The Guild’s Presidents also emphasized the need to find new and more dynamic ways to engage with society, to ensure that the critical perspectives universities bring are heard, not sidelined, in politics and society. To this end, the General Assembly was inspired by Prof. Marc Klein Wolt, Managing Director of the Radboud Radio Lab, who talked about the discovery of new images of 
the Black Hole. He also presented his plans for Africa’s Millimetre Telescope in Namibia – an ambitious project that inspired the mobile planetarium programme to reach schoolchildren across Namibia. Earlier, the team around Klein Wolt received the Royal Astronomical Society’s Anny Maunder Medal for Outreach.
In a discussion with Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Prosperity at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Presidents reflected on how the centrality of research and innovation for the new College of Commissioners can translate into an effective new framework programme (FP10). Presidents stressed the need for international partnerships in addressing Europe’s key strategic concerns, including with the Global South. And they welcomed the exchange with Director Russo, stressing the need for close dialogue with the Commission in the preparation for FP10.
The Guild’s Presidents were delighted to welcome John Gyapong, the new Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), who joined them throughout the deliberations. In reflecting on the progress of the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE), demonstrated most recently in the first CoRE Conference at 
Stellenbosch University, Presidents expressed their admiration on the progress made, and their appreciation of the work committed by their researchers. And The Guild’s Presidents thanked ARUA for its leadership in developing an ambitious PhD programme, pledging their full support where the CoREs have been selected as hosts for the training and mobility of PhD candidates.
Anders Hagfeldt, Chair of The Guild, said "At the General Assembly, The Guild’s member universities affirmed their commitment to support our societies and economies at a time of accelerating change. We look forward to working with the European Commission in its ambitious plans for an FP10 that strengthens Europe and its global partnerships."
Jan Palmowski thanked The Guild’s host, Radboud University: "Under outgoing President Daniël Wigboldus, the university became an influential member with its commitment to excellence in research and teaching, its dedication to regional transformation and societal change, and its focus on community, including gender and diversity.”
Please credit all the photos to Martine Berendsen, commissioned by Radboud University.