Connected Scotland at EAIE Conference 2025 in Gothenburg, Sweden
9–12 September 2025
Study in Scotland stand
Connected Scotland (CS) represented by Ela Kossakowska and Professor Neville Wylie were once again delighted to take part in the European Association for International Education (EAIE) annual conference, held in Gothenburg from 9–12 September 2025. Under this year’s theme “GO-create”, the event called on participants to focus on collaboration, cooperation and co-creation as the driving forces for the future of international higher education.
Over 7,000 participants from more than 100 countries attended and more than 1,000 organisations were represented at the exhibition, alongside over 240 sessions and activities across a diverse programme.
Team Scotland at EAIE
Scotland was strongly represented on the Study in Scotland stand, with eight universities participating: the University of Stirling; University of Edinburgh; University of Strathclyde; University of St Andrews; University of Aberdeen; Edinburgh Napier University; University of Glasgow; and Glasgow Caledonian University.
A highlight of the week was the Scottish Reception on Wednesday evening, which provided a lively platform for networking and exchange. We were also honoured to welcome Minister Graeme Dey, Minister for Higher and Further Education, who came to support the Scottish delegation.
Ministerial Engagement & Key Messages
On Wednesday Minister Dey spoke at the Ministers’ Roundtable session titled “The Politics and Policies of Internationalisation: Ministers’ Views”. He emphasised Scotland’s values of fairness and quality in education, reaffirmed Scotland’s welcome to international students, and expressed the desire that more of them stay in Scotland post-graduation.
The Minister praised the collaborative energy of the conference, and the effort universities are making to forge new partnerships and increase cooperation across borders.
Ministers’ Roundtable session
Connected Scotland played an important role in helping our Scottish presence to be effective and coherent. We co-sponsored the stand, we invited and supported Minister Dey’s attendance and we led on branding, ensuring consistent visuals and messaging. We also supplied promotional materials and helped with staffing and logistics of the stand.
As one university put it:
Having a single contact point to collaborate with (CS) and agree on consistent branding created a cohesive approach and took some pressure off the participating universities, who would normally be left to arrange things between themselves.
Team Scotland on the Study in Scotland stand
Looking Ahead: EAIE 2026 in Glasgow
We are very pleased that the next EAIE Conference and Exhibition—EAIE Glasgow 2026—will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 8–11 September 2026.
The theme will be “The Rhythm of Revolution”, a call to question the status quo, forge new partnerships, and co-create the future of international education with purpose and courage.
We very much look forward to welcoming the international higher education community to Scotland, to hosting colleagues, partners, and delegates, and to building on the momentum of EAIE 2025.
