Brussels in Brief - updates on EU activities

The European Commission has published a new call for proposals for the development of Knowledge Alliances. Following the recent EU-Australia Education and Training Policy Dialogue, a joint statement has been published outlining next steps for cooperation, including future policy dialogues.
Call for proposals – Pilot Project for the development of Knowledge Alliances
The Commission has published a new call for proposals on the development of Knowledge Alliances. Following last year's call, the European Parliament has decided to allocate for 2012 one million euros to the further development of this pilot action.
The Knowledge Alliances, part of the Innovation Union flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 strategy, are structured partnerships between education institutions and innovation players, aiming at developing Europe's innovation potential. According to the Commission, this call and the selected projects will also contribute to the preparations for the implementation of the forthcoming Erasmus for All Programme, with a view to a much greater scope for Knowledge Alliances in future. To find out more, please read the Call for proposals. Deadline is 28 June 2012.

4th EU-Australia Education and Training Policy Dialogue on International Education
Last month saw the 4th EU-Australia Education and Training Policy Dialogue organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) and the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE). The theme of  the meeting was international education with a particular focus on quality of provision, well-being of students and mobility.
The parties decided on a number of next steps for cooperation, including future policy dialogues in the areas of quality and recognition (2013) and lifelong learning (2014), a continuation of the bilateral mobility cooperation projects and a Joint Expert Seminar to take place in October 2012 in Australia. To find out more, download the Joint Statement here.