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This paper highlights common and overarching conclusions and considerations present in the work and reports of these Thematic Peer Groups while also drawing on other studies and reports concerned with learning and teaching.
Why is the European Union important for universities, and what does the European Parliament do? ...
Quality assurance and doctoral education have been elements of the Bologna Process since the 2003 ministerial meeting in Berlin, but until rather recently, they have been developing on two differ ...
The Erasmus+ programme is of key importance to the higher education sector, but despite its success, it requires further enhancement. ...
This paper will explore current practices popular in the Scottish higher education sector, which institutions and student associations use to enhance partnership working and enable students to cocreat ...
This paper presents issues which EUA considers important for universities in addressing the impact of digitalisation and thus which we propose to explore over the coming years in collaborati ...
Over the past three years, EUA has been working on a number of initiatives related to higher education learning and teaching. Activities include knowledge building and studies, institutional ...
In connection with recent researches on the educational development of faculty members, this paper presents the training programme to improve faculty members teaching skills at the University of Milan ...
On 30 May the European Commission released its proposal for the 2021-2027 Erasmus programme. The European University Association (EUA) welcomes the draft as a solid basis for discussion on t ...
On 22 May, the European Commission launched the second part of its ambitious education package for the creation of a “European Education Area” by 2025. EUA is pleased with the “strong conse ...
The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of implementing a faculty development program that fosters active learning with a focus on the role of the organizational culture in the change p ...
European higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing increasing demands for more flexible learning and flexibility in learning paths. ...
Abstract: 1. Problems and objectives ...
The UK plays an important role in European research and European and global student mobility. In view of Brexit, the European University Association has underlined the importance of kee ...
Transnational joint education provision — education jointly developed and delivered by two or more institutions in different countries — has emerged as a desired experience for many students, a ke ...
Seven years ago, Advanced Legal Reasoning was first offered as a final year module at University College Cork, Ireland. Not only was this course pioneering in its ambition to teach students how to rea ...
In the context of European higher education, learning and teaching centres are generally located within an institution, with their primary mission being to support the development of the institution ...
Research-based learning (RBL) is heralded as a particularly impactful practice in Higher Education and an exemplar active learning approach. Yet it can be asked as to whether the student experience ma ...
As Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK are moving into the second phase, EUA calls for a comprehensive view on academic cooperation and urges the EU institutions to include this in ...
Ahead of the mid-term review of the Erasmus+ Programme, EUA conducted a consultation of its membership. The survey was open for responses from January to March 2016. In total, 218 higher e ...
Based on the work of the EUA Learning & Teaching Initiative and the outcomes of the 1st European Learning & Teaching Forum, this paper underlines the importance of learning and teaching (L& ...
The wide-ranging ambitions of the European Green Deal provide a policy framework to integrate the scientific, educational, and institutional dimensions of universities’ contribution to the green tra ...
This article aims to map the landscape of teaching and learning excellence prizes across higher education and research institutions in Europe, to evaluate their impact on the recognition and assurance ...
In its review of the "Framework of Key Competences for Lifelong Learning", the European Commission engaged in a public consultation, due to close on 19 May 2017. ...
Abstract In the summer of 2016 NOKUT conducted a survey of academic teachers’ perceptions of quality in ‘their own’ educational programmes. From this survey, the theme of teacher coll ...
The Association of African Universities (AAU), representing over 200 university members throughout Africa, and the European University Association (EUA), representing over 800 universities and univers ...
Improving the quality of teaching and learning has been at the heart of the Bologna Process reforms and continues to be of crucial importance for the further implementation of these reforms. The growt ...
The European University Association (EUA) would like to respond to the issues paper on the New Skills Agenda, that it has received both as a member of the EQF Advisory Group (AG) and the Bologna Follo ...
EUA and Universities UK have published a common document in order to assist universities prepare for a no-deal Brexit. ...
Europe needs talented students and researchers in order to achieve its goals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. For this reason, the European University Association (EUA) welcomes the initia ...
The challenges around addressing student mental health and wellbeing are not new. Over recent years thenumber of students disclosing a mental health condition in the UK has increased: 47,625 more stud ...
The European University Association takes a keen interest in the European Neighbourhood Policy. EUA cooperates with higher education institutions and organisations in the eastern and southern neighbou ...
This presentation highlights an initiative to improve teaching effectiveness by means of transdisciplinary projects involving students from different study programs, working in teams to solve real pro ...
The exponential change in IT forces inevitably a transformation of all industries in an unprecedented way. Teaching and learning at universities are no exception. For a millennial old institution that ...
The study is the result of a series of activities including workshops, surveys and focus groups implemented under the framework of the EQUIP project ‘Enhancing quality through innovative policy & ...
Enhancing Digital Capacity in Teaching and Learning in Irish Universities is a three year project that aims to mainstream digital in teaching and learning across the seven Irish universities by addres ...
“The EU consultation collects the views of stakeholders regarding the potential of European policies and projects to contribute to the development of a “European Area of Skills and Qualifi ...
Study programme development is one of the most challenging processes at universities since all faculty is involved. And in our experience, the redesign of already existing programmes seems to be even ...
This report aims to provide the reader with an insight into the discussions and conclusions of the thematic peer groups with each chapter consisting of the summary of one thematic peer group presentin ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) were adopted by the Ministers responsible for higher education in 2005 following a proposal prepared by t ...
The European Principles for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching were developed as part of Erasmus+- funded EFFECT project (European Forum for Enhanced Collaboration in Teaching), coordinate ...
