Facing Global Challenges - European strategies for Europe’s universities

The European University Association (EUA) is pleased to announce that its 2009 Convention of European higher education institutions will take place at Charles University in Prague, from 18-21March 2009.

For the European higher education community, EUA’s biennial Conventions are unique opportunities for reflection on the ongoing changes in European higher education sectors and institutions, including crucial issues such as the financial pressures caused by the current global economic crisis. Around 500 institutional leaders from all over Europe are expected to attend.

One of the objectives of the Convention is to influence the priorities set for the Bologna process post 2010 and to ensure that the specific concerns of universities are properly taken into account in the conditions set for the further construction of the European Research Area. To do this, university leaders present at the Convention will be asked to contribute to identifying ‘10 theses’ for the future of European higher education and research looking forward to 2020. EUA’s governing Council will meet on Friday, 3 April 2008 to adopt the EUA Prague Declaration which will then be presented to Education Ministers taking part in the Bologna process Ministerial meeting that will be held on 28-29 April in Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Key decisions on the future of European higher education cooperation post 2010 will be taken at this meeting of European education ministers, while at the same time the future contours of the European Research Area, and the role of universities are also under discussion at European level. The outcomes of the EUA Convention will be geared towards impacting directly on decision making in these two crucial areas. Hence the choice of the theme of the event - Facing Global Challenges:

European strategies for Europe’s universities – that underlines the growing reality of the European Higher Education and Research Areas, with strong implications for national and institutional development.

This year’s Convention will also have a new format, where in addition to the main convention plenaries, priority issues will be tackled under four thematic clusters:

• The university as an inclusive and responsive institution;

• Universities as research institutions;

• Governing and managing complex institutions: New challenges in higher education – Impact and

institutional response;

• Global outreach – Europe’s interaction with the wider world.

Each cluster will comprise plenaries and working groups, that will last the entire Friday morning of 20 March. The results of the clusters will be discussed by the cluster chairs in Plenary session III, on Friday afternoon.

Please visit the conference website (www.eua.be/prague) for further information on the programme. The European University Association, as the representative organisation of both the European universities and the national rectors' conferences, is the main voice of the higher education community in Europe. EUA's mission is to promote the development of a coherent system of European higher education and research.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Miller, Press officer, tel: 00 32 2 788 5319

email: andrew.miller@eua.be

You can also visit our website at www.eua.be