Faculty of Management of Comenius University Represented at the International Conference CONNECT_ED: Strategic Partnerships for Global Academic Engagement

Prof. Dr. Maroš Finka, Director of SPECTRA Centre of Excellence EU, participated in the International Scientific Conference “CONNECT_ED: Strategic Partnerships for Global Academic Engagement”, held on 2–5 June 2026 within the framework of the ConnectED project: German–Ukrainian University Network for Empowering Higher Education in Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation.

As part of the plenary session, Prof. Finka delivered a presentation entitled “Quadruple Helix as a Base of Governance and Global Partnership and Academic Interaction in Innovation and Transformation Process (Project STICS)”. His contribution focused on the role of the Quadruple Helix approach in strengthening cooperation between academia, public authorities, business, and civil society, with special attention to innovation, transformation processes, and international academic partnerships.

SPECTRA CE EU was also represented in the organisational dimension of the conference, as doc. Nataliia Yehorchenkova served as a member of the Organisational Committee. Her involvement supported the preparation and coordination of the event and contributed to strengthening cooperation between Slovak, Ukrainian, German, and other international academic partners.

The conference brought together representatives of universities, research institutions, public authorities, and international networks from Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia, and other countries. The programme addressed key topics related to academic diplomacy, strategic university partnerships, sustainable development, environmental protection, post-war recovery, and the role of higher education institutions in building resilient and innovative cooperation networks.

The participation of Prof. Finka and Prof. Yehorchenkova contributed to the presentation of SPECTRA CE EU’s expertise in governance, spatial development, smart transformation, and stakeholder-based cooperation, as well as to the further dissemination of the STICS project at the international level.