The Berlin University Alliance (BUA), with its EU Liaison Office, has joined UnILiON (Universities Informal Liaison Offices Network) at the beginning of the year. Aim of the membership is to promote cooperation and exchange at the working level in Brussels. The promotion of research collaborations at the global and European level is a key objective of the BUA. The BUA-liaison office in Brussels builds on the experiences of the existing liaison offices of Freie Universität Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin. It offers researchers better access to and faster integration in EU-focused international research networks.

“The UnILiON network has grown rapidly in recent years and is an ideal exchange platform regarding the latest developments in the Brussels research area. By joining, the Berlin Excellence Network gains access to the assessments and experiences of other university representations based in Brussels, as well as to the over 150 universities from all over Europe and beyond that are represented in the UnILiON network.” says Angelika Wilhelm-Rechmann, BUA representative in the EU Liaison Office.

UnILiON is a voluntary association of currently 50 Brussels offices of universities, representing 156 universities in Europe, Japan and Russia. The network is a platform for exchange on which the members co-operate, exchange ideas and network and act as multipliers for the organizations represented. The members of the network are involved in several working groups that meet regularly, and they organize a wide range of events. For example, lunch talks on current topics, brokerage events or annual conferences. UnILiON is often successful in including top executives in their events in Brussels: For example, Christian-Silviu Busoi, MEP, Chairman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament, and Jean-Eric Paquet, Director General for Research and Innovation, have been speakers at UnILiON.