Music speaks about the value of transnational empathy and cooperation: IN.TUNE at the high-level meeting Shaping the future: European universities alliances for a competitive Europe

On 26-27 February 2025, representatives of the IN.TUNE Alliance joined more than 450 participants at the high-level event Shaping the future: European universities alliances for a competitive Europe, hosted by the European Commission in Brussels. This two-day meeting brought together European University Alliances, Members of the European Parliament, regional and national authorities, higher education stakeholders, and private sector leaders to discuss the next steps for strengthening the European Higher Education Area.

IN.TUNE was represented in the meeting by co-Secretary General Martin Prchal, Alliance Financial Manager Karoline Hovland and Alliance Administrative Manager Dušanka Jelenkovic Vidovic, joined by two rectors of IN.TUNE partner universities—Kaarlo Hilden, rector of the University of Arts Helsinki, and Emilie Delorme, director of the Paris Conservatory, who took part in the closed meeting between the European Commissioner and university rectors.

A special highlight of IN.TUNE’s contribution was the performance by the Susato Trio, students of the joint master’s programme co-developed by IN.TUNE universities. The trio not only shared their music but also their personal experience of cross-border learning and artistic collaboration—a living example of what transnational cooperation in higher education can look like when put into practice.

In an interview after their performance, the Trio shared their experiences as students of a truly transnational programme: Being students of this joint programme has brought us some of the best times of our professional lives. We’ve met passionate peers, inspiring mentors, and formed meaningful relationships. As musicians, we develop transnational empathy — and today, that’s more important than ever.

They described the European University Alliance initiative as "a beautiful opportunity to bring together musicians from many countries in pursuit of a shared passion.” In their words, an alliance is much like a chamber music ensemble: “you bring your skills and differences to the table and work together towards a shared vision.”

Putting their words into music, Susato Trio performed the third and fourth movements of Piano Trio No. 2 by Johannes Brahms, captivating the audience not only with their artistry but with their reflections on the power of music to transcend borders and build connection.

The value of this type of collaborative and creative skill-building was echoed in IN.TUNE’s contributions to the thematic panels on future skills. In the session “European Universities as power houses for developing the skills for the future,” IN.TUNE representatives underlined the importance of the STEAM approach — where Art complements STEM. They stressed that creativity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to think laterally are increasingly critical in areas like AI, clean tech, and other strategic sectors.

IN.TUNE argued that the arts provide not only technical excellence but also the social and cultural frameworks needed to tackle global challenges. Without the perspectives the arts bring, we risk reducing innovation to technical problem-solving without the human element that ensures it has purpose and impact.

At the heart of the Brussels event was a clear message: the European University Alliances are essential drivers of the so-called "fifth freedom" — the free circulation of knowledge — and central to Europe’s future competitiveness, as underlined by keynote speaker Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy and author of the EU-commissioned report “Much More than a Market.”

The event provided a space for all stakeholders — from newly funded alliances to Seal of Excellence holders — to connect, exchange and reflect on the role of alliances in shaping a resilient, values-based, and innovative European Higher Education Area. Participants highlighted the need for structured impact communication, enhanced cooperation, and shared spaces of learning that go beyond national frameworks.

A powerful message came from Prof. Dr. Beatrix Busse, Chair of the Board of FOREU4ALL, who challenged participants to think beyond economic outcomes:

“Economic competitiveness must be balanced by models of individual, societal, and planetary well-being. We are the beacon of European values and co-creation, forerunners of excellence. Engulfed in an ocean of global competitiveness, alliances help us achieve just that — through unreserved openness, compulsive curiosity, and expansive empathy.”This holistic perspective aligns closely with IN.TUNE’s mission and practice.

The Alliance also participated in the FOREU4ALL Global Forum, which brought together all 65 alliances and a wide circle of higher education actors to reflect on the future of the initiative. The session emphasized the collaborative nature of FOREU4ALL and the need to show — in structured, evidence-based ways — the impact that alliances are making on students, institutions, and society.

For IN.TUNE, this meeting was not only an opportunity to engage in strategic dialogue but also a moment to show how music — and the arts more broadly — can be a compelling voice in the European project. As the Susato Trio made clear, studying across borders fosters empathy, collaboration, and innovation — values that go to the core of what it means to be both a musician and a European citizen.