Aleksy has been affiliated with the Foundation for the Development of the Education System since 2007. She began her career working on the Erasmus Programme and later, as Director of Scholarship Programs, was responsible for launching and managing the Scholarship and Training Fund under the Norwegian and EEA Grants, as well as the SCIEX Scholarship Fund within the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme.
In 2017, she joined the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education to contribute to the establishment and operational framework of Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). Between 2017 and 2024, she served as Director of the Programs for Researchers and Institutions Office at NAWA, overseeing program calls and project implementation, including initiatives financed by the European Social Fund.
She represented the Agency within the Academic Cooperation Association and served as Treasurer of its Board from 2021 to 2024. In 2020, she received the IRO’s Forum Award for her contribution to the internationalization of higher education in Poland.
Ms. Aleksy has been a speaker at major international conferences, including APAIE, NAFSA, and EAIE. She is also a member of the advisory team at the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education dedicated to the European Universities initiative.
Senior Policy Advisor and accountholder Responsible Internationalisation at Nuffic, working within the ‘Mobstacles’ team and the EURAXESS-network, with expertise on mobility and mobility-obstacles (mobstacles) of international researchers and scientific personal. In the Netherlands, the Mobstacles team serves as a linking pin between the Higher Education Institutes and the relevant government institutions. The EURAXESS-network is a network initiated by the European Commission to enhance the mobility of researchers in Europe. In both networks responsible internationalization is a key focus point related to the mobility of international researchers and scientific personal.
Benedikt Brisch is responsible for the DAAD Division “Knowledge Exchange and International Network” in the DAAD Strategy Department, which includes the Center for International Academic Cooperation (KIWi), funded by the German Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
His responsibilities include addressing the topic of “Research and Knowledge Security” as part of KIWi's work at the DAAD. In this capacity, Benedikt Brisch participated as a speaker on several panels and headed the “Information and Advice” working group of the BMFTR stakeholder process on Research Security 2024-2025. Under his supervision, KIWi developed the “Checklist Knowledge Security” in 2025 as a self-assessment tool for German universities, which was published in September 2025.
Prior to his current position at DAAD Headquarters, he served as Director of the DAAD North America Office in New York and as Director of the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York from 2019 to 2025.
As Director of the DWIH New York since 2019, he developed the “Future Forum” format, which brings together researchers and innovators from Germany and the United States to discuss how research and innovation can address the challenges of our time. Benedikt Brisch negotiated the cooperation scheme of the “Gilman-DAAD Germany Scholarship” program with the U.S. Department of State. Since 2022, the program has provided funding for talented American undergraduate students with limited financial means for research internships and study stays in Germany. The program is funded by the German Foreign Office (AA) and the U.S. Department of State, and the Institute of International Education (IIE) is the DAAD's institutional partner.
Benedikt Brisch studied Eastern European History, Slavic Languages and Political Science at the University of Cologne (Germany) including a semester abroad at St. Petersburg University in Russia. From 2000 to 2004, he served as Deputy Director of the DAAD Moscow Office. After returning to the DAAD Head Office in Bonn, he led the newly established Central Asia and South Caucasus Unit from 2004 to 2009. His responsibilities included project funding for Eastern Europe, the coordination of the German-Kazakh University DKU in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the Centres for German and European Studies. He also managed joint scholarship programmes with partners from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UK and the USA. He worked as Head of the Division for Eastern Europe from 2009 to 2015, and as Head of the Division for Europe and North America from 2015 to 2019.
Beatrix Busse is Professor of English Linguistics and Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies at the University of Cologne. She also serves as Chief Development Officer of EUniWell – the European University for Well-Being – and as Chair of the FOREU4All Board representing the European Universities alliances. (uni-koeln.de)
She studied English and History at the Universities of Osnabrück and Keele, earned her doctorate in English Philology from the University of Münster in 2004, and completed her habilitation at the University of Bern in 2010. Before joining the University of Cologne in 2019, she held academic and leadership positions at Heidelberg University, where she served two terms as Vice-Rector for Studies and Teaching and founded the Heidelberg School of Education.
