The 8th NUSCT Rectors’ Annual Meeting hosted in Montenegro

The Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (NUSCT) held its 8th Rectors’ Annual Meeting on 8 May 2026 at the University of Montenegro, bringing together rectors and senior representatives from member universities across Europe and beyond.

Hosted by the University of Montenegro, the meeting provided a strategic forum for university leaders from small higher education systems to reflect on shared challenges, exchange best practices, and define common priorities for the future development of NUSCT. The meeting was formally opened by Prof. Vladimir Božović, PhD, Rector of the University of Montenegro, who emphasized the importance of international academic cooperation for universities operating in small countries and territories. Welcome remarks were also delivered by Prof. Savo Marković, PhD, Rector of the University “Mediterranean” Podgorica.

In her address, NUSCT President Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir, Rector of the University of Akureyri, highlighted the continued relevance of NUSCT as a trusted platform for dialogue and collaboration. She underlined the network’s successes in student and staff mobility, institutional cooperation, and joint initiatives, while stressing the need to further strengthen collaboration in research, innovation, and policy development.

Key themes and outcomes

During the meeting, rectors engaged in in-depth discussions on a range of strategic issues of common concern, including:

• University governance, autonomy, and funding, particularly in small states where higher education institutions are often strongly influenced by political and economic frameworks.

• Teaching and learning innovation, with a focus on English-taught programmes, virtual and blended mobility, shared online courses, and the development of micro-credentials to address demographic change and evolving student needs.

• Research cooperation and capacity building, including plans to establish a NUSCT working group on joint research, postdoctoral and visiting scholar schemes, and enhanced cooperation in doctoral education.

• Artificial intelligence, digital systems, and cybersecurity, recognizing both the opportunities and challenges posed by AI in higher education and the importance of aligning institutional policies with the NUSCT Policy on Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence.

• Visibility and outreach, including coordinated communication, shared data on mobility and funding, and joint press releases to strengthen the collective voice of NUSCT members.

The rectors reaffirmed the strategic importance of NUSCT as a network that enables universities in small countries and territories to cooperate rather than compete, to increase their international visibility, and to jointly address structural challenges that individual institutions cannot tackle alone.

Future activities

The meeting also reviewed the success of the first NUSCT academic conference, held in the Faroe Islands, and expressed strong support for continuing the conference tradition. Rectors endorsed plans for a co-organised NUSCT conference in 2027, to be hosted jointly by the University of Andorra and the Åland Islands University of Applied Sciences, with an interdisciplinary focus and openness to external partners.

It was further confirmed that the 9th NUSCT Rectors’ Annual Meeting will be hosted by the Åland Islands University of Applied Sciences in May 2027.

Role of the host

NUSCT extends its sincere thanks to the University of Montenegro for hosting the 8th Rectors’ Annual Meeting and for its commitment to fostering dialogue and cooperation among universities from small countries and territories. The meeting in Podgorica underscored the host institution’s active role in international academic engagement and regional development.

Rectors and representatives of NUSCT members. In the front to the left is Matias Waller, the rector of Åland Island University of Applied Sciences and the new NUSCT president, shaking hands with the past president of NUSCT and rector of the University of Akureyri, Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir

Formal Partnership Between the Faroese and Greenlandic Universities

Today, a partnership agreement was signed between the University of the Faroe Islands and Ilisimatusarfik in Greenland. The agreement lays the groundwork for cooperation in teaching, research, and administration between the two universities.

- This agreement is not going to sit in a drawer – it will be brought to life in practice.

These were the words of Gitte Adler Reimer, rector of the University of Greenland, smiling as she and the Faroese rector signed the new agreement earlier today.

The agreement, which will initially run for five years, aims to strengthen ties between the Faroe Islands and Greenland, with a focus on advancing knowledge and education in the North Atlantic region.

A cornerstone of the agreement is the mobility of academic staff between the two universities in order to foster interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. This includes short-term teaching exchanges, guest lectures, and larger collaborative research projects. The universities also plan to work together on administrative and technical matters, sharing knowledge on mutual interests such as the development of new academic programmes, enhancing student services, assuring educational quality, and collaborating on doctoral education.

In November last year, staff from the University of the Faroe Islands visited Ilisimatusarfik in Greenland. The visit was part of a project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers aimed at establishing an “administrative network among small universities in the Arctic.”

The programme included workshops, meetings, and information exchanges designed to identify key areas for future cooperation. Since then, the two institutions have been in dialogue about the contents of the new partnership agreement, which will also support joint applications for Arctic research funding — an area of shared interest.

NUSCT Conference 2025: Lectures Now Available to Watch Online

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands – June 3, 2025 The University of the Faroe Islands hosted the first NUSCT Conference at its Faculty of History and Social Sciences, bringing together scholars and university leaders from across small nations and territories. The event featured two days of thought-provoking lectures and discussions, all of which are now available to watch online.

The conference explored the unique societal roles of universities in small-scale societies, with sessions addressing themes such as:

• Democracy and Knowledge: How universities can foster democratic values and political development.

• Research Priorities: What we choose to study and why it matters.

• Migration and Gender Balance: The university’s influence on demographic trends.

• Cultural Identity: The role of education in preserving and shaping culture.

• Societal Transformation: How academic institutions can drive meaningful change.

The conference keynote speaker was Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, former President of Iceland and professor of history at the University of Iceland. His talk, titled “Universities in Small Scale Societies: The Last Bastions of Nationalism in Academic Circles?”, offered a historical and sociopolitical perspective on the role of universities in small states. His remarks resonated strongly with the participants, emphasizing the value of academic freedom, cultural responsibility, and education as pillars of national identity.

A rectors’ meeting followed on June 4, focusing on collaborative initiatives such as knowledge sharing, the Magna Charta Universitatum, and rotating teaching exchanges.

This marks the first time the NUSCT conference has been held in the Faroe Islands, highlighting the growing importance of academic cooperation among small nations.

🎥 Watch all the lectures and explore the full programme: Watch here