On October 14 – 15, 2025, Turiba University hosted the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ cooperation partnership project “Empowering Higher Education through Artificial Intelligence Integration” (EHEAII). Representatives from partner universities in Lithuania, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia gathered in Riga to officially launch the project and discuss its objectives, work plan, and upcoming activities.
The meeting was filled with lively discussions and knowledge sharing. Partners exchanged their experiences and current practices regarding how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used and integrated into the study process in their institutions. It became evident that, despite differences between countries, universities across Europe face similar challenges – ranging from questions of academic integrity and ethical use to the practical integration of AI tools in teaching and research.
Participants noted that attitudes toward AI in academia vary widely – from strong skepticism and resistance to inspiring examples of innovative solutions and institutional support. This diversity of perspectives underscored the importance of the EHEAII initiative, which aims to develop structured, ethical, and practical approaches for integrating AI into higher education.
The consortium also discussed the first project tasks, including research on AI use in universities and the development of an AI Maturity Test and Guidelines for Risk Mitigation and Cognitive Skill Development. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to fostering collaboration and creating tangible tools that will help higher education institutions across Europe prepare for AI-driven transformation.
📅 Project duration: 01.09.2025 – 31.08.2028
💡 Coordinator: Turiba University, Latvia
🤝 Partners: University of Maribor (Slovenia), University of Genoa (Italy), Fundació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), SMK University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania), Fachhochschule Aachen (Germany)
💶 Project financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union
Project number: 2025-1-LV01-KA220-HED-000251565