On September 22–23, 2025, Jekatyerina Dunajeva, Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Policy (Institute of Social and Political Sciences), participated in a European training session organized by HEInnovate and moderated by the Germany-based Center for Higher Education. The event was a joint initiative of the European Commission and the OECD. The event was hosted at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. 

The training brought together approximately 30 participants from all over Europe, selected through a competitive process, to engage in a highly interactive program. The goal was to provide participants with in-depth knowledge of the HEInnovate platform, which supports higher education institutions in assessing and strengthening their innovative and entrepreneurial potential, in areas such as the curriculum and extracurricular activities as well. 

During the event, particular emphasis was placed on the crucial role of universities in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship across all levels of research, teaching, and learning. Participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences, build professional networks, and discuss ways of integrating the HEInnovate framework into higher education practice and policy. 

By combining expert guidance with peer learning, the program fostered a collaborative environment where innovative approaches and best practices could be shared across diverse institutional and national contexts. Participation in this training represents an important professional development opportunity, contributing to the advancement of both individual expertise and the Department’s engagement with cutting-edge European initiatives in higher education innovation.