Recap
EUonAIR Blended Intensive Programmes at Kozminski University
December 8–12, 2025
In December, two Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) took place at Kozminski University in Warsaw. Four students from HTW Berlin participated in the course “Sustainable Innovation in Digital Marketing and E-Commerce”, where they explored digital strategies, e-commerce, innovation, and the application of artificial intelligence in education.
At the same time, the BIP “Future(s) of Education – Co-Designing New Programs and Exploring Creative Pedagogies” was held for staff members, with two colleagues from HTW Berlin taking part.
AI Symposium
December 9, 2025
At the symposium "AI in Teaching" at HTW Berlin, lecturers and staff exchanged perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in higher education. The event was opened by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Birgit Müller, Vice President for Teaching. A welcoming address was given by Prof. Dr. Katharina Simbeck, Academic Lead of EUonAIR at HTW Berlin.
The symposium aimed to highlight current developments, share experiences, and discuss the next steps for the use of AI in teaching.
Annual Conference “European University Networks (EUN)”
December 9–10, 2025
EUonAIR was represented at the EUN Annual Conference for the second time, with HTW Berlin coordinators Sarah Marx and Anne Hübinger attending the event hosted by the DAAD in Bonn. The conference brings together staff from German universities involved in European University Alliances, offering a platform to exchange best practices, strengthen collaboration, and jointly address shared challenges.
ISCN Smart City University Challenge at HTW BerlinNovember 29, 2025On November 29, 2025, HTW Berlin hosted part of the ISCN Smart City University Challenge, supported by GIZ. In an interdisciplinary one-day hackathon, students developed smart city ideas for a German city. All participants received a certificate from GIZ and feedback from experts.
EUonAIR Meeting at HTW Berlin
06–07 October 2025
HTW Berlin hosted the EUonAIR meeting on the topic “Education for Students, Staff and Community”. Representatives of the European partner universities came together to discuss how AI can transform learning, teaching, and collaboration in Europe. The Berlin Senate, as well as the Croatian and French embassies, were also represented and spoke about the future of European higher education.
Smart City Convention in Berlin
01. October 2025
Prof. Dr. Florian Koch, Alejandra Urrutia (both from HTW Berlin), and Swen Seebach (Abat Oliba CEU University) from the EUonAIR team took part in this year’s Smart Country Convention in Berlin. Under the title "EUonAIR – Smart & Green UniverCity Labs - A Project for Practice–Research Transfer in the Fields of Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities and Living Labs" they presented the European university alliance.
First EUonAIR Blended Intensive Programme
28 September – 4 October 2025
In the last week of September, the first Blended Intensive Programme BIP of the European university alliance EUonAIR took place at HTW Berlin. Students from the partner institutions ESSCA School of Management France, ISM University of Management and Economics Lithuania, and Kozminski University Poland worked together with 18 HTW students in the course Informatics and Society taught by Prof. Dr. Katharina Simbeck
EUonAIR at EAIE
September 18, 2025
International Office staff members Sarah Marx and Petra Car represented the university at this year’s EAIE – European Association for International Education in Gothenburg, Sweden. A key highlight was the exchange with colleagues from EUonAIR partner universities, where next steps for virtual collaboration and joint initiatives were discussed.
New Elective: AI and Smart Cities for Real Estate Management (AWE)
September 10, 2025
This new elective links real estate management with smart city development. Students gain insights into smart city fundamentals and AI-based analytical tools, working with examples from European cities such as Aspern Seestadt in Vienna. A highlight will be the participation in the ISCN Smart City University Challenge 2025 on 29 November, organized by GIZ.
Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften – Long Night of the Sciences
June 28, 2025
Prof. Dr. Katharina Simbeck, HTW Berlin’s Academic Lead for EUonAIR, hosted an AI workshop for senior citizens at the LNDW. Research assistant Sophie Schauer contributed a presentation on stereotypes in AI, while fellow research assistant Ricardo Knauer demonstrated in the KI-Werkstatt(Link in German), the AI Competence Cluster at HTW Berlin, how modern AI models can recognize and classify objects in real time.
French-German Conference on European Unviersity Alliances
June 17, 2025
On June 16–17, the French-German Conference on European University Alliances was held at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. EUonAIR was represented by HTW Berlin, Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, and ESSCA School of Management.
Participants expressed strong support for the introduction of a European degree. University alliances were recognized as key drivers of a “Union of Skills,” with micro-credentials viewed as a first step and joint degrees anticipated in the coming years.
Visiting Circle U.'s Climate Day
June 5, 2025
Prof. Dr. Regina Zeitner (School of Engineering - Technology and Life) and Gina Hamann (Teaching Support Center) participated in Circle U.’s Climate Day organised on World Environment Day. They joined the fishbowl discussion “The Self-Effective University,” exploring how Berlin universities use their resources to test sustainability concepts. The event brought together experts from five Berlin universities representing their European University Alliances.
Start of Joint Work in Warsaw
May 15, 2025
From May 13 to 15, Kozminski University in Warsaw — the coordinating institution of the alliance — hosted the official kick-off of the new European University Alliance EUonAIR. The event brought together representatives from all partner universities, the European Commission, and the Polish Ministry of Science.
HTW Berlin was represented by Prof. Dr. Katharina Simbeck and research assistant Alejandra Urrutia Pinto. With the starting signal given in Warsaw, the collaborative work within the alliance is now underway.
Press release (In German)
Internal Kick-Off at HTW Berlin
February 18, 2025
On February 18, 2025, HTW Berlin hosted its internal kick-off meeting for the EUonAIR alliance. Participants engaged in inspiring discussions on innovative approaches and the promising opportunities of future international collaboration—marking a successful start to the university’s contribution to the alliance’s work.