This briefing looks at the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on higher education in Europe over the past six months. In particular, it examines the sudden shift to emergency remote learning and teaching, ...
The purpose of the Graduate Attributes Programme is to deliver a suite of Transition modules to enable a successful student journey and to prepare students for their future. Transition Through initiat ...
From 2019, the Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning (EDTL) project hired more than 25 student associate interns to work with project staff in each of the seven IUA universities (Dublin City Univers ...
The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), European Students’ Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA), European Association of Institutions ...
Based on data collected in 2021 by the International Association of Universities (IAU), Michael Gaebel and Henriette Stoeber reflect on the impact of the pandemic on European higher education. ...
As the war in Ukraine continues, the results of this survey of EUA’s collective members provides an overview of various national level approaches to support Ukrainian students and academics, as well ...
As the European Universities Initiative moves into a new phase, EUA has taken stock of its impact thus far, notably in how it may further policy reforms that benefit transnational university cooperati ...
EUA has a long record of working on quality assurance (QA) in Europe and has supported its members in developing their internal QA systems through a variety of activities. Many of these acti ...
The European Commission’s Industrial Strategy for Europe and the European Digital Strategy launched in the spring of 2020 offer an opportunity for a broad and holistic approach to fundamental challe ...
The first results of U-Multirank (UMR), a multi-dimensional ranking of higher education institutions produced with seed funding from the European Commission, were unveiled on 13 May 2014. UMR has ...
The process to renew the European Research Area (ERA) is gathering pace and is set to continue in the coming weeks, months and years. Building on previous policy positions, this policy input further e ...
This EUA policy input aims to inform the upcoming European Commission Communication on a global approach to research, education, innovation and youth. Expected in April, the Communication is intended ...
The EUA Charter has been elaborated on the basis of extensive consultation, not only with EUA’s 800 member universities and 34 national Rectors’ Conferences, but also with a wide range o ...
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The present policy input comprises EUA’s key messages for the European Commission’s public consultation on micro-credentials in the summer of 2021. The results of the consultation will feed into t ...
The European Commission plans to explore individual learning accounts as a tool to support up- and reskilling of working age adults. This EUA policy input features the Association’s response to a de ...
Amid renewed political interest in transnational university collaboration, notably joint educational provision, the European Commission has indicated that it will test possible criteria for a European ...
The present study on e-learning intends to contribute to closing a data gap and to stimulate the discussion on the further development of national and European policies on the issue and to supportits ...
The European Commission is developing a set of non-binding commitments for EU member states regarding the provision of digital skills. This policy input summarises EUA’s input ahead of an eventual C ...
The European Commission is developing a set of non-binding commitments for EU member states regarding enabling factors for digital education. This policy input summarises EUA’s input ahead of an eve ...
The publication “Rankings in Institutional Strategies and Processes (RISP): Impact or Illusion?” is the outcome of a 2.5 year EUA-led project, which has carried out the first pan-European ...
EUA Strategic Plan The need for strong universities has never been greater in addressing societal challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, resource scarcity, ageing populations, migration a ...
In recent years, higher education provision has been changing rapidly, including the mainstreaming of e-learning, the emergence of micro-credentials, the launch of the European Universities Initiative ...
EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, during the European Research and Innovation Days in September 2020, stated that excellence and inclusiveness are two sides of the same coin in the new European Research ...
This publication intends to provide observations on and recommendations for enhancing the complementarity between higher education mobility policies at the institutional, national and Europe ...
Created in 1994, IEP (Institutional Evaluation Programme) is an independent membership service of the European University Association (EUA) which has carried out over 300 institutional evaluations in ...
Following the widespread concern and debate provoked by the arrival of ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the European University Association’s Learning and Teaching Steering Co ...
The first EUA report on “Global university rankings and their impact” was published in June 2011. Its purpose was to inform universities about the methodologies and potential impact of the ...
EUA commissioned this report in response to the growth in international and national rankings, as a result of increasing questions from member institutions requesting information and advice on th ...
Le présent rapport a été établi à la demande de l’EUA en raison du nombre croissant de classements internationaux et nationaux dans l’enseignement s ...
Trends 2015 is the seventh in the series of Trends reports published by the European University Association. The main goal of Trends 2015 is to document the universities’ perceptions of the chan ...
The present study aims at providing an overview of the tracking initiatives of students and graduates in Europe. As a first study of this kind, its aim was to map the state of play, and provide f ...
In October 2009, the European University Association (EUA), together with its partners, the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and QAA Scotland, launched a project entitled: “ ...
The project "Examining Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions" (EQC) aimed to provide an overview of the internal quality assurance processes in place within higher education institutio ...
This report is based on a project entitled “Shaping Inclusive and Responsive University Strategies”, or SIRUS, which was co-funded by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme. ...
The project “Examining Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions” (EQC) aims to identify institutional processes and structures that support the development of an internal qual ...
Concerns about the relationship between quality assurance processes and creativity and how quality assurance, whether internal or external, can either enhance or stifle innovative practices and&n ...
This EUA report gives a detailed overview of the development of Master degrees in Europe. Based on a wide-ranging survey of European students, universities (leaders and academics) and employers, it sp ...
European universities are uniquely positioned to advance knowledge creation and European social and economic development through their creative responses to complex questions. They have been righ ...
This report is the result of a four-year project, which involved 134 higher education institutions grouped in 18 networks. The major aim of the project was to identify how internal quality cultur ...
