EUA participates in Spanish Meeting on European research programmes and smart specialisation

The Spanish Rectors’ Conference (CRUE) co-organised with the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) an information and debate event in Madrid, 10 June 2013, on “European Programmes: Opportunities for the participation of Spanish Universities”. The event gathered over one hundred rectors, vice-rectors and other high-level representatives from the Spanish university sector and policy makers. In the opening session, the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela, highlighted the need to valorise both the tangible and intangible added values of Spanish universities in the landscape of research and innovation. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Education, Vocational Training and Universities, Montserrat Gomendio, updated participants on the progress of the committee of experts who are currently debating university reforms in close collaboration with CRUE.
The President of CRUE and Rector of the University of Malaga, Adelaida de la Calle, whilst expressing concern about the emigration of some Spanish graduates to some wealthier economies, underlined the high quality of the Spanish university system, which was demonstrated for example by the way Spanish university graduates were welcomed in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. The current state of play on issues related to the development of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation ‘Horizon 2020’, the Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisations (RIS3) within the Cohesion funds and the strategic positioning of the Spanish Universities were debated during two sessions. Read more...