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It has become an accepted fact, if not a truism, that we are undergoing a period of change anddisruption that poses numerous challenges to higher education, as well as for society at large.Building agility for unknown challenges that may emerge is thus a key issue for higher educationlearning and teaching. How can we prepare our students, teachers and institutions for the pathahead? Participants in this future-gazing edition of the European Learning & Teaching Forum willjointly discuss strategies to develop future-readiness in and through learning and teaching. Keyquestions include how higher education can safeguard its relevance through capacity foradaptation and how graduates can be equipped with responsive and adaptable mindsets.
Through a mix of plenary and parallel sessions, the Forum provides a platform for discussion andexchange of practice on how universities enhance learning and teaching. The Forum also presentsthe work of the 2024 Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Groups. It aims to gather highereducation professionals working at different levels on matters of learning and teaching to exchangeand discuss institutional practice and policy developments. The Forum is an ideal event for vicerectorsfor academic affairs, deans, heads of learning and teaching centres, and managementinvolved in learning and teaching. It also welcomes students, policy makers and other stakeholdersin higher education.
University College Cork (UCC) is delighted to host the European University Association’s 2025 European Learning & Teaching Forum.
UCC connects and empowers people to create knowledge that shapes a sustainable and inclusive world, and core to our purpose is the delivery of a relevant, dynamic and inclusive learning experience for all students. Through our Connected Curriculum and Graduate Attributes Programme we engage students in a distinctive education, where the curriculum is visibly linked to research, employability, civic engagement, the Sustainable Development Goals, other disciplines and the broader global context.
The theme of this year’s Learning & Teaching Forum ‘2030 and beyond: towards responsive and adaptable higher education’ resonates with UCC’s vision and priorities. Since our foundation in 1845, UCC has responded to many periods of challenge and change, and our strategic plan sets out our commitment to secure the future for our people and our planet. In UCC and across Europe we are navigating a challenging environment shaped by social, economic, political and ecological change, technological developments and demographic shifts, as well as an evolving higher education landscape. The pace of change is unprecedented and complex, demanding an agile and forward-thinking approach as we develop and respond to these challenges.
It is incumbent on universities to educate, to research and to lead. We must nurture critical thinking and educate citizens and leaders to tackle the significant societal challenges that we face, and to create a sustainable future. As our Vice President for Learning and Teaching, Professor Paul McSweeney, reflects "At UCC, we are continuously evolving our approaches to ensure that our students not only gain knowledge but develop the critical, adaptive skills required for a rapidly changing world. We recognise that flexibility, inclusivity, and sustainability are essential components in shaping the future of higher education".
As we work to create responsible, resilient and adaptable higher education environments, we are presented with many challenges, but also significant opportunities to enhance our flexibility and sustainability. This empowers us to deliver inclusive and dynamic learning and teaching, research, innovation and cultural growth. The gathering of colleagues from across Europe in UCC offers a remarkable opportunity to exchange knowledge and insights, learning both from and with one other.
We look forward to welcoming you all to Cork in February 2025.
Professor John O’Halloran, MRIA, President, University College Cork
Opening Plenary: Beyond resilience: how can higher education foresee and forge the future?