These Guidelines for Quality Enhancement in European Joint Master Programmes are addressed to all higher education institutions either considering or actually running joint programmes. It is the ...
The Institutional Evaluation Programme of the European University Association (EUA) was launched in 1993 and has evaluated over 110 universities in 35 countries. The evaluation reports ...
The EUA Quality Culture Project, funded by the Socrates Programme, was conceived to enable participating institutions to discuss how to introduce and embed a quality culture in their institutions ...
EUA developed this project with the twin objectives of using the experience of joint programmes to find solutions to a range of issues in the European higher education landscape that need to be r ...
In October 2002, ELU (the Latin European Universities Group), an organisation made up of rectors and staff of Swiss, Italian, Portuguese, francophone-Belgian and French rectors’ conferences ...
En octobre 2002, le groupe ELU (Europe Latine Universitaire) composé des Présidents et de permanents des conférences de Présidents et de Recteurs suisse, italienne, po ...
This survey represents the first attempt to describe and analyse systematically the present state of the art in respect of Master level degree programmes and joint degrees offered ...
Cette étude est la première à décrire et à analyser systématiquement l’état des lieux actuel des cursus de niveau master et des diplômes conjoints proposés dans l’Europe&nb ...
EUA requested its collective members (the rectors’ conferences) to react on the European Commission’s draft Memorandum on Lifelong Learning and to comment on the impact of nati ...
L'EUA a demandé à ses membres collectifs (les conférences des recteurs) de réagir au projet de mémorandum de la Commission européenne sur l'apprentissage tout ...
In 2012-2014, EUA was part of the stakeholder group that revised the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). This work resulted in the current ...
With the rapid development of MOOCs, EUA published an occasional paper in January 2013 on MOOCs for discussion at the EUA Council, and for information for EUA membership. The present paper a ...
Over the past year, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have received a great deal of attention from the academic community and the media. The EUA Secretariat has followed the development of the MOOCs ...
The Glasgow Convention provided the opportunity for over 600 EUA members and partners from over 40 countries to come together and take stock of progress made so far in developing the European Higher E ...
Trends 2018 examines how learning and teaching at European higher education institutions evolves in the context of changing demands, technological and societal development, and European- and national- ...
In recent years, the enhancement of learning and teaching has become a priority, not only for higher education institutions, but also for national governments, the European Union and the Bologna Proce ...
The EFFECT project produced a feasibility study on how teaching enhancement can be promoted in the most efficient manner at the European level. Launched at the 2019 European Learning & Teaching Fo ...
Attention to career paths in teaching and staff development, in order to enhance learning and teaching, has gained importance in the European policy arena in recent years. This paper is the result of ...
Higher education stakeholders are increasingly aware of the need for systematic continuous professional development opportunities for university teachers. This report reflects the outcomes of the work ...
The evaluation of learning and teaching is one central activity through which universities monitor the fitness-for-purpose of their education provision. This paper represents the outcomes of the work ...
Active learning encompasses a broad range of pedagogical approaches involving the learner in every step of the educational process, with the objective of stimulating ownership and critical thinking sk ...
The comparative, cross-country study reviews the links between integration and higher education policies. It documents the conditions and circumstances for access, retention and completion of higher e ...
The digital transformation of our societies is moving ahead, changing the way that we work and interact. It is also changing learning environments and the need for digital skills. ...
Ample evidence suggests that even though student-centred learning is a topic of great interest and benefit to universities across Europe and beyond, there are widespread difficulties in addressing the ...
Inclusiveness has become a strategic question for a number of higher education institutions across Europe, impacting learning and teaching, research and institutional cultures. Many have taken action ...
At the centre of a student’s university experience stands the programme that they follow. Therefore, creating curricula that are fit-for-purpose is at the heart of an institution’s teaching missio ...
The EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Internationalisation in learning and teaching” considers strategic and comprehensive internationalisation as a fit-for-purpose and timely me ...
Assessment is an essential and influential element in the learning journey of all students. There is commitment across universities to promoting a holistic assessment design, based on co-creation betw ...
The concept of evidence-based learning and teaching is complex and multifaceted. The EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Evidence-based approaches to learning and teaching” underst ...
There is a legitimate need for data on the performance of higher education institutions. It is important for the institutions themselves, as well as their stakeholders, including society. The use of i ...
Micro-credentials have attracted interest as a means to increase the effectiveness and flexibility of higher education and to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for the labour force. ...
Granting refuge and academic freedom to scholars and students, who had to flee persecution and wars in their home countries and regions, is an eminent function of universities. Over the past decades, ...
Digitally enhanced learning and teaching is widely used across the European Higher Education Area, with general acceptance growing over the years and institutions widely acknowledging the benefits it ...
In Europe today, almost every higher education institution uses digitally enhanced learning and teaching. Since EUA began exploring this topic in 2013, digitally enhanced learning and teaching has bee ...
The 2020 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Approaches in learning and teaching to promoting equity and inclusion” explored how universities can best support inclusion and equity ...
The 2020 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Meeting skills and employability demands” explored how universities can ensure that their study programmes reflect the dynamic demands ...
The 2020 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Environmental sustainability of learning and teaching” discussed how learning and teaching can embrace and promote sustainability, and ...
In response to the Covid-19 crisis, higher education institutions around the world adjusted their activities to an emergency online mode in the first half of 2020. As institutions have the main respon ...
The report analyses major and recent national policies and initiatives aiming to support the enhancement of learning and teaching in 30 countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). ...