Prof. Busse’s research focuses on stylistics, corpus linguistics, historical pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and the history of the English language. She has published extensively in the fields of language, literature, and discourse studies and has been involved in numerous international academic initiatives and advisory boards.
She is a Visiting Fellow of the British Academy, Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of the Coimbra Group, and an active advocate for innovation, well-being, and international cooperation in higher education across Europe.
Ivana Didak works as Head of Higher Education Policy at The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. She covers the network’s activities in education policy, including the Erasmus+ programme and the European Universities Initiative. Ivana supports the Future of Education project within the network which looks into transnational collaboration and pedagogic innovation.
Previously, she worked in the Croatian Erasmus+ National Agency where she focused on Key Action 1, and especially the International Credit Mobility. Ivana studied at KU Leuven and holds a Master’s degree in European Politics and Policies and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Zagreb.
Chief Analyst, Strategic Intelligence, at Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency. Her work is mainly focused on international collaboration in research and innovation, and she leads Vinnova’s work on responsible internationalisation. She is also involved in a new initiative around dual-use and civil-military synergies in innovation. Ms. Fineman’s previous experience includes innovation diplomacy as Innovation Councillor and Head of the Vinnova Office in Israel, policy work as Head of the Vinnova Office in Brussels, and work with foreign direct investment. Before joining the public sector, Ms. Fineman spent several years in the telecommunications industry, leading international projects in many parts of the world. She has also held management- and board-level positions in the ICT sector and has worked as a management consultant. Ann-Mari Fineman holds a master’s degree in computer science from Uppsala University and is a Sloan Fellow of London Business School.
Mariusz Głąbowski earned his M.Sc. in Engineering and Ph.D. in Telecommunications from Poznan University of Technology in 1997 and 2001, respectively. He received his postdoctoral degree (habilitation) in telecommunications in 2010 and was awarded the title of Professor in Engineering and Technical Sciences in 2020.
He currently serves as Professor at the Institute of Communication Networks within the Faculty of Computing and Telecommunications at Poznan University of Technology, specializing in telecommunications network performance, cybersecurity, and information security. Since September 2024, he has held the position of Vice Rector for International Cooperation.
Prof. Głąbowski has played a key role in the development of EUNICE, coordinated by Poznan University of Technology. Between 2020 and 2023, he managed the EUNICE project and led the development of an international master’s program in Cybersecurity. Since 2023, he has coordinated the EUNICE4U project and oversees the REUNICE initiative supporting EUNICE research activities.
He also secured two grants from the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange to support international educational and research initiatives within EUNICE.
Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen has served as Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission since September 2023. Previously, she was Director-General for Communication and also served as Deputy Secretary-General and Chief Operating Officer of the European Commission. Between 2009 and 2014, she was Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission under President José Manuel Barroso.
She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at Sciences Po Paris, specializing in intercultural communication. Throughout her career, she has played a leading role in shaping European communication, education, and cultural policy, with a strong focus on international cooperation, European values, and the future of higher education in Europe.
Teofil Jesionowski is a chemist, engineer, and graduate of Poznan University of Technology, where he currently serves as Rector for the 2024–2028 term. He previously served as Rector between 2020 and 2024 and chaired the Conference of Rectors of Polish Technical Universities from 2020 to 2024. Since 2020, he has also been a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
His scientific work focuses on advanced functional materials, polymer and composite technologies, green chemistry, catalysis, biotechnology, and environmental protection technologies. He has authored numerous scientific publications and patents and has collaborated with leading international institutions, including the Technical University of Denmark, University of Technology Sydney, and Kent State University.
Prof. Jesionowski is actively involved in European academic cooperation and serves as coordinator of the EUNICE4U initiative. Under his leadership, Poznan University of Technology has strengthened its international position, expanded research excellence initiatives, and advanced sustainable campus development projects.
