FIRST COLOURS CONFERENCE

The JDU's partner university, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, was the organiser of the first conference of the COLOURS (COLlaborative innOvative sUstainable Regional univerSities) European University. The event took place in Osijek (Croatia) on October 23-25, 2024.

Among the participants of the conference were representatives of students, PhD students and staff of nine COLOURS partner universities, associated partners, including Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University (Ukraine), and other institutions/organisations cooperating with the Alliance. The team of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa composed of:
dr hab. inż. Marcin Sosnowski, prof. UJD, Vice-Rector for Cooperation & Internationalisation
dr hab. Piotr Rychter, prof. UJD, Head of the Interdisciplinary Scientific and Research Centre
dr Olga Binczyk, prof. UJD, Vice-Dean for Education and Student Affairs, Faculty of Humanities
dr Małgorzata Kurek, prof. UJD, Institute of Linguistics
mgr Bartłomiej Kowalik, Chief Specialist of the Department for International Cooperation
mgr Anna Tarnowska, Facutly of Art & JDU Doctoral School
lic. Julia Polak, student representative, Faculty of Science & Technology

The conference was of a hybrid nature. In addition to the participation in the above-mentioned activities, there was an opportunity to join selected session online by representatives of individual COLOURS working teams.

On October 23, an important event took place – Field Study, devoted to smart specialisations in IT and digital transformation. Our representatives had the opportunity to learn about innovative technological solutions and participate in the exchange of experiences with partners from all over Europe. The conference participants met with representatives of Jabil Inc., a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics solutions, and BIOS Business Incubator, a leading business incubator supporting startups and SMEs in Osijek.

The official opening of the conference with the participation of invited guests and speakers, including the authorities of the COLOURS university and the associated partners of the Alliance, took place on October 24. The programme of the event included:

A discussion panel in the form of a debate with representatives of the COLOURS External Advisory Board and students representing universities that are part of the Alliance.
Singing the "We are the COLOURS" anthem 
Workshops on key topics for our Universities, for example, changes in the behaviour of food consumers, the future of education in the context of advanced materials, learning entrepreneurship among students.
Meeting with representatives of other European Universities alliances: YUFE, EU-Conexus, EDUC. COLOURS Convention – an event summarising the activities carried out in the first 10 months of the Alliance's operation.

A day later, on October 25, meetings of individual COLOURS working groups were held: CIO Leads Meeting, Student Forum Meeting, CoSpace Officers Meetings, Language Centres Meeting, WP Leads + CoLeads Meeting, International Officers' Meeting, Student Chief Ambassadors Meeting, Steering Committee. In between sessions, participants could visit "creative stands", where representatives of partner universities presented innovative, practical and ingenious solutions to everyday challenges:

Future of Hydrogen
Crazy Challenge: Solve a challenge with impossible materials
Mishmash Booth
Step into Tomorrow: Feel Aging in Action
COLOURS Students Cuisine
Colourful Linguistic Diversity: Let's Put Positive Words Together!