This report outlines the conclusions of the Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group “Curriculum and assessment”, which examined how to embed digitally enhanced learning and teaching (DELT) and ...
This report outlines the conclusions of the Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group “Strategy and organisational culture”, which explored the role of strategy and organisational culture in pro ...
This report summarises the findings of the EUA Thematic Peer Group ‘‘International Partnerships’’ which explored digitally enhanced internationalisation of higher education in detail. The repo ...
Scholars in many parts of the world are experiencing threats to their careers, liberty, and even their lives. Many of these at-risk researchers have to leave their countries in order to find refuge, s ...
This self-assessment tool was developed by the European University Association (EUA) in partnership with the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the Spanish Rectors’ Conference (Crue) and the Dutch ...
This report presents the final outcomes of the EU-funded “Leadership and Organisation for Teaching and Learning at European universities” (LOTUS) project. ...
This report summarises the findings of the 2022 EUA Thematic Peer Group which explored collaborative teaching practice (CTP) in higher education in detail. ...
This report summarises the findings of the EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group “Digitally competent teachers in designing quality learning environments”, which was active throughout 20 ...
This report summarises the findings of the EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group "Needs and wellbeing of students and staff", which was active throughout 2022. ...
This report summarises the main results, insights and open questions of the DIGI-HE project and sets them in the wider context of Europe’s institutions and systems. As such, this final report public ...
This paper presents the results of the first phase of the “Quality Assurance Fit for the Future” (QA-FIT) project, which aims to map the state of play of quality assurance in the EHEA and to criti ...
Members of the Global University Associations Forum (GUAF) have released a joint statement on the topic of the UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education ...
The European University Association (EUA) and swissuniversities welcome the Swiss Federal Council and the European Commission’s respective adoption of final mandates for negotiations between Switzer ...
On 27 March, the European Commission published a new higher education package, including proposals for Council Recommendations on a European recognition and quality assurance (QA) system and attractiv ...
As of 1 March, four new members start their mandate on the body which provides strategic guidance to EUA’s Learning & Teaching activities. ...
On 6-7 February 2024, an EUA-led project which aims to analyse, and strengthen related institutional capacity and strategies for staff development and academic assessment at European higher education ...
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the gender disparities in university leadership. This article, presenting the latest data and trends in female leadership in EUA membe ...
The 2019 European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) is taking place this week at Technical University Berlin in Germany. More than 500 participants are attending the event, which runs from 21-23 November ...
The EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) brought together 225 participants on 7 and 8 June to discuss excellence through diversity in doctoral education. Hosted by the University of Ljubljana, ...
The European University Association has urged the European Commission to be mindful of not letting the notion of protection stand in the way of dialogue between a multitude of actors, both within Euro ...
The European University Association (EUA) is pleased to become a supporting organisation for the More Than Our Rank initiative, promoted by the International Network of Research Management Societies ( ...
On 15 September 2022, the European Commission published the third Call for proposals in advanced digital skills under the DIGITAL Europe Programme. ...
In 2022, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), will celebrate its 70th anniversary. ...
EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP), a quality assurance agency that supports universities in enhancing their strategic leadership and ability to manage change, is now accepting registrat ...
EUA welcomed three new members to the EUA Learning & Teaching Steering Committee on 1 March. ...
The current standstill in the association of Switzerland to the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes is disadvantageous for both Switzerland and the European Union in terms of lost opportunities. ...
In 2018 EQAR established a database of higher education institutions and programmes that have been subject to external quality assurance by a quality assurance agency, DEQAR (Database for External Qua ...
The secretariat of the Education Department of the Council of Europe launched a call for applications for the Best Practice Programme in Promoting Academic Integrity. The deadline for applications is ...
The Norwegian section of Scholars at Risk organises the event “Ten Years of Protecting Academic Freedom - What will the Future Bring?” to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The event will take plac ...
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation opened the applications period for the 10th call of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative. ...
The Education Department of the Council of Europe launched the application period for Best Practice Programme in Promoting Academic Integrity during Covid-19, open until 20 August. ...
EUROSTUDENT organises the EUROSTUDENT VII final conference online on 18 and 19 May 2021. Registrations are now open and free of charge. ...
Magna Charta Observatory and the Global Student Forum organise the free webinar “Involving students effectively – what happens and how it improves universities: international perspectives” on 19 ...
The STREAM online training platform, which provides training materials based on the European Recognition Manual for Higher Education Institutions (EAR-HEI manual), is open for a second round of t ...
Sustainable learning and teaching was at the centre of the 2020 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Groups, which have wrapped up their cycle of work. ...
Coventry University’s Centre for Global Learning: Education and Attainment (GLEA) organises the online conference “Reconstructing education through a global lens” on 2 – 6 November 2020. ...
The fourth edition of the G3 Quality Symposium will take place on 28 – 30 October 2020 at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels. ...
The Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education is looking for international evaluators to take part in the upcoming evaluation and accreditation procedures at Slovak universities and schools of ...
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) organises the final dissemination seminar of the Erasmus+ Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit 2 (REACT) project on 17 January 2020 in B ...
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) organises a webinar on 19 November from 12:00 to 14:00 to present the results of the testing performed at higher education institutions ...
The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) Secretariat has launched both the External Quality Assurance Providers (EQAPs) and Internal Quality Assurance (IQ ...
EUA member Utrecht University will host the annual conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) 8-11 November 2023. The event will take place at the Ra ...
