Ferrara, 30 January 2026 – The vital role of higher education in navigating the twin green and digital transitions was the focal point of a special lecture held at the Aula del Consiglio Comunale. Prof. Sandrine Labory, Delegate of the Rector on the COLOURS Alliance at the University of Ferrara, addressed 39 members of UTEF (University for Seniors of Ferrara), underscoring the university’s commitment to lifelong learning and regional engagement.
During the session, the COLOURS Alliance was showcased as a historic step toward building transnational alliances that strengthen excellence, inclusiveness, and European values. Prof. Labory explained how the Alliance aims to transform education and research systems, promote open science, and widen access to higher education through an inter-university campus.
Challenge-Based Education and the IMAGINE Methodology. A central theme of the lecture was the Alliance’s core pedagogical approach: challenge-based education. Prof. Labory introduced the IMAGINE design thinking methodology, a framework designed to help learners activate and enhance their creativity in different moments.
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- Prof. Sandrine Labory
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- COLOURS Vision at UTEF
This methodology encourages students to move beyond passive learning. Instead, it empowers them to maximise their new idea capabilities and apply critical thinking to real-world problems. By using the IMAGINE approach, learners are taught to scrutinise issues to understand their root causes, allowing them to find and design the best possible solutions collaboratively.
By bringing these concepts to the UTEF audience, the presentation positioned European university alliances as “laboratories of European integration,” contributing simultaneously to competitiveness, democracy, unity, and peace.
