EURECA-PRO newsitems

How do you teach sustainability in a way that actually changes what people do? That question is at the heart of ENVIHEI – and of UHasselt’s role in EURECA-PRO.

The EURECA-PRO program continues to foster meaningful international collaborations for early-career researchers. One recent example is the visit of Muhammad Danish Ali, a fourth-year PhD student from Silesian University of Technology under the supervision of Prof. Anna Starczewska, who spent a week at Hasselt University’s Materials Chemistry DESINe group under the supervision of Prof. An Hardy. Muhammad Danish’s visit, a return from an initial connection made during the 2024 edition of the EURECA-PRO PhD Journey, highlights the power of international mobility in sharing expertise and equipment, accelerating research, and strengthening scientific networks.

From 8 to 12 September 2025, the EURECA-PRO Student Council gathered at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland. Among the twelve representatives present were two UHasselt PhD students: Ihtesham Ud Din, current Chair of the Student Council, and Juan Guerrero Paez, who joined the Council earlier this year. For both, the meeting was not only about discussions and planning, it was about shaping students' roles in Europe’s future universities.

From 7 to 9 July 2025, Hasselt University once again opened its doors to international students for the second edition of the Materiomics Summer School, themed "Innovative Materials: From Healthcare Across Quantum to Sustainable Technologies". This engaging and multidisciplinary programme, endorsed by EURECA-PRO, took place at Campus Diepenbeek.

From VR mining simulations and intercultural training to a research award and new international connections: UHasselt PhD student Shabnam Ahadzadeh returned from the 19th Freiberg Colloquium of Young Researchers with a mind full of insights and a suitcase full of inspiration. We spoke to her about what made this experience stand out and why she believes every PhD student should say “yes” to opportunities like this.

Reflecting on a week of connection, collaboration, and commitment

From 12 to 16 May 2025, the EURECA-PRO Alliance gathered in Nancy, France for its annual Review Week. Hosted by Université de Lorraine, the week brought together representatives from all nine partner universities to connect, reflect, and collectively shape the strategic path towards a sustainable, competitive, and inclusive European future.

From May 4 to 9, 2025, the campus of Hasselt University in Diepenbeek transformed into a vibrant hub of international exchange and sustainable innovation as 38 students from 14 universities and 11 countries came together for the fourth edition of the CEAD Summer School, organized in the framework of the EURECA-PRO alliance.

PhD research can be a lonely road at times, but within the EURECA-PRO alliance, PhD students at UHasselt are discovering that it doesn’t have to be.

Discover the brand-new website and corporate branding of EURECA-PRO!

Ihtesham Ud Din, PhD student from Hasselt University, is the newly appointed Chair of the EURECA-PRO Student Council and is determined to elevate student participation, ensure inclusivity, and create long-lasting initiatives.

At the end of 2024, a group of students from Hasselt University’s Faculty of Architecture and Arts brought the vision of EURECA-PRO to life through their project: the Treedom Pavilion, a circular and interactive landmark - shaped as a tree - using reclaimed wooden beams.

In the lecture series, professors from the 9 partner universities teach a 1-hour online lecture on an SDG12-related topic to an international student audience.