To facilitate networking and collaborative projects The University of Crete Teaching and Learning Centre, in Greece, is currently in the process of creating an international map of Teaching and Learni ...
The International Conference on Faculty Development “Developing Faculty members’ Pedagogical Acuity” will take place at EUA member University of Crete on 15-17 September 2023 in Rethymnon, Greec ...
Representatives of higher education institutions in countries that are a member of the Thematic Peer Group B on the Lisbon Recognition Convention are invited to fill in a survey gathering real-life ex ...
The Media & Learning Association’s 10th annual conference is back in Leuven, Belgium on 20-21 June 2023. ...
The Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) of the European Commission is currently conducting a consultation on the feasibility of developing a European framework for att ...
The “Open Science – From Policy to Practice” conference will take place in Stockholm on 16-17 May and will highlight different perspectives of shaping, implementing and embedding Open Science. ...
For the second time around, EUA member WU Vienna (Vienna University of Economics and Business) will host its Seamless Learning Conference from 20 – 21 April 2023. ...
The UNESCO World Higher Education Conference takes place from 18 to 20 May 2022 in Barcelona, the first such event since 2009, when the WHEC was held in Paris. ...
On 18 January 2022, the European Commission launched a new higher education package, including a European Strategy for Universities and a Commission proposal for a Council recommendation on transnatio ...
EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) is now accepting registrations for the 2021/2022 round. ...
On 14 February, Frédérique Vidal, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, announced plans to order the French research agency (CNRS) to conduct an enquiry into French universi ...
The South African government has expressed its ambition to substantially increase the number of doctoral graduates by 2030. Graduates will be prepared for a world that is more connected in both cultur ...
Welcome to HigherEd in Practice, a podcast series from the European University Association. In this series, we introduce you to selected practices in European higher education, covering teacher traini ...
The call for contributions for the 2025 European Learning & Teaching Forum is now open. ...
What would it actually mean if ‘Brussels’ had more of a say on education policy? EUA’s Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik weighs in on the resurging debate on whether the EU has the power it needs to foster ...
To map approaches to staff development at European HEIs, and analyse how they work in their respective environments, the STAFF-DEV consortium invites contributions through a survey. ...
As universities move many activities online in the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis, doctoral schools face unique challenges. EUA-CDE Head Alexander Hasgall discusses the impact on early-career research ...
To achieve lasting impact and shape the future in a positive direction, foresight must go hand-in-hand with strategic decision-making. In Research Europe, EUA’s Policy Coordination and Foresight tea ...
After decades of transformative reforms, universities appear more streamlined and effective. However, Bjørn Stensaker argues that it should not be taken for granted that internal restructuring and im ...
Reflecting on progress made in the enhancement of quality, transparency and mobility over the past two decades, early findings from the QA-FIT project provide some noteworthy insights into the sector ...
FAIR data is an essential component of the open research ecosystem. In this article, Alexander Refsum Jensenius argues that "FAIRification" can also benefit research-based and research-led education, ...
Commenting on the launch of EUA’s Green Deal roadmap for universities, EUA’s Sergiu-Matei Lucaci notes in Research Europe that driving sustainability means reshaping teaching, operations, strategy ...
In the run up to the European University Association’s first pan-European Learning and Teaching Forum in Paris 28-29 September, we speak to Professor Jean Chambaz, a European University Association ...
In line with Emmanuel Macron’s speech and discussions at the recent Social Summit in Gothenburg, let’s put education at the heart of a more social and prosperous Europe, argue Michael Gaebel and T ...
When we think of how Europe can best invest in research and innovation, we often instinctively foresee putting our money behind new scientific discoveries and technological devices engineered to bette ...
Since the beginning of time scientific research has been based on exchanges between peers: personal letters, books, articles in specialised journals. But the last 70 years have seen a burst in this se ...
With nearly 40 per cent of Europeans aged 30-34 now holding tertiary qualifications, universities have their work cut out delivering good learner-paced education to increasingly large and diverse popu ...
With the academic year now in full swing, and most university rankings published – the latest being the US News and World Report’s 2019 Best Global Universities ranking on 30 October – higher ed ...
By Tia Loukkola, Director of Institutional Development and senior quality assurance expert at the European University Association. In Europe, quality assurance has made major strides since the beginn ...
Recognition of study and qualifications are key for people to move freely to study and work in Europe. However there are challenges to get recognition properly working. EUA’s Tia Loukkola addresses ...
The EUA Thematic Peer Group on the evaluation of learning and teaching has enhanced a student partnership project at Queen’s University, Belfast. Claire Dewhirst, chair of the Thematic Peer Group, e ...
The continuous development of teaching competences needs commitment at all levels. It is a systematic process that requires a framework for teaching performance, a professionalisation body, preferably ...
The need to better professionalise academic teaching careers is now on the agenda of more and more universities in Europe. Iwona Maciejowska from Jagiellonian University explains why these universitie ...
Higher education institutions have been and are investing in finding a better balance between the valorisation of teaching and research. The example of KU Leuven, in Belgium, shows that even though an ...
New approaches to quality assurance in different regions of the world are contributing to a global dimension in the field. EUA’s Tia Loukkola takes note of frameworks in Africa, Asia and Europe, exa ...
The relationship between higher education institutions and society, as well as between learning and teaching, is evolving. This is driven by the changing ways in which students learn, different types ...
A higher education institution’s graduates reflect the achievement of intended learning outcomes as well as successful learning and teaching practices. Jurgita Vizgirdaite from the Kaunas University ...
