The Brussels General Assembly marked the conclusion of Kirsten van den Hul’s mandate as EUNIC President, following her decision to step down as Director of DutchCulture.

Reflecting on her time leading the network, she highlighted the strength of EUNIC as a "community of practice and a community of hope" grounded in shared values.

During the General Assembly, Kirsten van den Hul formally handed over the Presidency to Gitte Zschoch, Secretary General of ifa - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. With the support of the Board of Directors, Gitte Zschoch will steer the network over the next 12 months.

Gitte Zschoch brings long-standing experience and deep institutional knowledge of EUNIC to the role. She previously served as EUNIC Director from 2018 to 2021, during which time she led the rollout of the pilot European Spaces of Culture programme and guided the renewal of EUNIC’s Strategic Framework. Her engagement with the network also includes co-founding the EUNIC cluster in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2016.

Setting out her vision for the Presidency, Gitte Zschoch emphasised the importance of strengthening European international cultural relations by deepening cooperation within the network, building a stronger collective European voice, advocating for the role of culture in peace building and democracy, and further developing EUNIC as a community of practice with strong platforms for strategic knowledge exchange.

I believe the collective experience, skills, and resources within EUNIC can address today’s challenges with creativity, resilience, and conviction.

Gitte Zschoch, ifa - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, EUNIC President

The Brussels General Assembly was also the occasion to elect new members to the EUNIC Board of Directors. Julija Reklaitė, Director of the Lithuanian Culture Institute, was elected Vice-President of the Board. She will assume the role of EUNIC President at the end of Gitte Zschoch’s term in December 2026, at a strategic moment ahead of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

Reflecting on her election, Julija Reklaitė highlighted the opportunities ahead for the network in a rapidly evolving European and global context.

Cooperation today requires more than identifying partners; it requires identifying allies - those with whom we share convictions, trust, and a willingness to keep talking even when we disagree.

Julija Reklaitė Lithuanian Culture Institute, EUNIC Vice-President

Her contribution to the EUNIC Board will be guided by a commitment to strengthening solidarity and fair representation across the network, navigating uncertainty with resilience and foresight, and reimagining collaboration through openness, learning and mutual support.

Olga Wysocka, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, was elected as a member of the Board of Directors. She underlined the importance of culture as a vital space for dialogue, democratic stability and societal resilience.

It is crucial that we continue to create spaces where culture is not only present, but understood as essential to democratic resilience, social cohesion and international partnerships.

Olga Wysocka Adam Mickiewicz Institute

Following these elections, the EUNIC Board of Directors is now composed of:
President Gitte Zschoch of ifa - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen,
Vice-President Julija Reklaitė of Lithuanian Culture Institute,
Carmen Noguero Galilea of Instituto Cervantes,
Hanna Lämsä of Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes,
Hugues Ghenassia de Ferran of Institut français and
Olga Wysocka of Adam Mickiewicz Institute.