The E³UDRES² Spring Summit 2026 of the General Assembly of the European University Alliance took place in Jyväskylä, Finland, at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The event brought together partners and associated partners of the alliance to discuss the future of European higher education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and inter-university cooperation.

From 20 to 24 April 2026, participants joined strategic sessions, workshops, thematic discussions, meetings of international offices, sessions on regional engagement, and joint planning of the next stage in the development of the E³UDRES² Alliance.

Sumy State University was represented at the summit by Alla KRASULIA, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Head of the International Relations Office; Tetyana MAYBORODA, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the International Relations Office; and Alina VYSOCHYNA, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, Head of the Department for Strategic Analysis and Staff Development Planning.

The summit sessions were also attended by participants of Erasmus+ KA1 mobility from SumDU – lecturers of the Department of International Economic Relations of the Academic and Research Institute of Business, Economics and Management: Fedir ZHURAVKA, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor; Liudmyla KHOMUTENKO, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor; Svitlana TARASENKO, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor; and Inessa YAROVA, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor. Oksana ZAMORA, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations and a member of the Pedagogy in the State of Emergency project team, also joined the workshop where the project’s experience was presented.

On Wednesday, 22 April 2026, Alla Krasulia and Tetyana Mayboroda, together with their Finnish colleagues Irmeli Maunonen-Eskelinen and Eeva Lehtonen, held the workshop “Pedagogy Amidst War.” The session welcomed not only participants of the E³UDRES² Spring Summit, but also colleagues from JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The workshop created a space for an open and honest discussion on what teaching looks like during a full-scale war, what it means to maintain the quality of education under constant threat, and how a university can remain a point of support for both students and academic staff.

During the first part of the session, SumDU representatives presented the university as a front-line educational hub located only 30 km from the border with Russia. Participants learned about missile attacks on the university campus, including two missile strikes on the central campus on 13 April 2025, the attack on the main campus in August 2025, and recent drone strikes on the Palace of Student Sports in April 2026. Against this backdrop, the workshop's central question was raised: how can the educational process be maintained throughout four years of full-scale war?

Particular attention was paid to the results of a survey of 1,204 SumDU students conducted within the TFK project “Pedagogy in the State of Emergency”, which became the basis for further discussion. Students reported constant anxiety, cognitive exhaustion, fatigue, the need for physical safety, flexibility without chaos, and, at the same time, the desire to preserve intellectually challenging and meaningful learning. They do not expect education to be simplified. They expect it to be consistent, sensitive, and attentive to their real circumstances. These findings became the starting point for a joint brainstorming session on pedagogical solutions with the international workshop participants.

During the workshop's practical part, participants worked in small groups to discuss pedagogical responses to the challenges of war: reducing cognitive overload, creating more flexible learning pathways, and supporting students’ motivation and psychological resilience without compromising academic quality. These discussions became both a professional exchange and a meaningful act of solidarity.

In addition to the workshop, the SumDU team actively participated in other summit events, including working sessions of the General Assembly on shaping the priorities of E³UDRES² 2.1, a working meeting of the RESONANCE Center of Excellence team, and roundtables dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in universities, resilience in the modern world, and the development of an entrepreneurial university. These events offered an opportunity not only to present SumDU’s experience, but also to build new partnerships and contribute to a shared vision of future development.

The atmosphere of openness and support from the Finnish partners was especially valuable. For SumDU, participation in the Spring Summit was more than attendance at an international event. It was an opportunity to bring the Ukrainian experience to the level of a European university alliance, to be heard, and to work together on solutions for the future of education.

“We sincerely thank JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the leadership of the E³UDRES² Alliance for the invitation, warm welcome, partnership, and joint work. At a time when Ukrainian universities operate daily under conditions of danger, such international support is particularly valuable. It strengthens the professional development of academic staff and helps build a new pedagogy of resilience – one that Ukraine needs today, and that may become an important experience for the whole of Europe tomorrow,” said Alla Krasulia, Head of the International Relations Office of Sumy State University.