As discussions are underway at the European Learning & Teaching Forum, EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives an overview of the extensive work taking place in the field, including reports, lessons learnt by ...
Student-centered and active learning are a necessity for European universities to remain relevant to young people and society. Cecilia Christersson and Patricia Staaf of Malmö University discuss the ...
Research-based education is happening in Europe, but there are clear challenges with how it is defined and understood. Bjørn Stensaker from the University of Oslo breaks down the topic and makes some ...
The University of Jyväskylä in Finland is redefining the role of language and communication skills in curriculum development and aiming to educate multilingual academic professionals. A university-w ...
Addressing the lack of recognition for the value of effective teaching requires more than making participation in teaching enhancement yet another requirement for academics, writes EUA Director, Highe ...
Quality assurance and the enhancement of learning and teaching are no longer exclusively the responsibility of those with the explicit responsibilities attached to their job titles. As EUA’s Tia Lou ...
The shift to a student-centered education system has implied disruptive change in learning and teaching. Roberta Moscon from the University of Trento discusses how more higher education institutions a ...
An interview with Michael Gaebel.In 2013, a European Commission high-level expert group report pointed to the fact that in all areas of education becoming a teacher usually requires formalised pedagog ...
A recent EUA study stresses that contributing to innovation in society is a central mission of today’s higher education institutions. EUA’s Tia Loukkola examines the role of quality assurance in t ...
External quality assurance reports are publicly available, demonstrating transparency and building trust and confidence in the quality of higher education. As EQAR’s Colin Tück explains, a new data ...
Reports produced by quality assurance agencies can be used in many ways, including in policy-making. As EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, there is much room for bettering the accessibility and use of inf ...
European higher education has made tremendous progress since the Bologna Declaration. As EUA President Michael Murphy writes, there is much to celebrate, but still much to achieve in ensuring the sect ...
How can universities frame their internal quality assurance and shake up the image of the bureaucratic burden? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives us three approaches and tells us why the most effective proces ...
Numerous cases of positive change in higher education systems can be attributed to EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP). As IEP celebrates its 25th anniversary, Andrée Sursock looks back ...
The European Universities Initiative is a great opportunity to deepen collaboration and revive the debate about necessary system level reforms. However, it is important to be aware of the risks. EUA ...
The Global Convention on Recognition will provide a strong instrument for higher education institutions in dealing with the increasing global mobility of students. Allan Bruun Pedersen, Vice-President ...
Will quality assurance as we know it remain relevant amid the changing higher education landscape? What changes are needed? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives an overview of the diverse questions to be addres ...
The quality of student assessment is one of the major concerns in Europe’s universities. Emmanuel Sylvestre from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland discusses the issues related to student ass ...
This year, EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) marks 25 years since its foundation. Tatjana Volkova, Chair of IEP Steering Committee, and EUA expert Anna Gover reflect on the benefits tha ...
As societies transform, diversity is becoming a key concern for higher education institutions across Europe, impacting learning and teaching, research and institutional cultures. EUA’s Thomas E. Jø ...
Cross-border quality assurance has been slow in the making over the past two decades. However, as EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, a new political context in Europe and the launch of new networks and co ...
Why should universities collect formative data at the course level if they aim to make evidence-based improvements in learning and teaching? Murat Sözer and Zuhal Zeybekoğlu from the Koç University ...
Internationalisation of the learning experience within higher education is becoming progressively important with an increased emphasis on non-mobile domestic students. With increased attention to sust ...
The Erasmus+ Programme prescribes affirmative action in favour of disadvantaged students. Unfortunately, it works much less effectively than the European Commission intends. Howard Davies discusses a ...
Learning is the core of education, and curriculum design is the key to learning. It combines all dimensions of university education and contributes significantly to its quality. This is, however, easi ...
Research assessment practices are becoming more accurate, transparent and responsible. This is partly due to the sharp increase in external evaluations of universities that lead to internal evaluation ...
The importance of learning outcomes has gained traction at Europe’s universities in recent years. The topic is also important in sectors beyond higher education, but often with a different purpose. ...
What would be the most effective way forward for universities to promote social dimension in their respective contexts? EUA expert Tia Loukkola discusses the role that quality assurance can play and i ...
As the coronavirus pandemic impacts the global economy, funding for universities is bound to take a hit. EUA’s Thomas Estermann explains what the crisis means for the higher education sector in Euro ...
The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the renewed importance of universities’ civic engagement, whether it takes the form of a direct contribution to healthcare, research on the virus, or explaining ...
Confinement due to the coronavirus is a great challenge for the international mobility of researchers and students, but international collaboration remains crucial for universities. EUA experts Thomas ...
The Bologna Follow-up Group has developed a new strategic document that defines ten principles and guidelines to strengthen the social dimension of higher education in Europe. Ninoslav Scukanec Schmid ...
The role of students in universities is changing and should change. With an increasing focus on skills building and individual learning paths, students can no longer passively receive education. Nina ...
As universities across Europe move to online learning and teaching amid the coronavirus crisis, questions might arise about what steps may be needed to ensure quality. EUA expert Tia Loukkola explains ...
In the July 2019 edition of the EU-LAC Newsletter, Federica Mogherini, then the High Representative of the European Union, wrote that “Although separated by geography, Europe and Latin America are c ...
In Georgia, higher education institutions traditionally offered classroom learning and teaching before the Covid-19 crisis. The state of emergency changed this as universities quickly switched to onli ...
