London, 7 September 2026: A new opportunity to strengthen academic cooperation between Italy and the United Kingdom was launched at Italy House in London with the first edition of the Italy–UK University Partnership Day, an initiative bringing together around 30 Italian and UK universities for a day dedicated to dialogue, networking and the development of new partnerships.
Held on the eve of the 2026 EAIE Annual Conference and Exhibition, the event provided a valuable opportunity for universities from both countries to meet in a dedicated setting, exchange experiences and discuss opportunities for deeper and more structured academic cooperation.
Bringing Italian and UK universities together
The Italy–UK University Partnership Day was designed as a space for direct exchange between institutions, with a particular focus on internationalisation, academic cooperation and the development of new institutional partnerships.
Throughout the day, representatives of Italian and UK higher education institutions had the opportunity to present their perspectives, share experiences and identify areas of common interest, creating the conditions for new connections and future collaboration.
The event also provided an opportunity to discuss the wider framework supporting international academic cooperation between Italy and the UK, including Erasmus+ and the opportunities available to higher education institutions.
The discussion on Erasmus+ brought together different perspectives, with valuable contributions from Sara Pagliai of the Italian National Agency Erasmus+ INDIRE, Eduardo Ramos of the British Council and Sam Herman-Wilson of the UK Department for Education.
Uni-Italia's contribution
Uni-Italia supported the organisation of the initiative and contributed to the discussion on the opportunities and tools available to Italian universities and arts institutions seeking to strengthen their international engagement.
The event also provided an opportunity to share some reflections on the role of Uni-Italia in facilitating international academic cooperation, supporting Italian higher education institutions in developing international relationships and connecting them with relevant partners and networks abroad.
This role is particularly important in a context in which internationalisation increasingly relies on long-term institutional relationships, sustained dialogue and the ability to identify shared priorities and concrete areas for collaboration.
A first step towards new partnerships
The strong participation in this first edition and the constructive atmosphere throughout the day confirmed the value of creating dedicated opportunities for Italian and UK institutions to meet beyond traditional conference and exhibition formats.
For Uni-Italia, supporting the Italy–UK University Partnership Day was also an opportunity to contribute to a broader objective: strengthening the international dimension of Italian higher education by facilitating direct connections between institutions and supporting the development of new academic partnerships.
The initiative was hosted and supported by the Embassy of Italy in the United Kingdom, whose role was essential in bringing the Italian and UK academic communities together at Italy House.
The timing of the event was particularly significant. Taking place immediately before EAIE 2026, the Partnership Day opened a week dedicated to international higher education and created an ideal starting point for further meetings and exchanges in Glasgow.
More importantly, however, the event marked the beginning of a new opportunity for cooperation between Italian and UK universities.
The hope is that the conversations started in London will develop into new connections, joint initiatives and concrete, lasting partnerships, strengthening the already significant academic relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom.
The first Italy–UK University Partnership Day may therefore be considered not an endpoint, but a starting point for many more conversations, collaborations and partnerships to come.
