Paris-Saclay Summit: A Hub of Scientific Excellence
Held at the French energy provider “EDF”’s Research and Development Campus in Saclay, the Paris-Saclay Summit 2025 featured 60 conferences led by 120 distinguished scientists, including Nobel Prize winners Alain Aspect, Pierre Agostini, and Michel Mayor. Covering a broad range of topics such as health, climate, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and sustainable energy, the summit reaffirmed Paris-Saclay’s reputation as a global hub for scientific excellence and innovation.
EUGLOH’s Contribution: Key Conferences and Workshops
As an exclusive academic partner, EUGLOH played a pivotal role in shaping the summit’s agenda, contributing with thought-provoking roundtables and hands-on workshops: “Do European Universities Still Have a Role to Play in the 21st Century?”. A provocative title that inspired passionate discussions centered around the evolving role of universities and European universities alliances as multidisciplinary innovation hubs addressing 21st-century challenges.The panelists emphasised the transforming and strategic roles of EUGLOH and European universities in a changing geopolitical environment impacted by digital transformations. They all reiterated that European universities should not only support change but also be a key player in generating it!
"European universities will be a key factor in developingt and restoring competitiveness in Europe by leveraging high-level knowledge and European cooperation", said Dag Rune Olsen, Rector of UiT-The Arctic University of Norway. For Isabelle Demachy, Vice-President for Academic Affairs of Université Paris-Saclay: “By creating a structured and efficient place for European cooperation, the alliances play a crucial role in guiding our continent into the 21st century.”
“Can We Make Europe a Land of Healthy Ageing?" The second panel addressed one of Europe’s most pressing demographic issues, in a session that brought together EUGLOH European experts Henrique Barros (University of Porto), Tove Klæboe Nilsen (Director of Research at Helse Nord RHF), Sébastien Oliveau (Director of the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Paris-Saclay).As a student centered alliance, EUGLOH is constantly welcoming their participation and engagement. Hence why this session was moderated by students who explored with their panelists the intersection of public health, policy, and research in promoting healthy ageing. The discussion covered key challenges related to Europe’s ageing population, the societal impact of demographic shifts, and the sustainability of healthcare systems. EUGLOH's multidisciplinary approach, combining public health perspectives with medical and geographic analyses, generated insightful reflections on the future of ageing well in Europe.
A EUGLOH activitiy embedded in the Paris Saclay Summit “Boost Your Entrepreneurial Spirit”. This course enabled EUGLOH to showcase its diversity and innovative pedagogical methods in action as the programme of this highly intercultural course fostered experiencing diversity and working on real projects generated creative thinking, development of adaptability and mastery of innovation processes. Led by Bich-Lien Doan, from CentraleSupelec, the workshop and round table aimed to give the 54 students from EUGLOH partner universities essential entrepreneurial skills. European partner experts from Porto Business School and LMU, as well asseveral entrepreneurs co-animated the session with an emphasis on innovation, adaptability, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Shaping the Future of European Higher Education
EUGLOH’s active participation in the Paris-Saclay Summit highlights the indispensable role of European university alliances in fostering global cooperation and addressing societal challenges. By bridging education and research across borders, EUGLOH continues to drive innovation, nurture talent, and reinforce Europe’s leadership in science and technology.
As the alliance looks forward to further engagements, the collaboration between EUGLOH and the Paris-Saclay Summit is set to get stronger, ensuring that academia remains at the forefront of scientific progress and societal impact.