Dear colleagues and friends of EAIR,

As we step into a new year, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you for a healthy, productive, and inspiring year ahead. 

This is a moment to reflect on the challenges and opportunities before us, and to celebrate the resilience and commitment of our community.

The European Higher Education Society (EAIR) has always stood for open dialogue, mutual trust, and the exchange of ideas across borders and disciplines. In a time marked by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, the need for such a network—linking policymakers, researchers, and practitioners—is more important than ever. Our collective efforts to share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and seek solutions are not just valuable—they are essential. 

I strongly believe that EAIR is more than a network. Is it a model and an example of how different stakeholders from different countries can meet and join to openly discuss the current challenges higher education is facing, and its role in society. 

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to join us at this year’s EAIR Forum in Vilnius. The forum’s theme “strengthening trust between higher education and society” is an important topic within the current context we are living in. And I hope it will encourage you to join us and engage with colleagues from across Europe and beyond. The forum provides, as usual, a unique space to reconnect, learn from each other, and reflect on the evolving landscape of higher education. Moreover, the theme resonates with the core mission of EAIR: to foster thoughtful, evidence-informed discussions that can inspire, challenge and/or guide policy and practice in meaningful ways.

As a preparation to the forum, the Executive Committee visited Vilnius in November, and I’m quite sure you will like it as much as we did: the beautiful city of Vilnius promises to be a vibrant backdrop for our conversations—a city rich in history and culture, and the university of Vilnius is a perfect host for a Forum dedicated to dialogue. 

I hope you and your colleagues will join us, bringing your curiosity, expertise, and perspective to the forum. Please note that we have extended the deadline for abstract submissions until 16 February. 

Let us continue to build EAIR as a beacon of openness and trust, as a place where dialogue happens freely, and where collegiality meets friendship. 

With best wishes for a fulfilling and inspiring year, and in anticipation of welcoming you in Vilnius,

Bruno Broucker, PhD.

Chair of EAIR