Helsinki EU Office’s Post

🎯 The first crop of #EuropeanUniversities alliances have transitioned from lofty declarations to tangible achievements, says Rector Luc Sels of KU Leuven, coordinating partner of Una Europa's rollout project, Una.Futura. But as we round the 5-year mark, what does the future hold for alliances? 3 key takeaways from Luc Sels's opinion piece, published today by Times Higher Education: 🔵 Alliances must continue to build trust between governments and policymakers, even as some EU member states pursue policies that hinder openness 🔵 Research-intensive alliances have a critical role to play in driving R&I-fuelled productivity growth and resilience, as highlighted by the Draghi report, by pooling their strengths and resources 🔵A robust long-term strategy is needed for research-intensive alliances, including funding mechanisms designed to foster transnational ecosystems for knowledge, research and innovation Read in full at Times Higher Education 👉  https://lnkd.in/eWWk93bp #WeAreUnaEuropa

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 Switzerland and the EU. Research is best equipped to preserve and advance Europe’s prosperity, security and core values when it has reliable structures for collaborating with like-minded partners in #Research & #Innovation. This is especially true with partners that have an excellent research and education landscape and share the same core values in academic freedom, research ethics and democracy. With the current geopolitical climate and growing concerns around knowledge security, it is more important than ever to focus on what we have in common instead of what divides us. The current negotiation package includes an agreement that should lead to the association of Switzerland to European research, innovation and education programmes, namely #HorizonEurope and #ErasmusPlus. In a transition phase for 2024, researchers in Switzerland can again apply for prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants. EUA and swissuniversities underline their common aspiration for full association of Switzerland to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, which would provide much needed clarity to the European R&I and higher education sector: https://bit.ly/3VSAnVo Josep M. Garrell, Luciana Vaccaro

How can universities and policy makers work together to shape a strong, open and future-proof Europe? 📜🌟🌍📖 As part of the European University Association’s ‘Universities and the future of Europe’ (#UniFE) project, earlier this year the Association developed some key messages for the 2024-2029 mandate of the EU institutions, following the European elections in June 2024. To ensure that Europe has the knowledge base it needs to proactively shape its future, we must: 1. Strengthen the European multilateral framework for cooperation in higher education, #research and #innovation. 🤝🎓🔬💡 2. Enhance the effectiveness of the European multilevel governance system. 📊⚙️🇪🇺 3. Introduce a ‘university check’ prior to developing EU legislation to avoid harmful effects on education and R&I. ✅🏫📜 4. Budget for ambitious higher education, research and innovation and ensure that the 3% investment target for R&I and the 2% target for higher education are met. 💶🎓📈 5. Promote universities’ global role as responsible bridge-builders and knowledge brokers, with international openness as default option for EU programmes and a fine-grained approach to risk assessment. 🌍📚🔓 6. Uphold the core values of institutional autonomy and #academicfreedom as a prerequisite for universities’ service to society. 🏫💼 7. Develop physical and virtual infrastructure and regulatory initiatives that facilitate cooperation across borders for the entire European continent. 🏗️🌐🔧 8. Establish dedicated funding for university #leadershipdevelopment to unleash universities’ transformative potential and enable transnational university cooperation. 💰🎓🌍🤝 ‘A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities’ describes how - as independent actors – universities can best serve society and contribute to addressing global challenges, while listing the framework conditions they need to thrive. Read it at https://lnkd.in/gZFYbk37 #highereducation #FutureofEurope #UNIFE #EducationPolicy

On Tuesday, May 14th, the rectors of applied universities met with Sandra Särav, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Marie Allikmaa, Head of the Entrepreneurship Department, and Marian Vares, Advisor for Education and Labor Market. The central theme was the importance of a long-term internationalization strategy from the perspectives of higher education quality, the economy, and the labor market. Are international students welcome in Estonia? Which countries do we want to attract them from? Will their career paths lead to the Estonian labor market? How can we learn from the experiences of neighboring countries? Open discussions on the national internationalization perspective are needed. This will help not only employers but also applied universities to set their long-term goals. Thank you for a meaningful meeting and future collaboration! Marie Allikmaa, Marian Vares, Piret Reinus, Enno Lend, Rector of Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, Sandra Särav, Ulla Preeden, Rector of Tartu Health Care College, and Andrus Pedai, Rector of Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences #RKRN #highereducationstartegy #internationalization #labormarketneeds

