Get to know the Arqus Community of Practice: Project Finance Management Offices

Leipzig University

12 May 2025

The Arqus Communities of Practice “Project Finance Management Offices” (PFMO) aims to advance project finance management by sharing expertise and building collective knowledge. Coordinated by Vilnius University, this joint endeavour brings together six Arqus universities: Granada, Graz, Leipzig, Lyon 1, Vilnius and Wrocław.

Members of the Project Finance Management Offices community gain access to shared knowledge, build strong professional networks, and actively contribute to shaping best practices in the field. Through close collaboration and active participation, they develop practical guidelines and strategies that enhance daily operations and promote efficiency across institutions.

PFMO members strengthen key competencies such as teamwork, leadership, results orientation, planning and control, and organisational skills. In the future, the project aims to tackle essential financial management topics, including:

Direct and indirect costs in projects
Strategies for financial audit preparation
Job profiling and role definition within project finance management

The progress of the initiative has been supported by various funding sources, including the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Training programme, the Arqus Innovation Fund, and contributions from the participating institutions.

The Projects Finance Management Offices Initiative benefited from the Arqus Innovation Fund in its 2024 call. The PFMO Community of Practice has contributed to standardised best practices, enhancing inter-university collaboration, and building a skilled workforce, ultimately benefiting research, education, and student services. This Community of Practice has applied as well for the Arqus Innovation Fund 2025 Call, hoping to receive funding for cross-disciplinary seminars and challenge-based learning workshops.

In addition to a series of online meetings, the Arqus CoP “Project Finance Management Offices” (PFMO) had face-to-face meetings at Vilnius University and the University of Wrocław. These team meetings have fostered productive discussions, introduced new initiatives, addressed pressing concerns and provided practical solutions.

More in-person meetings are scheduled at the University of Granada, Leipzig University, and the University of Graz to continue collaborative efforts. Additionally, the team will host three online meetings to ensure continuous engagement and progress. By facilitating meaningful exchanges, these meetings strengthen internal collaboration and inspire innovative approaches to working within and beyond the Community of Practice ecosystem.

The team members of the Arqus CoP “Project Finance Management Offices” (PFMO) invite you to be an active part of this dynamic community, where collaboration transforms project finance management into a more efficient, streamlined, and impactful process.

“By collaborating with colleagues from other universities, I am able to share good practices and gain invaluable insights by drawing from the experience and expertise of different countries.” – Žana Markauskienė, Vilnius University

“The Arqus Innovation Fund Bottom-Up creates a strong foundation for implementing ideas and training initiatives.” – Aleita Markevič, Vilnius University

“Participation in this Arqus Community of Practice initiative is primarily an opportunity to exchange experiences and solutions in the area of projects being implemented in each partner institution.” – Iwona Filarska, University of Wrocław

“I can now confidently say that it has been one of the best and most rewarding experiences in my professional life over the past five years. I am truly delighted to have found colleagues from different countries with whom I can share experiences, everyday challenges, and solutions.” – Agnija Duobienė, Vilnius University

“I hope more professionals can join our Community of Practice, opening up new opportunities for joint collaborations.” – Linara Kudasheva, University of Granada

“I am especially motivated by the participants’ engagement, the friendly atmosphere, and our shared achievements.” – Milena Tamošiūnienė, Vilnius University

“It is a great opportunity to exchange ideas with finance and project managers from other European universities, discover common problems, and learn from their solutions.” – Anja Rodon, Leipzig University

“It’s incredibly reassuring to be connected with colleagues from other universities, especially in a world of rapidly changing procedures and legislation.” – Virginia Salazar López, University of Granada

“To be part of the Community of Practice in the Arqus project is a great chance to meet financial managers of other universities, not only online but also twice a year at one of our partner universities.” – Anne Deketele and Evamaria Bradacs, University of Graz