Editorial: Building tomorrow's Europe - strategies for integration, growth, and resilience

As we introduce this volume of proceedings from the EURINT 2025 International Conference, "Building Tomorrow's Europe: Strategies for Integration, Growth, and Resilience," we find ourselves reflecting on a Europe at a crossroads."Europe at a crossroads" -it's an often-used expression, but it still seems more current than ever.The continent continues to navigate a shifting political landscape, widening social and territorial inequalities, facing demographic challenges, new security pressures, the climate emergency, and the rapid transformations brought about by digitalisation (Fouquet & Johansson, 2008;van Nimwegen & van der Erf, 2010;Simonazzi & Villa, 2016).In this context, the conference sought not only to analyse Europe's evolving challenges but also to imagine, together, a Europe that remains cohesive, competitive, and resilient.The 14 th EURINT conference was notable for the Centre for European Studies at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iai, marking 25 years of teaching quality, scholarly work, along with international cooperation.That quarter-century point gave deeper meaning to the gathering, showing how insights develop within networks; it also highlighted campuses as places where discussion, inquiry, together with teamwork continue being relevant.The chapters collected here show different views from the talks at the conference.These talks followed key questions meant to mix perspectives from various fields.One question asked how Europe might balance rising economies with growing public demands.Another explored what inclusion really looks like, given that gaps between areas and age groups are increasing.A third considered ways for Europe to regain strength in a global setting marked by constant change.We thank everyone involved -contributors, reviewers, partners, and attendees -for their effort and commitment to making EURINT 2025 happen.It is hoped these papers provide useful perspectives while encouraging more discussion about Europe's path ahead, rooted in equity, strength, and self-assurance.One conclusion stands out from the event: shaping Europe's tomorrow means reimagining outdated frameworks, adapting to emerging conditions, and collaborating beyond fields, organizations, and national lines.We encourage you to examine this book as an academic work -as well as proof of a group striving for Europe's future with care, drive, and shared effort.A large part of the book focuses on building inner strength -both in organizations and society -across EU countries and those hoping to join.Instead of