Almost 90% of European higher education institutions moved online in April and May due to the Covid-19 crisis. This would not have been possible some ten years ago. EUA expert Michael Gaebel gives a b ...
In this in-depth analysis of the lessons presented by the Covid-19 crisis for universities, EUA President Michael Murphy delves into the question of what universities might do differently now to grow ...
In recent years, a series of new international university rankings have come into the spotlight. Their focus differs from those of more established, comprehensive rankings in that they aim to highligh ...
The idea of a European degree is fascinating and attractive, but it also raises many conceptual and practical questions. What does a European degree mean? How would it differ from the current degrees ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) have led to major developments, however there are now proposals for revisions. EUA expert Tia Loukkola lo ...
Micro-credentials are growing exponentially in popularity, attracting the interest of various stakeholders due to their flexibility and ability to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labour market. ...
Learning outcomes are increasingly used in qualifications frameworks and quality assurance processes. As such, they aim to secure and foster public trust among education providers. Yet, against the ba ...
Change is in the air. The Covid-19 crisis has turned our lives upside down, but well before this happened there was already a palpable feeling that today’s challenges are changing society in unpredi ...
The European Commission should learn from the Bologna process, which has shown how universities can work together with policymakers to bring about meaningful education reform, argues Tia Loukkola. Th ...
As reflected by the European Green Deal, the environmental revolution is likely the main challenge of the 21st century. And it is a great opportunity for Europe to take the lead. But, according to Kar ...
Fair recognition in the European Higher Education Area can only be fully achieved if practices in higher education institutions are more systematically addressed. As Jenneke Lokhoff at Nuffic points o ...
The radical digitalisation of higher education due to the Covid-19 crisis offers an opportunity to engage in deeper institutional change addressing the digital and green transitions. As Natalia Timus ...
In a rapidly-changing labour market, how can students be prepared to be citizens of the world, as well as the future job creators and workers? Wyn Morgan and Catherine O’Mahony look at the definitio ...
In this article, the EUA Secretary General contributes to UIIN’s newly released “The Future Universities Thoughtbook - Universities During Times of Crisis”. She analyses how universities have ri ...
We enter into a New Year, a world more enriched and more impoverished than just 12 months ago. We have endured great loss of life, a heavy burden of illness and deep economic shock. Yet, lessons from ...
Gathering feedback is a key element in internal quality assurance. However, “closing the feedback loop” requires acting on the data gathered and informing respondents about the subsequent actions ...
When Covid-19 forced universities to quickly switch to online and blended learning and teaching, the European University Association was already deep into the preparation of a study on the topic. This ...
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the European University Association, Andrée Sursock analyses two decades of transformation and renewal in Europe’s higher education landscape, and charts ...
On the occasion of EUA’s 20th anniversary, President Michael Murphy and long-time senior expert and Director Michael Gaebel look back at two decades of global university collaboration. Offering a br ...
The Covid-19 crisis has led to a widening of the scope and role of internal quality assurance at universities and a shifting of the focus of evaluation practices. With the challenge of ensuring the qu ...
Higher education graduates are faced with an ever-growing expectation to be digitally apt and well versed in an international environment. As Aloys Krieg of RWTH Aachen University points out, these to ...
A new EUA study reveals that higher education institutions in Europe are highly engaged in activities that address environmental challenges and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ...
The European Commission aims at developing a “European strategy for universities” to strengthen synergies between teaching, research, innovation and service to society by better linking related Eu ...
The quality-led rationale of digitalisation in learning and teaching slowly moves back onto the agenda of higher education institutions – accelerated and enriched by experiences resulting from the C ...
European countries have made strides in establishing the right framework conditions to facilitate the recognition of qualifications. However, as this University World News article points out, there is ...
External quality assurance across the European Higher Education Area is highly diverse. EQAR’s Melinda Szabo maps the situation through the rich datasets of the Database of External Quality Assuranc ...
As learning pathways are increasingly international, the recognition of qualifications and credits obtained abroad is a key issue for countries and higher education institutions. Sebastian Bruque from ...
This piece by Oliver Vettori of the Vienna University of Economics and Business analyses the tightrope walk of university leadership. It points out the importance of getting experts to agree on a way ...
As we look forward towards a future of “Universities without walls”, this article by EUA President Michael Murphy points out that universities need better and coordinated communication of their wo ...
On the occasion of EUA’s 20th anniversary, Cardiff University President and Vice-Chancellor Colin Riordan analyses the role of the Association in a changing world. The piece highlights that while so ...
The concept of leadership in teaching is not easy to pin down. Drawing from the LOTUS project, EUA expert Thérèse Zhang explores two definitions and highlights the roles that leaders in teaching cou ...
A successful curriculum is interdependent with a successful assessment. Manuel João Costa from the University of Minho emphasises the importance of institutions understanding their own assumptions ab ...
We must fundamentally address how to shape learning in the digital transformation. Breaking down the “Hagen Manifesto on New Learning”, Annabel Bils from FernUniversität explains why now is the t ...
EUA recently conducted an internal study mapping the impact of its learning and teaching activities. This article offers insights into the findings and how they might be useful to institutional, natio ...
Current assessment practices do not reflect what students know, understand and what they can do. A new assessment literacy that emphasises evidence-based instruction and self-regulation in student lea ...
Micro-credentials are expected to widen participation in higher education by supporting inclusion and facilitating access to education. They are also expected to close the skills gaps in the labour ma ...
