Inauguration of the Three Seas Universities Network



On the 16th of May 2023, during the 3SEAS Local Government Congress, the Three Seas University Network was launched (3SUN – The Three Seas University Network).



This project, to which the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin as its initiator has invited universities from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary (also Ukraine), among others, is to be a tool for establishing and conducting regular contacts and undertaking joint research and implementation of innovations in the quality of education. The integration of the academic environment of the 12 countries of the Three Seas Initiative is to take place e.g. through cooperation in the commercialization of knowledge and the exchange of teaching and research experience. The agreement inaugurating the Three Seas Universities Network was signed in the presence of Minister of Education and Science Przemysław Czarnek.



The initiative’s main goals are strengthening the cooperation between European universities, intensifying international exchanges, expanding research that should lead to prestigious publications, important projects, and obtaining European grants.



The following universities have joined the Network:
• The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland) • Trakia University (Bulgaria) • Catholic University of Croatia • Tallinn University (Estonia) • Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) • Mykolo Romerio University (Lithuania) • Baltic International Academy (Latvia) • Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania) • University of Trnava (Slovakia) • Catholic University in Ružomberok (Slovakia) • Alma Mater Europea (Slovenia) • National University of water and environmental engineering in Rivne (Ukraine) • University of Lviv (Ukraine).



“The Three Seas Universities Network towards the challenges of science and the region” was the title of a scientific conference organised by the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, held as a part of the 3Seas Local Government Congress. This was the first in a series of international 3SUN conferences, which is intended to be part of the series of political and economic events implemented by Poland in Three Seas Initiative. During the conference, which lasted until May 17, representatives of member universities of the Three Seas Universities Network, researchers and academics dealing with issues of cooperation in the Three Seas region spoke. The participants of the conference discuss topics such as cooperation of universities for the development of the Three Seas macroregion, 3SUN as an instrument of research cooperation, security of Central and Eastern Europe, the role of the Three Seas countries in supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine, digital transformation and cyber security, the geopolitical significance of the Three Seas Initiative, and the role of Three Seas diplomacy .



For more information, please visit official Network website

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About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos



Polish President Karol Nawrocki emphasized in Davos the strategic importance of the Three Seas Initiative as a key platform for infrastructural, economic, and geopolitical cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. The opening speech of the panel „Three Seas Initiative: geostrategic business opportunities – a bridge to the future – from the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Black Sea to Asia” took place as part of the Leaders Forum powered by Poland during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Former polish president Andrzej Duda participated as well.



President Nawrocki noted that over the course of a decade the Three Seas Initiative has evolved from a political concept into a mature cooperation mechanism that has tangible impact on the regional development.




“Ten years ago, the Three Seas Initiative began as an idea. Up until today it has evolved into a strategic framework for regional transformation, and alliance of innovation and infrastructure, and a symbol of Central and South-Eastern Europe’s maturity and confidence on the world stage” – told the President.



In his address the President also emphasized the strong transatlantic anchoring of the Three Seas Initiative. He stressed that from the very beginning, the Initiative was conceived as an open project, strengthening cooperation between the European Union and partners outside Europe, particularly the United States. In this context, the Three Seas Initiative was presented as a “bridge” connecting a dynamically developing region with global capital, technology, and markets.




” The Three Seas Initiative has never been an inward-looking project (…) it has been strategically anchored in the transatlantic partnership that unites Europe and North America”.



The President drew attention to the geostrategic dimension of cooperation within the Three Seas region in the face of global challenges such as geopolitical instability, pressure on supply chains, and competition for resources. He pointed out that the development of modern infrastructure and the deepening of economic cooperation constitute the foundation of security and long-term growth.



The speech also had a strong economic dimension. The President of Poland underlined Poland’s ambitions to strengthen its position in the global economy and its aspirations to join the G20, highlighting the growing role of the Three Seas region as one of the engines of growth in Europe. At the same time, he invited international investors to actively participate in projects implemented under the framework of the Initiative.



During the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Karol Nawrocki also met with President of the United States Donald Trump. The main topics of their talks were security and economic issues.



THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE



Photo credit: © Mikołaj Bujak/KPRP, Source: https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wizyty-zagraniczne/prezydent-w-davos-o-inicjatywie-trojmorza,113783

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