How do you create responsible and reciprocal partnerships between Nordic and African academic institutions? 🌍 That was the topic of a webinar this week arranged by the Nordic Five Tech taskforce on Africa and with leaders and experts from 3 different African and Nordic countries. Here are some of the points from the discussion: 👉 Partnerships are the 17th SDG and the foundation of so much of our work, not only within the academic world. 👉 In a good partnership, we are partners from the beginning and not the end. African universities should not be treated as mere data providers but be included in the co-creation process. It’s not just a matter of knowledge or technology transfer but proper collaboration. 👉 A good partnership can both influence policy decisions and create future leaders. It’s transformative and not merely transactional. 👉 There is a great need for systemic change in the global academic world in order to deal with the enormous deficit in knowledge production within and between different parts of the world. That includes more funding for student and faculty exchange between Africa and Europe. 👉 African academic leaders are moving ahead when it comes to sustainable and social consciousness and the crucial decolonisation that needs to take place in knowledge production. A huge thank you to the speakers and the audience: • Stefan Östlund, Vice President of International Relations at KTH in Sweden • Dr Sylvie Mucyo, Vice Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic • Francis Mulaa, Deputy Vice Chancellor at University of Nairobi • Riina Subra, Senior Manager at Aalto Global Engagement • Nina Wormbs, Prof. in the History of Technology at KTH, Sweden • Annika Surmeier, Senior Lecturer and Academic Director at University of Cape Town • Hilde Refstie, Associate Prof. in Geography at NTNU in Norway Thank you to the whole Nordic Five Tech task force: Erika Svensson Rössner, Patrick Reurink and Anna Bjornberg-Michelsson. For more information and the recording of the webinar: https://lnkd.in/dmA7dP2c #partnerships #academicpartnerships #responsibleinternationalization #nordicfivetech #nordics #africa

This is a pivotal year for the future of Europe, as well as that of its universities. On the occasion of the last day of the #EUelections2024, we would like to remind you of the key messages EUA has developed for the 2024-2029 mandate of the EU institutions, as part of its ‘Universities and the future of Europe’ (#UniFE) project. To ensure that Europe has the knowledge base it needs to proactively shape its future, we must: 1. Strengthen the European multilateral framework for cooperation in higher education, #research and #innovation. 2. Enhance the effectiveness of the European multilevel governance system. 3. Introduce a ‘university check’ prior to developing EU legislation to avoid harmful effects on education and R&I. 4. Budget for ambitious higher education, research and innovation and ensure that the 3% investment target for R&I and the 2% target for higher education are met. 5. Promote universities’ global role as responsible bridge-builders and knowledge brokers, with international openness as default option for EU programmes and a fine-grained approach to risk assessment. 6. Uphold the core values of institutional autonomy and #academicfreedom as a prerequisite for universities’ service to society. 7. Develop physical and virtual infrastructure and regulatory initiatives that facilitate cooperation across borders for the entire European continent. 8. Establish dedicated funding for university #leadershipdevelopment to unleash universities’ transformative potential and enable transnational university cooperation. ‘A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities’ describes how - as independent actors – universities can best serve society and contribute to addressing global challenges, while listing the framework conditions they need to thrive. Read it at https://lnkd.in/gZFYbk37 #highereducation #EUElections #FutureofEurope #UseYourVote

