Una Europa: Sophia Karner taking over as alliance's secretary-general

Sophia Karner, currently senior policy officer at the Una Europa European universities alliance, is taking over as the organisation's secretary-general in early December, succeeding Emily Palmer.

At a reception in Brussels on 27/11/2025, hosted by Una Europa with the Circle U and EUTOPIA alliances, Palmer announced that she was stepping down after six and a half years.

Karner has an academic background in translation, intercultural communication and transcultural studies, with degrees from the University of Surrey in the UK and the University of Vienna (Austria). She spent an Erasmus semester in Brussels. Her career includes work as a Project Officer for the EU Prize for Literature, followed by advisory positions on European policy and funding at the Greater Birmingham West Midlands Brussels Office and the University of Warwick’s Brussels Office. Since 2021, she has held successive roles at Una Europa, progressing from Policy Officer to Senior Policy Officer, supporting the alliance’s activities and engagement in European higher education and research initiatives.

Emily Palmer was…