How is higher education shaping the future of Europe and charting new pathways for global collaboration? The European Association of International Education’s Conference in Toulouse, France (17-20 September 2024) will provide a unique opportunity to explore answers to this question and many more with real-life examples, testimonials, and facts.
This is the first time that the European Universities Alliances, a flagship initiative of the European Commission and its European Education Area since 2019, will come together and present themselves in a united way at a major international conference. This will allow the international HE community to better understand the dimension of the European Universities Initiative, which is co-funding 64 Alliances today.
By showcasing their collaborative efforts and dynamizing a series of joint activities, European Universities Alliances will take the stand as pioneers of a new paradigm of cooperation in Higher Education, paving their way to a leading role in shaping the global landscape of academia and research. They will also provide insight into their contributions as key actors in a transformative approach aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), viewing Higher Education as the catalyst for building a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable society.
Inspired by the EAIE Conference’s theme En Route!, the Alliances will disseminate their objectives and actions, share the impact created, and communicate information regarding their results on topics such as mobility or new joint programs. They will also present the steps toward the innovative and unprecedented European Degree, a new type of degree awarded jointly by a group of European universities and automatically recognized in the EU. All these efforts will underline an inspiring model for transnational collaboration even amidst challenging times of global conflict.
The Alliances are also offering, as part of the EAIE conference’s programme of activities, a series of sessions covering a wide range of subjects, demonstrating their commitment to innovation in higher education and research.
On behalf of Aurora Christina Raab from the University of Innsbruck and co-lead in T2.5 on Coordination of joint education and joint accreditation, will contribute to the session on How European Universities alliances are spearheading sustainability literacy for all. Similarly, Selma Porobic from Palacký University Olomouc and lead of the T7.3 on Implementation of Capacity Development Programme in CEE will contribute to the session Unlocking global opportunities: Outreach programmes at European University Alliances at EAIE 2024 in Toulouse.
Check the list of sessions proposed by the European Alliances.
Highlight on the Globalization Potential of Alliances
Prior to the initiation of the EAIE Conference, there will be an opportunity to witness the Alliances in joint dialogue at a special side event hosted by the Université de Toulouse and la Région Occitanie on September 17, 2024, at the Hôtel de Région Occitanie from 08:45 to 13:00. Titled “Internationalisation of European Universities Alliances: the new frontiers”, the event will explore why and how European Universities Alliances build strategic partnerships with institutions and stakeholders beyond the European Union. A plenary session will discuss strategies and approaches and present case studies about how alliances can forge successful international connections. Two other sessions will examine partnerships with Ukrainian institutions amidst conflict and post-war reconstruction and cooperation with African partners. This gathering aims to facilitate dialogue between Alliances, non-European higher education institutions, and European, national, and regional policymakers to explore the current state of play and the possible pathways of alliances’ internationalisation. The event will be streamed online.
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The European Universities Alliances are a flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities. They encompass 64 European Universities and alliances with more than 560 higher education institutions across Europe. Check the full list of Alliances by country.
The EAIE Conference is the most important event dedicated to higher education in Europe and the second largest in the world. Its recent venues have been Barcelona (2022) and Rotterdam (2023), where exhibitors and visitors exceeded 5000 participants each year, showing that transnational cooperation is now a growing sector of influence and action in a more and more globalized and interconnected world of higher education systems.