How can universities and policy makers work together to shape a strong, open and future-proof Europe? As part of the European University Association’s ‘Universities and the future of Europe’ (#UniFE) project, the Association has developed key messages for the 2024-2029 mandate of the EU institutions following the European elections in June 2024. To ensure that Europe has the knowledge base it needs to proactively shape its future, we must: 1. Strengthen the European multilateral framework for cooperation in higher education, #research and #innovation. 2. Enhance the effectiveness of the European multilevel governance system. 3. Introduce a ‘university check’ prior to developing EU legislation to avoid harmful effects on education and R&I. 4. Budget for ambitious higher education, research and innovation and ensure that the 3% investment target for R&I and the 2% target for higher education are met. 5. Promote universities’ global role as responsible bridge-builders and knowledge brokers, with international openness as default option for EU programmes and a fine-grained approach to risk assessment. 6. Uphold the core values of institutional autonomy and #academicfreedom as a prerequisite for universities’ service to society. 7. Develop physical and virtual infrastructure and regulatory initiatives that facilitate cooperation across borders for the entire European continent. 8. Establish dedicated funding for university #leadershipdevelopment to unleash universities’ transformative potential and enable transnational university cooperation. ‘A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities’ describes how - as independent actors – universities can best serve society and contribute to addressing global challenges, while listing the framework conditions they need to thrive. Read it at https://lnkd.in/gZFYbk37 #highereducation #EUElections #FutureofEurope #euelections2024 #UNIFE

📢 News from Brussels: On 17 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the Commissioners-designate and their portfolios. 🇪🇺 Education, research, and innovation are now split between different Commissioners. Roxana Mînzatu is set to become Executive Vice-President for People, Skills, and Preparedness. 🎓✍️ Under this portfolio, the Romanian politician will be responsible for the European Education Area, the European Universities Initiative, and Erasmus+. Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s nominee, Ekaterina Zaharieva, is Commissioner-designate for Startups, Research, and Innovation. 🔬 💡 This ambitious portfolio includes delivering a European Research Area Act and a European Innovation Act. Prior to the announcement, the European University Association advocated for keeping the #education, research, and innovation portfolios together. As they are now divided, there will be an increased need for policy coordination across fields within the Commission and with stakeholders like EUA. 🔄🤝 In the coming months, Commissioners-designate will be questioned by parliamentarians before the Commission is approved by the European Parliament. EUA will closely monitor this process, hoping the hearings will clarify coordination between the proposed Commissioners and their vision for these critical portfolios. 🔍👥 Useful links and downloads in our dedicated news article: https://bit.ly/4eu9AoE #highereducation #research #innovation #EuropeanUniversities #ErasmusPlus #EUResearchArea

Did you miss the webinar Fostering Responsible and Reciprocal Partnerships with African Institutions? 📺 Recording and slides will be available here: https://lnkd.in/dHxe5A3m

While participating in the inauguration of the United States-Mexico Forum, organized by the Center for U.S-Mexico Studies at the University of California (UC) in San Diego, our Rector, Dr. Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, recalled that data from the International Organization for Migration reveal that migrant deaths at the border between both countries increased in 2022, emphasizing that "this is a situation that demands comprehensive and humanitarian solutions." He emphasized that "the National Autonomous University of Mexico, committed to excellence in public higher education and international cooperation, will participate in this summit reaffirming a shared conviction that education is a fundamental tool for truly free, peaceful, just, and equal societies". He expressed that the forum should be a space for honest and constructive exchange, where experts can find comprehensive and sustainable solutions to shared concerns. It should also be a place where the spirit and nature of collaboration between universities from both countries are reinforced. "Through collaboration between universities and research centers, we foster not only innovation and the generation of new knowledge but also mutual understanding, constructive dialogue, and respect between cultures," the rector pointed out. And added that the relationship of the National University with American higher education institutions has been particularly rich and multidimensional for over a century. Finally, Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas emphasized that through a network of 12 campuses on three continents and eight countries—including three Centers for Mexican Studies and two Extension Schools in the United States—this educational institution expands its geographical presence and disseminates its influence and vision, increasing and strengthening connections between Mexico and the world.