For 2011, EURASHE has received financial support from the European Commission through Jean Monnet Programme – Key Activity 3 - European associations active at European level in the field of education and training.
EURASHE is pleased to report that its 22nd Annual Conference titled “Responding to challenges for European higher education: Lifelong learning and the Welfare Society” was successfully held on 10 & 11 May 2012 in Riga, Latvia.
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| EURASHE’s President, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides (CY), opening the Annual Conference |
The event was hosted by the Banku Augstskola – BA School of Business and Finance (website – our member) at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija, in cooperation with the Danish Rectors’ Conference – University Colleges Denmark (website – our member) and the FLLLEX project (website).
For the first time a really theme-bound conference of EURASHE was organised, which produced a Conference rich in subject specific content. Keynote speakers provided the wider background for the two themes. Joeri van den Steenhoven (NL) reflected on the modernisation of the welfare society and the role of (higher) education in Lifelong learning, social innovation and the welfare society. Jørn Henrik Petersen (DK) discussed a dilemma embedded in all European societies: a weakening of individual responsibility as the State has taken over and the role of the welfare society and (higher) education in this sense.
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| Couch discussion with both Key Note speakers, Jørn Henrik Petersen (DK – left), Joeri van den Steenhoven (NL – middle), and EURASHE’s Vice-President Michal Karpíšek (CZ – right) |
On this occasion the FLLLEX project has also been presented, in particular the instrument which has been developed in order to implement Lifelong Learning strategies in higher education institutions: the FLLLEX-Radar. This is a project initiated and supported by EURASHE, which aims at identifying challenges and implications of the incorporation of Lifelong Learning into European Higher Education institutions.
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| Participants of the Conference in the main Conference room |
More information on the Conference, the presentations delivered by the Speakers, descriptions of the different sessions and much more will be available on the dedicated page of the Conference soon…
EURASHE is pleased to announce that a Conference report will be published in the coming weeks.
Following the Annual Conference a Crosscutting Session on Policy, and the 2012 EURASHE General Assembly have been also organised.
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Learn more on the 22nd Annual Conference on its dedicated page
Read more on previous EURASHE Annual Conferences in the specific section
Learn about the FLLLEX project here
Discover our members here
Read about EURASHE’s 2012 General Assembly here, and the Crosscutting Session on Policy here
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A delegation of EURASHE led by President, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, participated in the Bucharest Ministerial Conference and the 3rd Bologna Policy Forum on 26-27 April. This high-profile biannual event gathered the 47 EHEA Ministers and the stakeholders’ organisations in the Bologna Process for a state of the art HE reform conference, and fixed the agenda for the coming years, whereas additional non-EHEA Ministers and stakeholders also participated in the 3rd Bologna Policy Forum.
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| EURASHE’s President, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides (CY – first row, left) amongst other Heads of Delegation © UEFISCDI |
In the interactive panel discussion in the plenary meeting at the opening of the Ministerial Conference, EURASHE’s President, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, underlined the fact that the relevance of the Bologna Process lies in the fact that it has strengthened the internal cohesion of European HE, while managing to respect its enormous diversity and its proper values, and it put Europe and European HE on the map creating the basis and prospect for a competitive European HE in a global perspective, while enhancing the employment prospects of the European graduates. He stressed the role of stakeholder organisations in implementing the process, which is for EURASHE continuing on the path of fully involving the HE institutions, in support of the welfare society, through knowledge creation and regional development. Stressing also the importance of Quality and Innovation as sine qua non in achieving competitiveness of EHEA, Prof. Orphanides proposed that action programs on Bologna reforms are developed and launched on a European level, promoting, encouraging and supporting the implementation of the reforms via bilateral and multilateral agreements between institutions (and stakeholders).
In the various thematic sessions and discussion groups, EURASHE’s message to the governments and HE stakeholders was passed by EURASHE’s delegation, based on the Association’s input in the Ministerial Communiqué, which was released at the beginning of and endorsed at the conclusion of the conference.
EURASHE favours a higher education that focuses on making graduates employable in a sustainable way, in continuous contact with stakeholders in HE, with the support of a lifelong learning framework and a student-centred approach, and based on a transparent and quality-assured provision of programmes, irrespective of the institutional or country context.
The role of the Bologna tools’ was a recurring theme in EURASHE’s input in both the Communiqué and the Ministerial Conference and Bologna Policy Forum proceedings, with a focus on a student-centred approach, learning outcomes and qualifications frameworks. At the same time we were professing our firm belief that, where the country context allows it, there is a specific role for Universities of Applied Sciences in the creation and practical development of knowledge and its technological applications. This message was also expressed in the joint policy paper with UASNet, “Position paper on Research and Innovation”, which was presented to the Ministers, alongside our overall message for this Conference, “Towards a diversified, responsive and competitive European Higher Education”.
After the conference, President Orphanides participated in the official press conference, together with the Ministers of Romania, Denmark and Armenia, and the President of ESU, where he stressed that the Ministerial Conference was very successful, and he voiced his satisfaction for its major conclusions in relation to EURASHE’s recommendations and proposals.
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| Conference Room - © UEFISCDI |
You can learn more on the EHEA
You can learn more on the BFUG and EURASHE’s involvement
You can learn more on our partner UASnet
You can read our policy paper and position paper in our library
“Erasmus for All” is the new programme proposed by the European Commission on 23 November 2011 for education, training, youth and sport.
The coalition of stakeholders involved in lifelong learning praises the proposed budget of 19 billion EUR while acknowledging that it is a minimum allocation necessary to have a real impact in the current economic crisis and to match the ambitious targets of the Europe 2020 strategy. It also welcomes the commitment to simplify the programme. However it considers that some adjustments could be brought to the proposed Regulation in order to ensure a greater impact and European added value. This concerns the need to reinforce the lifelong learning dimension and the recognition of key and transversal competences and skills gained through non-formal education, to strengthen the complementary aims of learning – active citizenship, social inclusion and employability as equally important.
Furthermore, it is crucial to better acknowledge the importance of civil dialogue and civil society and the support to them. The coalition invites EU institutions to take into account the arguments that underlie each of these statements. It also presents very concrete proposals in order to simplify the management and administration of the future programme. You can read the proposals in the Coalition’s Position Paper on “Erasmus for All”.
EURASHE is a member of the Coalition and supports its goals; it is composed of:
Over the past 18 months, the West of Scotland Colleges' Partnership (WoSCoP) led a transnational team of experts in the field of adult education to undertake two studies aimed at analysing and exploiting the results of two Grundtvig Measures - (i) European Co-operation Projects, Networks and Accompanying Measures and (ii) In-Service Training activities. The results of these extensive studies have just been published and, amongst other things, they highlight examples of interesting and sector-leading practice, provide information and advice on...
DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies Maribor invites you to attend the Dynamic Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth - Promoting sustainable growth for the prosperity and new jobs scientific conference with international attendance that will be organised on 7 and 8 May 2012 at the Habakuk Hotel in Maribor in cooperation with the Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Slovenia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of...
On 15 December, a coalition of 30 European networks gathering thousands of organizations in secondary and higher education, vocational education and training, youth, adult education and popular education adopted common messages on the future “Erasmus for All” programme. The coalition praises the proposed budget of 19 billion EUR while acknowledging that is a minimum allocation necessary to have a real impact in the current economic crisis and to match the ambitious targets...
