Welcome to EURASHE Insights bringing you information on what happened in the past month and our new projects and activities to come. |
|
SMART UAS IN SMART REGIONS: BASQUE COUNTRY EXPERIENCE |
EURASHE, in cooperation with the independent group of experts Friends of Smart Specialisation, organised the online event “Smart UAS in Smart Regions: increasing the strategic cooperation between Professional Higher Education and regions in Europe”.
The second webinar of this online series focused its attention on the Basque Country, addressing, on the one hand, the national context related to the Smart Specialisation Strategy – hereafter S3 – and, on the other hand, the role that professional higher education institutions played in the design, implementation and monitoring of their regions’ S3. The case study for this session was presented by EURASHE member Mondragon University.
The panel discussion suggested that PHEIs should be very flexible, adaptive to changes, proactive and reactive to the existing opportunities. The speakers also highlighted the importance to attract private investment to research, innovation and development. While the Government is investing in research to make the industry more competitive, companies should also invest more in themselves.
The speakers also mentioned fostering the attractiveness of STEAM studies and engagement of women in this field.
The event was moderated by Richard Tuffs, a co-founder of Friends of Smart Specialisation.
The recording of the webinar is available here.
|
|
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2021-2023 EURASHE BOARD MEMBERS |
EURASHE invites its full members to nominate candidates for the election of nine Board members for mandates of 2 years. The elections will take place at the upcoming General Assembly on 19 May 2021.
Immediately after the election of the Board members the new Board will convene and seek the candidacy among its members for the positions of the President and two Vice-Presidents. The General assembly will then elect, from the candidates nominated by the Board, the President and Vice-Presidents of EURASHE for their 2-year mandate.
Candidacies should be submitted by 31 March 2021 to Michal Karpíšek, Secretary-General, at [email protected].
More information and conditions here.
|
|
SAVE THE DATE: VIRTUAL EURASHE ANNUAL CONFERENCE 20-21 MAY, 2021 |
|
The event will provide participants with an opportunity for online networking and matchmaking, present international projects and national activities.
More information soon here.
|
|
SAVE THE DATE: CONFERENCE ON RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING IN EUROPE |
|
EURASHE, together with its partners from the Recognition of Prior Learning in practice (RPLip) project, will organise the final virtual conference of the project on 16 March 2021 from 9.30 to 14.45 CET on Zoom.
Across Europe, higher education Institutions are focused to contribute to life-long learning, serving our communities and regions. RPL is an essential tool as part of European, national, and institutional responses to the needs of citizens by supporting flexible learning paths.
The event will discuss the core components of successful implementation of RPL in higher education, informed by the project learning:
- Go beyond the individual champion to the systemic strategic, connected and committed Institution;
- The validation friendly system- from learning outcomes to guidelines and procedures building on transparent phases- identification, documentation, assessment.
- Effective peer learning as an enabler for RPL.
The full programme and the registration link will be published in the following weeks on the project's website here.
|
|
FLEMISH COUNCIL OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGES APPOINTS A NEW CHAIRMAN |
Koen Goethals, Director General of HOGENT, has been appointed as a new chairman of the Flemish Council of University Colleges (VLHORA).
A new chairman has an ambitious policy programme for the universities of applied sciences especially in strengthening their position in the higher education sector and enhancing partnerships among the institutions and other partners.
VLHORA is a member of EURASHE since 1991.
More information (NL) here. |
|
OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WITHIN 'BOLOGNA HUB PEER SUPPORT' PROJECT |
The project “bologna hub peer support” aims at fostering the implementation of the Bologna key commitments and the application of the Bologna tools at higher education institutions (HEI) throughout the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). During two on-site or digital visits, Bologna-experts will provide tailor made counselling to each participating institutions. HEIs which are interested in discussing challenges, exchanging experiences and developing practical reforms jointly with bologna experts, are encouraged to apply for participation in the project.
For further information, please consult the project's website here.
|
|
AN INVITATION TO SIGN THE MAGNA CHARTA UNIVERSITATUM |
The Magna Charta Observatory is the global guardian of fundamental university values. Founded in 1999 by Bologna University and the European University Association on the principles set out in the Magna Charta Universitatum and in the new Magna Charta 2020, it assists universities and higher education systems to operate effectively in accordance with fundamental values for the benefit of students, staff, society, and universities themselves.
Over 900 universities from 88 countries have signed the MCU since 1988, declaring their commitment to the values of institutional autonomy and academic freedom enshrined in that document. You can see here the list of universities in your country that have signed the charter.
- How to sign the Magna Charta Universitatum?
After the Governing Council agreement, you will be invited to the ceremony.
Further information is available here.
|
|
EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND PORTUGUESE PRESIDENCY ORGANISE LAUNCH EVENT FOR HORIZON EUROPE |
The European Commission and the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council have hosted the launch event for Horizon Europe on 2 February 2021.
The event presented the new framework programme for Research and Innovation but also discussed how to ensure synergies between Horizon Europe and Next Generation EU and to prepare for a resilient recovery through a renewed, cohesive and inclusive European Research Area (ERA).
Speakers of the event included Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth; Manuel Heitor, Minister for Science and Technology and Higher Education, Portugal; Maria da Graça Carvalho, Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for partnerships Horizon Europe.
Further information are available here.
|
|
BACK TO NORMAL OR A NEW NORMAL? |
by Alicia Leonor Sauli Miklavčič, Head of Development at Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges/EURASHE Board member |
Professional Higher Education (PHE) institutions excel for their close partnership with the world of work, being a pillar of research, innovation, and development for their local communities and region. Most PHE curricula consist in at least 60 % of laboratory and/or workshop-based learning and work-based learning (WBL) both representing the major assets of our institutions. So, it is no wonder that Covid-19 measures affected the implementation of PHE to a large extent.
During the first pandemic wave (spring 2020) over 90 % of the theory-based learning was (more or less successfully) provided online. However, the provision of WBL, laboratory and/or workshop-based learning was less than 10 % Europewide. By summer (when the pandemic was concurred) PHE institutions somehow managed to organize the laboratory and WBL parts of curriculum until the end of the study year. Students were enthusiastic to go back to their studies and discovered that in person lectures are beneficial and very much appreciated. We were relieved to have coped with such an unprecedented crisis so triumphantly and were very much looking forward to a well-deserved summer break and a normal new study year as everything was back to normal.
|
|
The European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) represents +600 universities of applied sciences and university colleges, national and sectorial associations of higher education institutions, and other individual institutions, such as universities.
EURASHE’s mission is to strengthen the impact of innovative, high quality professional higher education and related user-oriented research in Europe by representing professional higher education institutions and facilitating their multi-stakeholder cooperation and dialogue.
|
|
RESEARCH & INNOVATION: MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS |
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES DESIGN PHASE OF NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS |
On 18 January, the European Commission officially launched the design phase of the New European Bauhaus initiative, announced by President von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union.
As pointed out by Commissioner Gabriel during her opening remarks, the New European Bahaus aims at developing an innovative framework for the support and acceleration of the transformations envisaged by the European Green Deal, combining sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics.
The objective of the design phase is to start gathering ideas, identifying needs, and connect stakeholders through a co-creation process. On the newly launched website of the New European Bauhaus, interested parties will have the chance to share their ideas, challenges and examples as well as apply to become an official partner of the initiative.
Become an active part of the conversation: check out the New European Bahaus website here.
Read the full speech of Commissioner Gabriel here (in French).
|
|
EURASHE | +32 2 211 41 97 | Ravensteingalerij 27/3, 1000 Brussels, Belgium | www.eurashe.eu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
