Universidad de León & Hasselt University - Complementary match-making in education, innovation and research

Advancing Engineering Research

The largest group of researchers, consisting of five colleagues, came from the Faculty of Engineering Technology.

“ULE’s open-minded approach to interdisciplinary collaboration paves the way for impactful joint research on emerging challenges, as well as the potential for co-developing innovative educational programmes with Hasselt University. Researchers Joaquin Barriero Garcia and Antonio Moràn highlighted their expertise in additive manufacturing techniques and chemical and bioprocess engineering research, which perfectly complement our strengths at Hasselt University in AI-driven materials science and engineering,” says Prof Dr Ronald Thoelen, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology at Hasselt University.

“We also see a complementary match within energy engineering technology,” his colleague Prof Dr Ir Michaël Daenen, Hasselt University Professor of Engineering Technology, adds.

“From a material point of view, Hasselt University has expertise in solar panels while ULE has the application perspective, such as crop growth in agriculture. We aim to establish a collaborative PhD project between our two universities to achieve these synergies,” says Prof Daenen.

Partners in Cardiovascular Research

The León visit significantly strengthened the partnership in cardiovascular research between Prof. Beatriz Martin-Fernández (ULE) and Prof. Virginie Bito (Hasselt University). With support from a microproject funded by the University of León, a ULE PhD candidate spent two productive months at Hasselt University from September to November 2024, marking the beginning of a successful collaboration between our research groups.

“Building on this promising start, we are preparing a EURECA-PRO funding proposal to be submitted at UHasselt to facilitate the student’s return for three months. Depending on the outcomes, further experiments at ULE will be performed to enhance the manuscript. In addition, bilateral visits for Prof Martin-Fernandez to Hasselt and for myself to ULE, will be planned soon (spring 2025),” says Prof Virginie Bito, Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED).

New Ideas for Teaching Excellence and Lifelong Learning

The two universities exchanged their expertise on the topic of teacher education.

“I was very happy to initiate a promising collaboration for a European Research Area (ERA+) application in development in partnership with the teacher education department in León. This initiative can potentially foster impactful, cross-disciplinary research and innovation in education. I am curious to see how this joint effort will unfold and create meaningful outcomes,” says Prof Dr Elke Emmers from the School of Educational Studies at Hasselt University.

“We are launching an exciting exchange initiative between our PhD candidates, the School of Educational Studies at UHasselt, and the Educational Sciences Department in León. This will begin with an online meeting to build connections, exchange ideas, and develop into a structured PhD exchange week in both locations. The ultimate goal is to co-author a joint paper on ‘Becoming a Teacher,’ creating a tangible academic output to solidify this collaboration. I look forward to watching this project grow into a meaningful and impactful partnership,” Prof Dr Elke Emmers explains.

Also, new ties between the two universities were formed in lifelong learning.

“Representatives from Hasselt University and León within EURECA-PRO Lifelong Learning Academy (ELLA) have agreed to jointly propose to the ELLA Working Group the organisation of the inaugural Teacher Forum,” says Annick Hayen, Hasselt University staff member education EURECA-PRO.

This event could take place in early 2026.

“We want teachers from our nine partners to share best practices on innovation in education,” colleague Lien Mampaey, Director of Educational Policy and Quality Assurance, adds.

Visiting the Ponferrada Campus

The Hasselt University delegation also had the opportunity to visit the Ponferrada campus, showcasing ULE as a civic university that is very similar to the societal impact of Hasselt University. Having a mining history – like Limburg, the El Bierzo economy is now mainly based on tourism, agriculture, and wind power.

The two campuses left a strong impression on Prof. Dr. Bernard Vanheusden, Rector of Hasselt University and President of the EURECA-PRO Board of Rectors.

“We can collaborate across multiple disciplines at the Ponferrada Campus, including physiotherapy and technology. Combined with our time at the León Campus, this visit has inspired us, sparked creativity, and strengthened our ties,” concludes Vanheusden.