Ewa Kocińska-Lange is a Policy Officer in the European Innovation Council Unit of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
Previously, she managed the Brussels office of the National Centre for Research and Development, promoting Polish research and innovation in EU programmes. She has extensive experience as an expert, evaluator, reviewer and adviser for the European Commission, and has worked across multiple framework programmes from FP5 to Horizon Europe. Before moving to Brussels, Ewa was Deputy Director of the Poznań Science & Technology Park, where she supported researchers and innovators and also initiated the Imagination Laboratory, a science centre for children and young people.
Dr Marcin Kulasek, Eng., has served as Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education since January 2025. He holds a Ph.D. in agricultural sciences with a specialization in food technology and nutrition from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, where he also completed his undergraduate studies. He additionally pursued postgraduate studies in EU fund management and security and crisis management.
Throughout his career, Minister Kulasek has combined academic interests with extensive experience in public administration and local government. He previously worked at the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture and served as an assistant to the Governor of Warmia and Mazury. Since 2019, he has been a member of the Polish Parliament, actively engaged in higher education, science, agriculture, and national defense policy.
Before assuming his ministerial role, he served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets. He has also held the position of Secretary General of the New Left political party since 2016.
As Minister, he advocates for stronger international research cooperation, increased investment in science and innovation, and closer links between academia, industry, and public policy.
Iwona Jablonska has an extensive experience and expertise in the EU research, innovation and higher education programmes’ management acquired in private and public organisations, bringing both the applicants/beneficiaries and the EU funding bodies perspectives.
She worked in the outstanding research organisations in Paris, France - Institut Pasteur and Paris Brain Institute, followed by the EU Joint Undertaking – Innovative Medicines Initiative (renamed Innovative Health Initiative) in Brussels, Belgium. Iwona joined European Higher Education sector in European and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in 2022 as Team Leader, where she currently monitors and coordinates the European Universities Initiative.
Iwona holds a bachelor’s degree in European Studies and Philosophy and a master’s degree in European Studies and History from the University of Maria Skłodowska- Curie in Lublin, Poland. She also holds postgraduate degrees: Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA)) in Contemporary History of international relations from the University Paris 1 Panthéon - Sorbonne and Diplôme d’études specialisées (DESS) in Geopolitics awarded jointly by the University Paris 1 Panthéon - Sorbonne and Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Klementyna Kielak is a higher education internationalisation professional affiliated with the University of Warsaw, where she serves as Deputy Head of the International Relations Office. Her work focuses on strategic international cooperation, European university alliances, student mobility, and the development of responsible internationalisation policies in higher education. She is actively involved in European collaboration initiatives, including the 4EU+ Alliance and international projects dedicated to strengthening resilience and innovation in academic cooperation. Klementyna Kielak is also engaged in international higher education networks and policy dialogue at the European level.
Mirosław Marczewski is a graduate of the Faculty of Geology at University of Warsaw and completed postgraduate studies in European integration. He has been professionally associated with the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) since 1996 and currently serves as its Director General.
Over the course of his career, he has played a key role in the implementation and management of major European educational and cooperation programs in Poland, including Erasmus+, the Lifelong Learning Programme, EEA-funded scholarship initiatives, and Swiss-Polish cooperation projects. Between 2018 and 2024, he served as Deputy Director of the Centre for European Projects, overseeing cross-border Interreg cooperation programs involving Poland and several European partner countries.
Mr. Marczewski has extensive experience in public administration, international cooperation, and project management. He has participated in numerous international conferences and professional training programs, including at the University of Plymouth and in New York. He has also served on advisory bodies related to higher education, youth exchange, and educational policy in Poland.
For his contribution to education and public service, he has received distinctions including the Medal of the National Education Commission awarded by the Polish Ministry of Education.
Patrycja Matusz has been associated with University of Wroclaw for most of her academic and professional career. She studied Dutch and German Philology between 1996 and 2000 and served as Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Development at the Faculty of Social Sciences from 2016 to 2020. Since 2020, she has held the position of Vice Rectoress for Projects and International Relations.
