Conference: Creating Now the University of Tomorrow – Looking Back to Move Ahead with Circle U. and the Alliances

To what extent are Alliances of European Universities transforming higher education and research? Circle U. and UCLouvain are organising the event on 24 October in Brussels, Belgium, and online to reflect on this question in the presence of key stakeholders from national, EU and institutional entities, as well as other university alliances and networks.

Starting with examples illustrating some of Circle U.’s main achievements over the last three years, the aim of this event is to engage in a dialogue with the actors who play a decisive role in the transformation of higher education and research in Europe.

Four years since the inception of the European Universities Initiative, how is this new form of transnational cooperation changing the way we do teaching, learning and research? What are the lessons learnt? How are the various stakeholders – students, academics, staff, the non-academic sector - being impacted? How can we move forward and fulfil the potential of the innovative practices being developed by the alliances? How can policy-makers help in this endeavour?

These are some of the questions guiding this event marking the transition from Circle U.’s pilot phase into its consolidation phase.

The day’s discussions will be further enriched by the presence of two distinguished guest speakers with extensive expertise in the field of higher education: Professor Manja Klemenčič, an expert in sociology and politics of higher education, European higher education, and comparative higher education at Harvard University/University Ljubljana and Professor Liviu Matei, Head of the King's School of Education, Communication & Society, King’s College London. Rector of UCLouvain and EUA Board member, Vincent Blondel, will speak during the welcome session, while EUA Deputy Director of Higher Education Policy unit, Thérèse Zhang, will participate in the panel session on Rethinking Higher Education to Respond to Global Challenges.

More information and the detailed programme can be found on the website of Circle U.