Exploring Collaboration And Impact In European Universities Alliances With FOREU4ALL

The FOREU4ALL Workshop on “Aligning Project Management and Impact” brought together representatives from European Universities Alliances to reflect on how to design, manage, and evaluate impact within  collaborative projects. Matthieu Danteny, Deputy Head of the Strategy and Major Projects Unit at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) and Co-lead of the Aurora 2030 Impact team, shared his experience during the two days in Granada.  Restitution of a collaborative workshop on impact by Matthieu Danteny

Stepping Into A Shared European Space Of Exchange

This event was an opportunity to step outside the day-to-day project environment and engage directly with peers facing similar challenges across Europe. From the very beginning, what struck me was the openness of the discussions. The workshop created a space where participants from different alliances could speak freely about what works, what does not, and what remains difficult when it comes to linking project management with impact. Rather than formal presentations, many of the exchanges took shape through interactive formats, which made it easier to engage with others and compare approaches in a very direct way. It quickly became clear that, despite institutional differences, many of us are working with similar constraints and trying to answer the same questions.

Learning From Others’ Approaches To Impact

One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was the opportunity to observe how other alliances approach impact in very practical terms. Discussions on data collection, planning, and reporting revealed a wide variety of tools and methods, some of which offered interesting perspectives for our own work within Aurora. What stood out to me most was the idea that impact is not only something to be reported at the end of a project, but something that needs to be considered continuously throughout its implementation. This shift in perspective was reinforced through the exchanges with colleagues from other alliances. Poster session and workshops on project management and impact

Turning Exchange Into Perspective

Beyond the technical discussions, what I took away most from this experience was the value of collective reflection. Being able to discuss openly with peers across Europe made it easier to step back from operational constraints and look at broader patterns in how alliances function. The workshop also highlighted the importance of combining different types of understanding when working on impact, not only quantitative indicators, but also shared interpretations and qualitative insights. Tools in impact assessment are also game changers That’s what I learned from various discussion with impact manager from other alliances, and from the poster they made. Thanks to the workshop about this topic, I left the event with new tools, and ideas to improve our own impact assessment. FOREU4ALL Workshop 2 participants at the Universidad de Granada

Looking Ahead

This experience reinforced my belief that European Universities Alliances are not only cooperation frameworks, but also spaces for learning and transformation. Within Aurora , these exchanges contribute directly to how we think about project management and impact in a more integrated and collaborative way. Returning from Granada, I left with a stronger sense of the importance of continued dialogue between alliances, and of the value of shared tools and common understanding in strengthening European cooperation in higher education.