Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (UAIC) successfully hosted the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) entitled Urban Heat Island: From Problem to Solutions, an initiative that transformed the city of Iași into a real-world living laboratory. The programme combined virtual sessions (March–April 2026) with an intensive on-site week (April 20–24, 2026), bringing together a multidisciplinary group of students from the EC2U Alliance’s Partner Universities – University of Coimbra (Portugal), the University of Turku (Finland), the University of Pavia (Italy), Johannes Kepler University Linz (Austria), the University of Poitiers (France),  and the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Ukraine) to explore the various methodological approaches to assess urban climate, the cities resilience in front of heat discomfort and the future of sustainable urban environments.

Marking a significant milestone, this event represents the second EC2U BIP to feature participants exclusively from the Alliance. Guided by the EC2U mission to Empower, Connect, Collaborate, and Unite, this specialized format is expected to increase in frequency as the Alliance strengthens its internal academic ties. For this edition, the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (UAIC) served as the central hub, welcoming participants from across the EC2U Alliance, featuring an international team of experts from the Universities of Coimbra, Iași, Linz, Pavia, and Turku in tandem with the UAIC MOBCLIM research project team (https://www.geo.uaic.ro/mobclim/), providing participants with high-resolution climate data to analyze urban thermal dynamics. By blending the Alliance’s multidisciplinary expertise with cutting-edge local research, the programme proposed to the students a methodological approach to identify critical thermal areas in the city and to transform complex climate problems into actionable urban solutions.

The event served as a vital meeting point for the UAIC academic community and its international partners to address Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Prof. Dr. Nicoleta Popa, Vice-Rector for International Relations and EC2U Institutional Coordinator at UAIC, officially opened the program in the Senate Hall. Welcoming addresses were also delivered by EC2U WP6 Leader Assist. Prof. Dr. Eugénio Rodriguez and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Geology, Lect. Dr. Mihai Bulai. The overall programme was led by the BIP Coordinators Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lucian Sfică and Lect. Dr. Lucian Roșu, alongside a dedicated local and international team, with contributions during online or on-site activities (Prof. Jukka Käyhkö-UTU, Assist. Prof. Eugénio Rodriguez-UC, PhD Lukas Lehner-JKU, PhD Gaia Terlicher-UP, Lect. PhD Pavel Ichim-UAIC).

Throughout the intensive week, the UAIC hosted a series of technical and field-based activities designed to bridge the gap between climate theory and urban design.

  • Expert-Led workshops and microclimate modelling: Participants engaged in hands-on sessions using ENVI-met software to simulate urban microclimates, coordinated by Pavel Ichim and Robert Hrițac (UAIC).
  • Identification of urban heat islands: Utilizing thermal pan-sharpening and Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis, students identified critical hot spots within the urban fabric, guided by Lucian Sfică, Claudiu Crețu, and Alexandru Corocăescu (UAIC).
  • Assessment of building thermal efficiency in climate change conditions: using Weather Generator and climate scenarios data to assess the climate impact at building leve, guided by Eugénio Rodriguez, Luca Scherraus, Sona Mamadzada (University of Coimbra).
  • Blue & Green infrastructure solutions: A major focus was placed on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS). Gaia Terlicher (University of Pavia) and Lukas Lehner (JKU Linz) led sessions on water-based public spaces and strategies for WaterMitCities to mitigate extreme heat.
  • Fieldwork and urban mapping: The programme included a 3 km microclimatic fieldwork walk through Iași, where students collected real-time data using mobile transects and thermal imaging to diagnose the city’s thermal landscape firsthand.
  • Strategic dialogue and policy: Highlights included a Round Table on the NetZero City Mission 100 Iași, held at the Palace of Culture, and a keynote by Charles Montgomery on “The Science of Happy Cities and Human Wellbeing”.

Interdisciplinary collaboration and impact

The success of this landmark programme was grounded in strong interdisciplinary collaboration across UAIC. The academic vision for this initiative was supported by strong organizational coordination and strategic partnerships.

The joint efforts of the EC2U Local Coordinator (Dr. Petronela Spiridon-Ursu), and the BIP Officer within the UAIC Erasmus+ Office (Anca Ionescu), ensured the smooth administrative organization and implementation of the programme. Their work demonstrated effective interdepartmental collaboration, combining academic ambition with strong administrative and communication support.

The programme’s impact continues through a post-event phase (April–May 2026), where international teams perform climatic evaluations of their home cities or other cities around the world, applying the LST analysis and ENVI-met modelling learned in Iași. By empowering students to design evidence-based solutions for the Urban Heat Island effect, UAIC and the EC2U Alliance continue to lead the way in fostering resilient, sustainable, and livable European cities.