The Road
From Porto to the Future
Navigating Europe's Higher Education Renaissance
The chair of QS’ Global Advisory Committee (Europe) reflects on the key talking points of this years QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe.
By Jonathan Sabarre, Chair, Global Advisory Committee (Europe) and Director of Marketing & Communications, Newcastle University
Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't just digital natives; they're authenticity natives.
We need the clarity of KPIs and strategic focus that characterise successful businesses [but] this cannot come at the expense of our humanistic mission
The conversations in Porto have crystallised my conviction that European higher education stands at the threshold of a renaissance.
Institutional strength alone isn't sufficient
As Chair of the Global Advisory Committee (Europe), I had the privilege of witnessing something extraordinary unfold in Porto this June. Nearly 800 changemakers from over 50 countries gathered not merely to discuss the future of higher education, but to actively shape it. What emerged was far more than a conference—it was a collective reimagining of what European universities can and must become in an era of unprecedented change.
The summit's timing could not have been more critical. With 8.5 million students projected to study abroad by 2030, and the landscape becoming increasingly volatile and competitive, European institutions face a defining moment. The conversations in Porto didn't shy away from this reality. Instead, they embraced it with remarkable clarity and purpose.
Discovering Our Institutional DNA
Senior Vice President of QS, Ben Sowter's metaphor of universities as superheroes struck a profound chord. His challenge—that each institution must discover its unique superpower—goes beyond clever branding. It speaks to something deeper: the need for authentic institutional identity in an increasingly homogenised global marketplace.
This isn't about manufactured differentiation. It's about excavating what truly makes each institution distinctive and valuable. For some, it might be pioneering research in sustainability. For others, exceptional industry partnerships or innovative pedagogical approaches. The key insight from Porto is that these superpowers already exist within our institutions—they simply need to be recognised, refined and courageously projected.
But as Selma Dröfn Toohey, QS’ Executive Director (UK & Europe), astutely observed, institutional strength alone isn't sufficient. Universities operate within a complex ecosystem shaped by three critical forces: Policy, Perception, and Projection. This framework has become my north star for strategic thinking. Policy shapes what we can do, perception influences who engages with us, and projection determines how effectively we communicate our value. The most successful institutions will be those that master all three dimensions simultaneously.
The Skills Imperative: Beyond Knowledge Transfer
Perhaps no theme resonated more strongly than the urgent need to reimagine how we prepare students for their futures. Vice President, Strategy and Analytics, Matteo Quacquarelli's emphasis on employability wasn't about reducing education to vocational training. Rather, it was a call to ensure that the transformative power of higher education translates into tangible outcomes for graduates.
The summit surfaced a troubling disconnect: students often cannot articulate the skills they're developing, let alone connect them to market needs. This isn't a failure of students; it's a failure of how we structure and communicate learning outcomes. The path forward requires radical transparency about skill development and deliberate integration of competency mapping throughout the student journey.
Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, Co-Founder of Female Invest , used a trinity of critical thinking, problem-solving, and curiosity which provides a foundation, but we must go further. The conversations in Porto pointed toward a fundamental shift in educational design: from content delivery to capability development, from passive absorption to active application, from isolated learning to integrated, real-world problem-solving.
Marketing in the Age of Authenticity
In my session on "Marketing to Students Who Swipe," I explored how technology has fundamentally altered the engagement landscape. But the real revelation wasn't about tools or tactics; it was about the primacy of authentic connection in a digital age.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't just digital natives; they're authenticity natives. They can detect institutional posturing from a mile away. The marketing strategies that will succeed are those rooted in genuine understanding of student needs, powered by data but driven by empathy. When we ask, "Who are our students?" we're not seeking demographic profiles but deep insight into their aspirations, anxieties and expectations.
AI enables us to create personalised journeys at scale, but technology is merely the enabler. The magic happens when we combine sophisticated tools with genuine institutional purpose. As I emphasised in Porto, ROI builds credibility, but the return students seek isn't just financial. It's transformational.