Her research focuses on international migration, migration governance, immigrant integration, and intercultural education. She currently leads two projects funded under Horizon 2020.
Prof. Matusz played a key role in establishing University of Wroclaw as a member of the Arqus alliance and strengthening cooperation within the InclusU network. She also initiated a strategic cooperation agreement with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology to advance internationalization efforts.
In March 2024, she was appointed by the Polish Minister of Science as Plenipotentiary for European Affairs and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She also collaborates closely with the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and regional and local government institutions.
Julita Pieńkosz holds a PhD in Sociology and works at the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. Since 2012, she has been professionally engaged in education and its connections to the labor market. She has gained extensive experience in this area through collaboration with Polish public institutions, serving as an expert on the Polish Integrated Qualifications System, and working as an assistant professor at the Educational Research Institute. Her research focuses particularly on adult learning and socio-economic inequalities. Currently she is involved in research on the implementation and effects of the European Universities initiative (EUI) in Polish higher education institutions.
Cristina Satriano is Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, where she has been on faculty since 2006. She holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science (2001, University of Catania & Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) and an M.Sc. in Chemistry (1997, University of Basilicata). In 2017, she earned the National Scientific Habilitation as Full Professor.
She heads the Nano Hybrid BioInterfaces Lab (NHBIL), conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of chemistry, biophysics, and nanotechnology.
Prof. Satriano currently holds a number of academic and professional roles, including: - Vice-Chair of AVS 2D Materials Technical Group; - Board of Directors member of EUNICE AISBL; - Board member for the Ph.D. programme in Chemical Sciences at UNICT; - Advisory Board member for Ph.D. programs in Austria and Poland; - Expert evaluator or panel member for research agencies such as EU Commission (REA), FNRS, NCN, FTC and AGAUR. She has authored +150 publications, holds one patent, and has led several European and national research projects. At the University of Catania, she served as local scientific coordinator of EUNICE (2020–2023) and currently of EUNICE4U, while leading the Knowledge Square–centered Work Package to advance knowledge integration, innovation, and skills development across the Alliance.
Fatma Sayed is Director of the Academic Service at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, where she has worked since 2004, bringing over 30 years of experience in higher education, academic administration, and student affairs. She is also Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Gonzaga University in Florence, a role she has held since 2007.
Dr Sayed holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute, a Master in Public Administration (MPA), and a BA in Journalism from American University in Cairo. Her professional career in higher education began in 1996 at the American University in Cairo, where she held senior responsibilities in student life, and academic governance.
As Director of Academic Service at EUI, she leads a complex portfolio of strategic and operational functions supporting the EUI’s international academic community, ensuring the delivery of high-quality doctoral and postgraduate programmes aligned with the Institute’s mission and evolving global context.
Dr Sayed is a specialist in governance, policy analysis, development cooperation, and social policy, with a particular focus on the Euro-Mediterranean region. She has served as an international consultant to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, contributing to research on innovation in public administration within the Programme for the Promotion of Exchange of Administrative Innovation between Europe and the Mediterranean Region.
Dr Sayed is the author of numerous academic publications on governance, higher education reform, development assistance, and public sector innovation. She has served on doctoral co-supervision and examination committees at Lancaster University and Aix-Marseille Université, and regularly engages in academic peer review.
Her professional and academic work lies at the intersection of international governance, institutional reform, and the development of inclusive, resilient, and high-performing higher education systems.
Magdalena Sikorska serves as Secretary General of the EUNICE European University. She co-designed EUNICE AISBL in Belgium, one of the first legal entities established by a European University Alliance, and chairs a Community of Practice for AISBL-based alliances. She leads the FOREU4ALL topical group on internationalisation and global outreach. She holds a PhD in management, with research focused on models within the European Universities Initiative, and has authored and co-authored publications on higher education, international collaboration, and university governance.
