News
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19 Feb 2020EUA Learning & Teaching Steering Committee welcomes new members
The 2020 European Learning & Teaching Forum, which took place on 13-14 February and welcomed 250 participants at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, also marked the last event at which the current eight members of the EUA Learning & Teaching Steering Committee were gathered.
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19 Feb 2020Study on international credit mobility for disadvantaged students
EUA has recently conducted a study on the implementation of International Credit Mobility towards disadvantaged students for the European Commission. Under the Support and Promotion for Higher Education Reform Experts initiative (SPHERE), the study addresses the capacity of the Erasmus+ programme to tackle equity and inclusion, by facilitating the access to participants from disadvantaged backgrounds and with fewer opportunities.
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17 Feb 2020Special EU summit: EUA calls for ambitious funding for Horizon Europe and Erasmus+
European Council President Charles Michel called a special European Summit on 20 February to discuss the Multiannual Financial Framework. The negotiations of this seven-year budget are down to the wire and will determine the future of key programmes like Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.
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14 Feb 2020Graduate student arrested in Egypt: EUA calls for immediate release
The University of Bologna, an EUA member, has launched a powerful appeal to the European Union and its member states to take prompt action in the case of Patrick George Zaky, a graduate student at the University of Bologna who was arrested at the Cairo airport on 7 February.
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31 Jan 2020Brexit: EU and UK universities to remain united
On 31 January, with Brexit underway, higher education and research organisations from both sides of the English Channel published a common statement committing to maintain their current relationships. An initiative of Universities UK, 36 major organisations representing science and higher education across the UK and Europe signed the document, including EUA. The statement calls for full association to the future Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes.
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30 Jan 2020Research Data Rights Summit: research-intensive universities around the world unite with common declaration
The Research Data Rights Summit took place in Paris on 27 January. Organised by Sorbonne University, the University of Amsterdam and University College London, all EUA members, the event brought together nine networks of research-intensive universities from around the world.
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18 Dec 2019EUA and fellow stakeholders call on EU Commission to strengthen SDG strategy
On 18 December, 27 organisations – including EUA – have called on the European Commission to strengthen its strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, members of the European Commission’s SDG Stakeholder Platform call for an overarching EU strategy with a comprehensive, targeted and time-bound approach.
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11 Dec 2019Next EU seven-year budget: member states’ math does not add up
In an important new step towards a final decision on the European Union’s financial framework for 2021-2027, the Finnish presidency of the EU Council released its proposal for the bloc’s future budget. Referred to as a “negotiating box”, the proposal includes figures for the overall budget as well as per programme and is intended as a new basis for discussion among heads of government this week in Brussels.
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02 Dec 2019EUA calls for efficient and flexible implementation of Horizon Europe
EUA has issued a statement on the future Model Grant Agreement that is under preparation as part of the Horizon Europe implementation process.
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26 Nov 2019Academic freedom in Turkey: EUA calls for the liberation of former Rector Murat Tuncer
EUA is gravely concerned by reports of academics still being held in prison for having signed the Academics for Peace petition “We Will not be a Party to this Crime”, which addressed the situation in south eastern Turkey.
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21 Nov 2019Seize our common future: latest on long-term EU budget negotiations
In November, EUA published the joint call “Seize our common future”, which it launched with 14 other university networks. The call gathered over 300 signatories, including 25 national university associations. EUA presented the call to both to the outgoing and incoming EU Commissioners for research. EUA has also provided its members with different materials to support the sector’s call for increased EU investment in research and innovation.
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21 Nov 2019Diversity, equity and inclusion: strategic issues for universities
EUA has released a major report on “Diversity, equity and inclusion in European higher education institutions” just days ahead of the second World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED). The report presents a broad picture with data from 159 higher education institutions in 36 European systems gathered through a survey and follow-up interviews. It is part of the INVITED project, a cooperation between EUA and the European University Continuing Education Network (eucen), supported by the European Students’ Union (ESU).
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21 Nov 2019EQAF 2019 – Supporting societal engagement of higher education
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. It focuses on how quality assurance can support higher education institutions in meeting stakeholder expectations and in demonstrating their value to society.
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20 Nov 2019UNESCO General Conference adopts Global Recognition Convention
The UNESCO General Conference has adopted the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, or Global Recognition Convention, as it is more commonly referred to. This document constitutes a culmination of decades of efforts of streamlining recognition practices across continents, and follows in the footsteps of several regional recognition conventions adopted, most notably the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
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20 Nov 2019European Universities Initiative: launch of first alliances and second pilot call
On 7 November the first 17 alliances of the European Universities Initiative were launched in Brussels in the presence of some 800 representatives of universities, university associations, student, national ministries and the European Commission.
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20 Nov 2019Council of the EU: joint meeting of finance and education ministers
On 8 November, the first ever joint meeting of member state education and finance ministers at EU level took place in Brussels. Discussions circled around the contribution of education and training to long-term sustainable growth and policies strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of education systems.
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05 Nov 2019New EUA Secretary General: Board appoints Amanda Crowfoot
The EUA Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Crowfoot as its new Secretary General. She will replace Lesley Wilson, who has led EUA since its foundation.
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17 Oct 2019EUA President meets with next EU Commissioner for Innovation and Youth
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner-designate for Innovation and Youth, was well-received during her official hearing in the European Parliament on 30 September. As the College of Commissioners awaits final approval, Gabriel has already begun meetings with key stakeholders.
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01 Oct 2019Horizon Europe: EUA presents “Seize our common future” call to European Commission
EUA Vice President Paul Boyle represented Europe’s universities at the European R&I Days in Brussels on 24-26 September 2019, speaking on behalf of 800+ EUA members and fourteen partner associations. During an official ceremony, he presented the European Commission with the call “Seize our common future”, advocating for an ambitious European budget for education, research and innovation.
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19 Sep 2019EUA calls on the European Parliament to defend EU investment in R&I in 2020
Update 19/11/2019
On 18 November, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2020. The deal includes more funds for Horizon 2020, successfully reinforcing the programme with an increased focus on climate research. There will be this 13.46bn Euros available for the final year of the programme, representing an increase of 8.8% compared to 2019. This is more than was originally proposed by the Commission and a positive outcome considering previous proposed cuts by the Council. EUA therefore welcomes this positive signal for European R&I and universities.
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