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May2024Don’t take democracy & Europe for granted
Roberta Metsola, President, European Parliament Over the past five years, the European Union has delivered in an unprecedented way. We have come together in solidarity. We have procured vaccines for all. We are firm in our support to Ukraine. From social equality to the green transition and to new digital and AI rules, we have […]
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May2024Recent highlights from the European Research Area (ERA)
Coimbra Group and Portugal, as co-sponsors of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2022-24 Action 4 on ‘Research Careers”, run with the Commission’s DG RTD an online ad-work workshop on 29 May, with delegates from Member States, ERA Associated Countries and stakeholder organisations. The meeting started with an overview of recent and upcoming policy […]
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May2024Fill in the EUNIVERSE survey to Students & International Relations Staff!
The ErasmusPlus EUNIVERSE project, rooted in European values and civic engagement, strives to improve institutional frameworks for international student mobility, emphasizing inclusion, perseverance, and success. By facilitating exchanges among mobility stakeholders, including students themselves, the project aims to nurture an environment conducive to the adoption and implementation of best practices within higher education institutions and […]
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May2024Coimbra Group promotes Research Matters campaign
The Research Matters campaign is an initiative dedicated to mobilizing and uniting the European research and innovation community. We aim to raise awareness of the crucial role research plays in shaping our future and addressing global challenges, and advocate for increased investment in research and innovation. The Coimbra Group took part in the launch of the Research Matters campaign, […]
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Apr2024What Research for the Future? Balancing the Obsession with Publishing and the Need for Social Impact
Roberto Di Pietra, Rector, University of Siena In a couple of years (2024-2025), Italian universities will be called upon to participate in the fourth research assessment exercise conducted by the “Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes” (ANVUR). It is certainly an important step for the main institutions of Italian scientific […]
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Apr2024International Coimbra Group Summer School on European Multilingualism
University of Niš, June 24th – 28th, 2024 The Coimbra Group and the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Niš (Serbia) are delighted to invite you to take part at the International Summer School on European Multilingualism that will take place at the University of Niš (Serbia) from June 24th to June 28th, 2024.With […]
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Apr2024Coimbra Group Statement on Universities in Nicaragua
Academic freedom and institutional autonomy are universal, fundamental values that ought to be upheld everywhere in the world. With all of its member universities being signatories of the Magna Charta Universitatum, the Coimbra Group recalls that “intellectual and moral autonomy is the hallmark of any university and a precondition for the fulfilment of its responsibilities […]
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Apr2024Coimbra Group supports the More Than Our Rank initiative
As anticipated earlier this year, Coimbra Group is proud to announce its support of the initiative “More Than Our Rank” (MTOR) developed in response to some of the problematic features and effects of the global university rankings. Our endorsement is now publicly displayed on the MTOR website. The Coimbra Group has long been discussing the […]
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Apr2024Coimbra Group signs the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information
Two months after taking the decision to join the conversation on Open Science, we are proud to announce that the Coimbra Group is among the initial signatories of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information. Led by the vision of its Executive Board and Rectors’ Advisory Group, the Coimbra Group aims to coordinate efforts with […]
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Mar2024European universities’ collaboration with China: Beyond a fear-driven approach
Paul Pauli, President, Julius-Maximilians-University of WürzburgDoris Fischer, Vice-President for Internationalisation and Alumni and Chair of China Business and Economics, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg In 2019, the European Union first named China a systemic rival. Currently, China is regularly named as a partner, as a competitor, and as a rival. This is an attempt to describe the […]
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Mar2024CG Administrative and Financial Committee welcomes two new members
Two new members were appointed on the Coimbra Group Administrative and Financial Committee (AFC) by the Executive Board (EB) in March 2024. This decision follows an open call for expression of interest issued in January and circulated to the Rectors of the Coimbra Group Universities. The EB is grateful to all the member institutions that […]
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Feb2024Conference “European Universities’ cooperation with China”
Global Partnerships Working Group Scientific collaboration with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) presents both opportunities and challenges to European universities. While cooperation with China is intense and appreciated in many areas, concerns about China’s motives, a growing awareness of dependencies, as well as political pressure have contributed to discussions on how Europe should position itself […]
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Feb2024Dreams and hopes for the future of universities
Yves Flückiger, Rector, University of Geneva Often tested, increasingly facing multiple pressures, academic freedom and freedom of expression are essential foundations for the development of our universities, the pillars upon which intellectual progress, innovation, and mutual understanding rest. Today more than ever, it is imperative to defend and preserve them. Academic freedom is the principle […]
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Feb2024Coimbra Group attends international ministerial conference on the principles and values in international R&I cooperation
The Coimbra Group was invited by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union to attend, as an observer, the international ministerial conference on the multilateral dialogue on principles and values for international cooperation in research & innovation (R&I) held in Brussels on 16 February. The meeting mobilized considerable high-level political support reflected […]
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Feb2024Coimbra Group announces withdrawal of the University of Göttingen’s membership
The presidential board of the University of Göttingen has decided to withdraw from our association. Upon mutual agreement, the cooperation will officially come to an end on 31 December 2024. The Executive Board (EB) of the Coimbra Group of course regrets but respects this decision. EB members would like to take the opportunity to express […]
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Feb2024Coimbra Group launches Scholarship Programme for short research stays in Europe
Programme is intended for young researchers and staff from universities in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the European Neighbourhood. Coimbra Group member universities are offering almost 90 scholarships for young professors and researchers that are both national and residents of Latin American, Sub-Saharan Africa or European neighbourhood countries. With the aim to enable scholars to […]
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Feb2024Coimbra Group joins the conversation on Open Science
1. Since 1985 the Coimbra Group Universities have been recognized for embracing tradition to foster innovation. In 2021, we engaged our members in constructive discussions about the future of research assessment. With their support we participated in the drafting of the European Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and in the creation of the Coalition for […]
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Jan2024Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2023: Many achievements but concerns about unresolved issues
The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) concluded a month ago, prompting the need to assess its achievements and shortcomings in the university sector. While there were commendable successes, some aspects raised concerns within the European academic community.
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Dec2023Achieving Excellence at Universities: What does it mean in times of multiple crises?
As our world is facing multiple simultaneous and interconnected crises and transitions which affect the social fabric of our societies and democracies, universities cannot pretend as if nothing has happened and continue to function as before. Increased threats to academic freedom and to frontier research. Accelerated geopolitical developments and crises. Structural lack of resources in the university sector – human resources, funding, political support. Unfolding reform of research assessment. Global move towards open science and open bibliometric data.
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Dec2023Science Diplomacy gains political attention in Europe
Coimbra Group, represented by its Office Director Emmanuelle Gardan, participated in the first European Science Diplomacy Conference, organised in Madrid on 18-19 December in the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event gathered several hundreds of participants from across the science and diplomacy spheres, among them science counsellors to […]