Jon Gunnar Simonsen is Head of Department of European Cooperation and Quality Enhancement at the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, the National Agency for Erasmus+. As department director, he is responsible for European and Nordic cooperation in higher education, including through the European Universities Initiative. Simonsen has extensive experience from European and global academic cooperation and student mobility, and from the management of Norwegian schemes for the development of higher education and research. He holds a master degree in modern European history.
Radosław Stanczewski is a cross-cultural psychologist and trainer of cross-cultural competencies. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Psychology from SWPS University and completed a prestigious post-graduate Interdisciplinary European Program at the College of Europe, where he was awarded a scholarship provided by Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Professionally, he specializes in facilitating multinational teams and building international relations between partnering institutions.
He has extensive experience in managing and coordinating numerous multilateral international projects. For example, he co-developed and coordinates Global MINDS, the European Master in the Psychology of Global Mobility, Inclusion and Diversity in Society, financed by the Erasmus Mundus initiative. At SWPS University, he also coordinates University’s activities related to the membership in the European Reform University Alliance, financed by the European Commission as part of the prestigious European Universities Initiative.
Tadeusz Uhl graduated from AGH University of Krakow in 1980, earned his Ph.D. in 1983, completed his habilitation in engineering sciences in 1990, and received the title of Professor in 1996. He has conducted research at leading scientific institutions in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Japan, and the United States.
His research interests include mechatronics, Structural Health Monitoring, hydrogen-powered vehicles, robotics, and space technologies. He is the author of more than 1,000 scientific publications, including nearly 450 articles indexed in Journal Citation Reports (JCR), with an h-index of 28 according to Scopus.
Prof. Uhl has supervised 55 completed doctoral dissertations and more than 100 master’s theses. He coordinates several international research initiatives, including UNIVERSEH, Beyond UNIVERSEH, and the DyVirt project funded under the European Marie Curie Actions program.
He actively collaborates with universities worldwide and currently leads a joint initiative with the Indian Institute of Science focused on nanotechnology-based sensor development. He holds 45 domestic and international patents and served as a member of the High-Level Group on Key Enabling Technologies at the European Commission between 2014 and 2017.
In 2020, Stanford University included him among the “World’s Top 2% Scientists.” Prof. Uhl is also an active innovator and entrepreneur, having founded 28 start-ups, several of which have grown into major companies, while leading numerous industry projects in transport, aviation, and energy sectors.
Currently, as the Dean of the Faculty of Space Technologies at the AGH University of Science and Technology, he leads a research team that conducts research in the field of orbital and planetary missions, including missions to the ISS and the application of space technologies in defense
Born in Bydgoszcz in 1978, Marcin Witkowski graduated in political science and journalism from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and completed the Industrial and Labor Relations Exchange Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
He specializes in international marketing and intercultural communication and is an academic lecturer, conference moderator, and master of ceremonies for numerous public events, academic conferences, and congresses. He is the author of scholarly articles on international relations and co-editor of a book on the future of Europe published by Peter Lang in English and German.
Mr. Witkowski was the founding head of the first Information and Promotion Office at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and is an honorary member of PROM. He serves as Poland’s national representative, Secretary General, and Board Member of the European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education (EUPRIO).
A certified SUCTI internationalization trainer and REFA trainer in leadership psychology, team building, and motivation systems, he secured funding from programs including Welcome to Poland by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and established the first Welcome Center in Poznań at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.
In 2020, he was named “Internationalization Marketing Star” by the “Stars of Internationalization” competition organized by the Perspektywy Education Foundation under the patronage of Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, and Foundation for the Development of the Education System.
He currently leads the Erasmus+ InnHUB Poznan Innovation Center at Poznan University of Technology on behalf of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.
Bogdan Zdrojewski is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). He previously served as Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage from 2007 to 2014 and was Mayor of Wrocław from 1990 to 2001.
A graduate in Philosophy and Cultural Studies from the University of Wroclaw, he has long been engaged in public policy related to culture, education, European cooperation, and regional development. Since returning to the European Parliament in 2024, he has continued his work on cultural, educational, and international affairs within the European Union framework, including his service as the Erasmu+Program Rapporteur.
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