Leadership for a New Era
Academic Registrar and Director of Student & Academic Services of Durham University, Dr Monika Nangia's powerful intervention during the Women in Leadership panel provided one of the summit's most memorable moments. Her observation that "women are over-mentored but under-sponsored" cuts to the heart of systemic barriers in higher education leadership. Mentoring provides guidance; sponsorship provides opportunity. We need more of the latter.
This insight extends beyond gender equity. It speaks to how we cultivate leadership at all levels of our institutions. The future demands leaders who can balance analytical rigor with emotional intelligence, strategic vision with operational excellence, global perspective with local sensitivity.
The debate on CEO-style leadership in universities, masterfully moderated by QS’ Director of Sales (UK & Ireland) Andy Plant, revealed a crucial tension. Yes, we need the clarity of KPIs and strategic focus that characterise successful businesses. But as several panellists argued, this cannot come at the expense of our humanistic mission. The art lies in synthesis: bringing business-like efficiency to our operations while preserving the soul of academic inquiry and social purpose.
Directions for the Future: A Strategic Roadmap
As I reflect on the collective wisdom shared in Porto, five strategic imperatives emerge for European higher education:
1. Embrace Radical Differentiation The era of generic excellence is over. Institutions must identify, develop, and boldly communicate their distinctive strengths. This requires courage to say no to opportunities that don't align with core purpose and the discipline to invest deeply in areas of genuine distinction.
2. Design for Skills Transparency We must make the implicit explicit. Every program should clearly articulate the competencies it develops and how these connect to career pathways. This isn't about narrow vocationalism but about helping students understand and communicate their growing capabilities.
3. Lead the AI Revolution Thoughtfully AI will transform every aspect of higher education, from student recruitment to pedagogical delivery. But transformation must be purposeful. We should use AI to enhance human connection, not replace it; to personalise learning, not standardise it; to expand access, not create new barriers.
4. Cultivate Inclusive Leadership Ecosystems Moving beyond mentoring to sponsorship requires systematic change. We need to create formal mechanisms for emerging leaders—particularly from underrepresented groups—to access opportunities, visibility, and advocacy. This isn't just about fairness; it's about accessing the full spectrum of talent and perspective our institutions need.
5. Build Resilient Global Networks The shift in student mobility patterns—with more students choosing non-English-speaking destinations—signals a fundamental restructuring of global higher education. European institutions must build diverse, reciprocal partnerships that go beyond student exchange to encompass research collaboration, shared program delivery, and coordinated responses to global challenges.
The Porto Promise
What struck me most about the summit wasn't any single insight but the collective energy and commitment in the room. Despite facing unprecedented challenges, from funding constraints to geopolitical tensions to rapidly evolving student expectations, the prevailing mood was one of determination and optimism.
This optimism isn't naive. It's grounded in the recognition that universities have weathered centuries of change and emerged stronger. It's fueled by the innovative approaches being pioneered across the continent. And it's sustained by the quality of leadership I witnessed in Porto—thoughtful, principled, and unafraid of difficult questions.
As I return to Newcastle and resume my work with the Global Advisory Committee, I carry with me not just insights but inspiration. The conversations in Porto have crystallised my conviction that European higher education stands at the threshold of a renaissance. Not a return to past glories, but a reimagining of what universities can be in the 21st century: more connected, more responsive, more impactful than ever before.
The summit's announcement that Budapest will host the 2026 gathering feels fitting. From Portugal to Hungary, from the Atlantic to the heart of Europe, we're building a movement that transcends borders and traditional boundaries. The future of European higher education won't be shaped by any single institution or country but by our collective wisdom, shared purpose, and coordinated action.
To Nunzio Quacquarelli, Ben Sowter, Selma Dröfn Toohey, Dr. Monika Nangia, Matteo Quacquarelli, Andy Plant, and the entire QS team: thank you for creating the space where these vital conversations could flourish. To every delegate who shared their insights, challenges, and aspirations: you've enriched my understanding and strengthened my resolve.
The work begins now. Porto gave us the vision; it's up to us to make it reality.