Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic — Marking a major milestone in their three-year collaborative journey, partners of the international SUSTAIN (Sustainable Universities for Society Through Action, Innovation, and Knowledge Networks) project successfully gathered for their first in-person project meeting and intensive training sessions. The multi-day event was hosted by the project coordinator, Škoda Auto University (ŠAVŠ), in Mladá Boleslav.
Bringing together representatives from Europe, Vietnam, and the Maldives, the onsite meeting allowed the consortium to transition from virtual coordination to deep, face-to-face collaboration, solidifying plans for enhancing the "third mission" of higher education.
A Look Inside the Meeting Agenda
The comprehensive four-day itinerary combined rigorous strategic planning, institutional knowledge sharing, and experiential learning.
Day 1: Arrival & Alignment (Wednesday, 22 April)
The meeting commenced swiftly following the arrival of international partners in Mladá Boleslav. Representatives gathered at Škoda Auto University for an initial project meeting to review early milestones, followed by an official welcome dinner hosted by ŠAVŠ at the local eMBe restaurant to foster closer cross-cultural connections.
Day 2: Strategic Roadmapping (Thursday, 23 April)
An intensive, full-day session was dedicated entirely to project management and strategic alignment. Meeting in both morning and afternoon blocks at the university, partners mapped out operational timelines, discussed stakeholder engagement methodologies, and ironed out the framework for implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green solutions across partner campuses.
Day 3: Experience Sharing & Industrial Insight (Friday, 24 April)
Morning Training Session: The focus shifted heavily toward institutional capacity building. European and Indo-Pacific partners participated in a collaborative workshop titled “Third mission at your institution – share your experience.” Host institution ŠAVŠ and the University of Dubrovnik (Croatia) led the way, followed by insightful localized presentations from the Vietnamese (VN) and Maldivian (MD) delegations detailing their current community engagement landscapes.
Afternoon Factory Tour: To see sustainable corporate practices in action, partners spent the afternoon visiting the world-renowned Škoda Auto Museum and Factory, gaining practical insights into industrial sustainability and corporate social responsibility on a global scale.
Day 4: Future Blueprints (Saturday, 25 April)
The onsite gathering concluded with a vital training block led by the University of Dubrovnik (UNIDU). This session focused entirely on developing the "Blueprint" — a core project deliverable that will serve as the foundation for the participating universities to build long-term, inclusive, and sustainable third-mission strategies.
Moving Forward
With the foundational blueprints established and stronger institutional bonds formed, the SUSTAIN consortium leaves Czechia fully equipped to roll out the next phase of capacity building. The outcomes of this week will directly feed into the creation of sustainability learning materials and toolkits designed to empower regional higher education institutions across Vietnam and the Maldives.
Stay tuned to our channels for upcoming updates on the implementation of these third-mission strategies.