Plan can boost international collaboration, provided member states engage, say Thomas Jørgensen and Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik.On 18 January, the European Commission launched a new policy strategy f ...
The European University Association reflect on the Commission’s latest package of higher education proposals.The European Commission’s new higher education package is welcomed by Europe’s univer ...
National, system-level initiatives can support and enhance learning and teaching, as highlighted in the study National Developments in Learning and Teaching in Europe. While higher education instituti ...
The European University Association’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) has outstanding experience in conducting institutional evaluations. Here, our quality assurance experts Elena Cirlan an ...
Achieving and maintaining compliance with internationally accepted recognition procedures is a necessary task for higher education institutions. EUA Senior Adviser Howard Davies highlights rapid chang ...
Enhancing the social dimension of higher education has been a central pillar of the Bologna Process since its inception. The Rome Communiqué of 2020 and Erasmus+ 2021-2027 both place inclusion firmly ...
The emotional health of students in Europe is receiving increased attention. Here, Valérie Van Hees and Ronny Bruffaerts reflect on the existing European landscape and introduce a new project to supp ...
If we want universities to make a leap in transnational cooperation, policymakers must take their own leap in implementing reforms that work towards creating the necessary framework conditions. In Res ...
Martin Prchal expands the debate on teaching and learning to how institutions should see themselves as learners in their continuous endeavours to improve the learning experience of their students. Her ...
Collaborative teaching is finally gaining momentum in and between European universities. But what tangible benefits does this offer to teachers and their institutions? Here, Joan-Tomàs Pujolà outlin ...
As places of teaching and learning, how can universities tangibly create a culture of togetherness and well-being? Here, Jochen Schellinger explains Bern University of Applied Sciences’ efforts to d ...
Can, and should, quality assurance play a greater role in ensuring that common academic values are respected? EUA’s Maria Kelo examines recent debates on the scope of QA in higher education. Qualit ...
Beyond getting the technology in place, digitally enhanced learning and teaching (DELT) in higher education requires considerable resources and engagement, strategy and leadership. In this article for ...
The AI debate goes much further than cheating on exams or generating texts for scientific articles; it is also about university values. For University World News, EUA’s Thomas Jørgensen explores th ...
Digital transitions pervade every aspect of our lives, but some university teachers still appear reluctant to develop their digital competences. For Barbara Bruschi and Manuela Repetto, it is urgent t ...
Does artificial intelligence pose a threat to learning and teaching? Heli Harrikari argues that AI should be seen as part of broader, fast accelerating digitalisation of higher education and can provi ...
For Elizabeth Gadd, it is time for the higher education sector to think carefully about the effects of global university rankings. To explain why, she responds to three simple questions. The perverse ...
The Staff development for learning and teaching at European universities (STAFF-DEV) project aims to analyse how staff development and academic assessment are conducted at European higher education in ...
The Inspireurope+ project works to coordinate and strengthen support in Europe for researchers at risk. It runs from September 2022 to August 2025, building on the work undertaken by the previous Insp ...
The Global University Associations Forum (GUAF) is a platform for dialogue, cooperation and joint action. Established in 2021, it brings together leaders of university associations representing major ...
The Quality Assurance Fit for the Future (QA-FIT) project looks at the design and implementation of internal and external quality assurance in the EHEA in order to reflect on the Standards and Guideli ...
The LOTUS project aims to contribute to capacity building and strategic change management for learning and teaching at higher education institutions across Europe. The project also aims to discuss and ...
The DIGI-HE project explores different ways higher education institutions can boost their strategic approaches to digitally enhanced learning and teaching and enhance their capacity. The goal is to e ...
InSPIREurope is a Europe-wide initiative to support researchers who are at risk due to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence. Funded under the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Cu ...
The INVITED project aims to support universities in developing and strategies towards equity, diversity and inclusion. It also seeks to promote dialogue between stakeholders at the system level in ord ...
The University of Barcelona (Coordinator) and the European University Association (EUA) comprise the consortium ‘SPHERE’ (Support and Promotion for Higher Education Reform Experts), an initiative ...
The EFFECT project aims to facilitate the exchange of experience and effective methods in terms of university teachers’ development at the European level. By drawing upon such good practices, it wil ...
A follow-up to a Europe-Latin American university leadership conference that EUA held in São Paulo in 2012, this project aimed at exploring strategies for better policy dialogue and cooperation betwe ...
The EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Groups gather a selected group of EUA member universities each year to discuss and explore practices and lessons learnt in organising and implementing lea ...
Europe is an important safe haven for at-risk academics and students. Providing them with support and enabling them to continue their careers is supporting an integral part of European universities’ ...
Equity, diversity and inclusion and belonging (EDIB) are important priorities for universities and are also reflected in their broader contribution to society. At many institutions, EDIB has become f ...
European support to the Ukrainian higher education community SSince the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022, the European higher education and research community has con ...
The Bologna Process is an intergovernmental higher education reform process launched in 1999 that includes 48 European countries and a number of European organisations, including EUA. It is dedicated ...
The influence of the digital transition is being felt across large swathes of society. This includes universities in their research, education and innovation missions, but also in their general organi ...
As one of Europe’s most successful initiatives, Erasmus+ is of high importance for the European higher education community. It enables higher education institutional cooperation and provides opportu ...
In parallel to well-established European collaboration in higher education within the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area, the European Union is working towards creating a ...
Universities must drive developments in learning and teaching. This requires close collaboration with all major stakeholder groups, including national and European policy makers. In recent decades, n ...
