Born and raised in France, Sabine Sainte-Rose worked for many years in the French Foreign Affairs cultural network and gained 27 years of experience in international education, leading initiatives across six countries. In January 2025, she took over the role of Secretary General for ENGAGE.EU. Previously, she served as Programme Director (2020-2024) at the Aurora European University Alliance in the Alliance Secretariat at the Free University Amsterdam and before that as Institutional Coordinator (2016-2020) at the Université Grenoble. Currently, she lives in Utrecht,
As geopolitical tensions, threats to academic freedom, and sustainability challenges reshape higher education, European universities must rethink how they communicate their international mission. How do we stay open to the world while clearly standing for European values?
This interactive workshop explores how communication professionals can turn today’s challenges into strategic advantages by placing European values and partnerships at the heart of institutional branding.
Sabine Sainte-Rose, Secretary General of a European University Alliance, will show how difficult realities -from security concerns to value conflicts - can strengthen institutional positioning in a competitive global landscape.
Through practical branding exercises and peer exchange, participants will reflect on their own communication strategies:
- Are we clearly expressing our European identity?
- Are we using values-driven messaging to stand out?
- How can “Europeanness” become a strength rather than a defensive stance?
What we will cover
- Turning geopolitical challenges into positioning advantages
- Balancing global openness with commitment to European values
- The communicator’s role in protecting academic freedom and resilience
- Making European partnerships a visible competitive asset
Workshop format
- Interactive icebreaker on perceptions of “European values”
- Short intro on the geopolitical shift in internationalisation
- Small-group branding analysis and repositioning exercise
- Exchange of best practices and communication tools
- Clear takeaways and practical strategies
Designed for communication professionals, this session offers concrete tools to craft a confident, values-driven European narrative for students, partners, and stakeholders in uncertain times.