30th UNICA IRO Meeting | Tallinn University, 10-12 December 2025

UNICA International Relations Officers gathered in Tallinn for the annual UNICA IRO meeting “Strategic Internationalisation: Navigating Diplomacy, Partnerships, and Intercultural Competence in a Changing World“, which was kindly hosted by Tallinn University, 10-12 December 2025, and marked an important milestone as the IRO group celebrated its 30th founding anniversary.

Theme of the meeting and key discussion areas

“Strategic Internationalisation: Navigating Diplomacy, Partnerships, and Intercultural Competence in a Changing World“

In an era of increasing global complexity, the role of International Relations Officers (IROs) extends beyond traditional mobility and programme management. It is becoming a strategic and diplomatic function, crucial for institutional growth and reputation. The IRO meeting 2025 built on the foundations of the 2024 meeting’s focus on “Building the Ideal International Relations Office,” moving the conversation forward to the “why” and “who” of international cooperation. The theme allowed the participants to explore how UNICA members can leverage strategic partnerships to achieve institutional goals, while also fostering a deeper understanding of the diplomatic and cultural nuances involved.

Key Discussion Areas:

1. The Strategic Imperative: Why institutions choose to cooperate with specific partners.
   • Identifying institutional priorities and aligning internationalisation efforts.
   • Developing a strategic roadmap for global engagement.
   • Case studies on successful university-to-university delegations and network-building.
2. The Diplomatic Dimension: The IRO as a diplomatic actor.
   • Understanding the role of higher education in public and cultural diplomacy.
   • Negotiating and maintaining complex international agreements.
   • Navigating geopolitical factors in international partnerships.
3. Workshop: “Improving Intercultural Communication and Inclusivity in Professional Settings”.

Presentations

• UNICA IRO Group: 30 years of activities & community building
• Strategic Internationalisation | Mikk KASESALK, Strategy Manager, Tallinn University
• Higher education international cooperation in the current geopolitical climate | Åsa PETRI, Head of Unit of the International Office and Deputy Head of Student Services, Stockholm University
• The ASE Partnership Matrix: A Roadmap for Global Engagement | Catalin PLOAE, Senior International Relations Expert, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
• Depth over Transaction: How Institutional Self-Reflection Leads to Purposeful Partnerships | Martin POVAŽAN, Head of International Relations, Comenius University in Bratislava
• Erasmus+: state of play and outlook | Stefan ZOTTI, Deputy Head of Unit, Higher Education Unit, DG EAC, European Commission
• IRO discussion on future plans, survey, UNICA announcements

IRO meeting 2025 in pictures

Meeting documents

• Programme
• Briefing of the sessions
• List of participants
• Biographies of speakers and chairs and abstracts
• Practical information

Target group

Heads and Senior Officers of International Relations Offices from UNICA Member Universities 

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