What should the future SUNRISE Digital Portal look like? How can we make opportunities across nine European universities easier to find and access? And how can we work together more effectively to make it happen?

These were some of the questions that brought SUNRISE Alliance representatives together on 15–16 October 2026 at the University of Information Technology and Management (UITM) in Rzeszów, Poland.

Hosted by UITM, the leader of Work Package 6 (Communication, Dissemination and Impact), the two-day meeting was an opportunity to look at what has already been achieved, share experiences and, most importantly, work together on what comes next.

Day 1: Collaboration in Action

The meeting began at UITM’s Rzeszów Campus with a look at WP6’s progress so far. From communication campaigns and social media activities to digital tools and upcoming milestones, there was plenty to discuss.

During the Communication Roundtable, colleagues from partner universities shared how they promote SUNRISE within their institutions and beyond. Different universities, different approaches, but often very similar challenges.

One issue came up repeatedly: how do we make sure the right information reaches the right people at the right time?

With so many activities happening across nine universities and several work packages, effective communication is essential. Participants exchanged good practices and discussed how to improve coordination, share information more efficiently and make SUNRISE opportunities more visible.

The afternoon brought one of the meeting’s main challenges: Building the SUNRISE Digital Portal.

The ambition is to move beyond a website that primarily provides information and create a digital space where people can actually find opportunities, access services and connect with the Alliance.

Participants explored how existing SUNRISE tools and platforms, including learning resources, research services, the KPI dashboard and the developing One-Stop Shop, could become part of a more connected and user-friendly environment.

The discussions raised important questions about how these tools should work together, which services should be publicly accessible and how to make the whole experience as simple as possible for users.

Day 2: Making Collaboration Happen

On the second day, the meeting moved to UITM’s Kielnarowa Campus, where it was time to turn discussions into more practical ideas.

The interactive workshop, From Vision to Action – Delivering the Future of WP6, started with a simple exercise: looking at SUNRISE through the eyes of the people who will actually use its services.

What would a student looking for an international study opportunity expect to find? Where should a researcher go to discover potential partners? How could a business connect with universities, or a regional organisation find academic expertise?

Working in groups, participants explored the needs of students, prospective students, researchers, academic and administrative staff, businesses, other universities, NGOs and regional stakeholders.

The exercise generated a wide range of practical suggestions, from clearer information about mobility programmes, courses and double degrees to easier access to research collaboration, professional development, internships and regional partnerships.

One conclusion stood out: people visiting the SUNRISE portal should not need to understand how the Alliance is organised internally. They should simply be able to find what they are looking for.

This user-centred approach became one of the most important outcomes of the workshops.

Turning Ideas into Next Steps

Two days of discussions produced plenty of ideas, but also a clearer understanding of what needs to happen next.

The team identified key user groups and their expectations, explored opportunities to connect existing digital tools and highlighted areas where communication between work packages needs to improve.

The workshops also provided valuable input for planning WP6 activities in 2027 and developing the SUNRISE Digital Portal.

The next step is to bring these findings together into a proposed roadmap and continue working with colleagues from other work packages on the technical and organisational aspects of the portal.

There is still work to do, but the meeting helped turn a broad concept into a more practical direction for the future.

Beyond the Meeting Rooms

Of course, bringing colleagues from across Europe together is about more than presentations and workshops.

The programme also offered time to get to know each other better, exchange experiences in a less formal setting and discover a little of what southern Poland has to offer.

Participants explored UITM’s green Kielnarowa Campus, spent an evening together in the historic centre of Rzeszów and visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The visit was a memorable way to end two busy days and an opportunity to continue conversations outside the usual meeting environment – this time, quite literally, underground.

What’s Next for SUNRISE?

The WP6 meeting in Poland showed how valuable it is to bring different perspectives around the same table. Not every question was answered, and not every idea will become a feature of the future portal. But the discussions helped identify what matters most and where to focus our efforts.

The goal is clear: to make SUNRISE not only more visible, but also more useful and accessible to the people it was created for.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us in Rzeszów, Kielnarowa and online, shared their experience and contributed to two productive days of collaboration.

SUNRISE: Empowering Regions, Inspiring Europe.