Beatrix Busse, Vice Rector for Teaching and Studies, University of Cologne, GermanyManel Jiménez Morales, Vice-Rector for Alliances, Community and Culture, Open University of Catalonia, SpainChaired by Stephanie Marshall, Vice Principal (Education), Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Breakout sessions A
Learning and teaching to empower students2030 and beyond: Unlocking the visionary potential of European Universities alliancesTowards more adaptable and future-oriented education at comprehensive universities: Unlocking the potentialEUA’s Learning & Teaching Agenda 2030AI2: Developing an institutional responseAvoiding a rhetoric of resistance and imposition: strategies for successful implementation of central policyThe open education strategy of Nantes Université: Adapting to future challenges
Breakout sessions B
Learning and teaching in situations of crisis: needs and support provisionAdapting and responding to wicked problems in higher educationDigital accessibility of educational materials for a better learning experienceEUA’s Learning & Teaching Agenda 2030Higher education institutions delivering flexible courses to society, easy-peasy or not?Designing sustainability-focused micro-credentials: Enhancing lifelong learning through pedagogical innovationFostering flexibility in higher education: An approach to future-ready learningUniversity teachers’ educational research – qualitative literature reviewBridging borders in challenging times: Lessons learnt from transnational teacher trainingsTeacher agency for a more responsive and adaptable approach to higher education system
Policy updates
News from the EU and EHEA: an update on European higher education policiesExploring the European Commission’s higher education package
Breakout sessions C
Exploring strategies for institutions to leverage the Scholarship of Teaching and LearningStaff development for learning and teaching at European universitiesTransforming classes for students with disabilities: A much-needed change fuelling the responsiveness and adaptability of universitiesUnleashing the power of UDL: Revolutionizing education for diverse learnersFostering inclusive internationalisation for responsive and adaptable higher education: the Triple-III-Helix modelDeveloping the next generation of agile students through Vertically Integrated ProjectsTransformative education for sustainable futuresImagine: Fostering future-ready skills through collaborative, challenge-based learning AI-ntegrity & GenAI LEARN: Evidenced-based responses to GenAI in teaching, learning, and assessment Future proofing student skillsA future-proof education portfolio: from analysis to action
Closing Plenary
Walking the walk through EUA’s Learning & Teaching Agenda 2030
Yann-Maël Bideau, Policy Officer, European CommissionNora Angelova, Executive Committee member, European Students’ Union John O’Halloran, President, University College Cork, IrelandIrena Duś-Ilnicka, Rector’s Proxy on Implementation for Intensive Internationalisation Plan, Wroclaw Medical University, PolandChaired by Anne Lequy, EUA Board member and Chair of EUA Learning & Teaching Steering Committee
University College Cork (UCC) is an award-winning institution with a history of independent thinking stretching back over 170 years and is proud to be ranked in the top 1.1% of universities in the world. UCC is a leading research-intensive university with over 3,500 staff supporting students from over 110 countries worldwide. UCC is ranked 9th globally in the UI Green Metric World University Ranking of sustainable universities and was the first higher education institution in the world to achieve ISO 50001 certification for energy management.
This beautiful university emerged at the height of the Great Irish Famine (An Gorta Mór), opening its gates to just 115 students in 1849. The student population now numbers over 24,000. UCC is a treasure trove of history and culture telling the story of the development of Cork from the 19th Century Industrial Revolution, through the Famine and beyond. The campus is an example of gothic and hiberno-romanesque architecture, situated on a beautiful 50-acre site with a rich arboretum of 2,500 trees including California redwoods and a Wollemia nobilis, one of the rarest trees in the world. It has Ireland’s largest collection of ogham stones, the only observatory on any Irish university campus, and is also home to the Honan Chapel, which houses famous stained-glass windows by acclaimed artist Harry Clarke.
Ireland’s second city, proudly referred to by Corkonians as ‘the Real Capital’, Cork is a forward-thinking, fast-growing, and friendly city and an important business and cultural hub, making it a great place to live and work. Home to 225,000 people, Cork is a cosmopolitan city set against a backdrop of stunning coastline, countryside and picturesque coastal towns. Located in the second largest natural harbour in the world, Cork is the heartland of Ireland’s energy, food, pharmaceutical and ICT industries. Seven out of ten of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies and Ireland’s top four food companies are located in the province. UCC graduates make a critical contribution to the local talent pipeline that is at the heart of innovation and competitiveness for the region. Cork is the fastest growing city in the country and has been ranked as one of Europe’s top 25 cities of the future.
Cork's ancient motto is ‘A safe harbour for ships’ and it was around this huge maritime haven that Cork grew from a tiny 7th century settlement into the compact and vibrant city it is today. This merchant city is a bustling hive of culture. Its list of award-winning restaurants and the famous English Market have made it Ireland's food capital, lauded by critics worldwide, while Cork's flourishing craft beer scene compliments the city’s cozy, friendly pubs and toe-tapping traditional Irish music gigs.
With the support of Fáilte Ireland - Discover Ireland
