The RPWG also discussed a number of important topics related to the European research and innovation policy agenda including the Horizon 2020 mid-term review, the upcoming European Research Area (ERA) Progress Report, EUA’s initial response the EC proposal for a copyright Directive, and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. More...

EUA welcomes the European Commission’s (EC) recent proposal for a Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market, yet stresses the need for further clarification and dialogue to make European copyright efficient, future-proof and innovation-friendly. More...

The 11th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) is underway in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Co-hosted by the Slovenian Student Union and the University of Ljubljana, the event has gathered more than 400 participants to discuss current issues in quality assurance under the theme “Quality in context – embedding improvement.” More...

Erasmus+ as the successor of the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) brings a major contribution to universities like the Deggendorf Institute of Technology and has improved the implementation of activities in the areas of education, training, youth, language and sports. The merging of different LLP sub-programmes and the structuring into three basic Key Actions has further streamlined the European Commission’s education policy. More...

The University of Granada has found that the requirement for participating institutions to adopt a more strategic approach with the submission and publication of a policy statement is a positive improvement. It leads to useful internal discussion and reflection on the motivation for internationalisation at the institutional level. More...

Entitled “Research and Higher Education: Why has the European Commission forgotten its most successful activities?” Jorgensen uses the post to draw attention to his expert belief that the European Commission should prioritise research and higher education among the big things that matter to people. In the article he points out that “the Commission vows to promote growth, jobs and to ‘empower’ EU citizens. More...

EUA member universities still have a few weeks to submit their applications to host the EUA Annual Conference and General Assembly in 2018 and 2019. The deadline is 16 December 2016. More...

Hosted by the University Mohammad V in Rabat, Morocco from 24 to 26 April 2017, AECHE 4 “Research for sustainable societies – the role of universities” will focus on bi-regional research collaboration and capacity building between Arab and European universities in the fields of energy, water, food and environment. More...

On 16 November 2016, SPARK’s 4th IGNITE Conference took place in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This year, it focused on tackling instability, radicalisation and forced migration in the Middle East, Africa and the EU, and gathered entrepreneurs, student refugees and practitioners from as far as Syria, Libya and Iraq. 
Staff members from Mosul University and Tikrit University in Iraq presented the stories of their universities, as with the arrival of the Islamic State (IS) both institutions were shut down. The University of Mosul was represented by its President, Dr Obay Al-Dewachi, and Tikrit University by Professor Ahmed Khalaf Hussein. Although heavily damaged, Tikrit University has re-opened and is almost a year into its post-IS experience. Students from Mosul University are following news reports, hoping to return anytime soon. More...

On 7 November, the European Commission launched the 2016 Education and Training Monitor, which follows up on the various benchmarks member states have committed to.
During his speech at the launch event, Commissioner Tibor Navracsics welcomed the fact that “public investment in education has started to rise again.” He said, “After three consecutive years of decline, it grew by 1.1% annually across the EU in 2014 - and in six member states even by more than 5%.” More...