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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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07
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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22
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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14
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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31
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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20
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 […]
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Dec2023Coimbra Group Cooperation with the Global South
The Survey on Cooperation with the Global South, targeting Coimbra Group (CG) member universities, was initiated within the Latin America Working Group and conducted in cooperation with the Development Cooperation Working Group (the Development Cooperation Working Group changed name to Global Partnerships Working Group in December 2023). The primary objective of this survey was to […]
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Dec2023Coimbra Group introduces Working Group on Global Partnerships
The social responsibility of universities requires their active engagement with global cooperation issues and challenges. Universities have a unique duty to face the poly-crises in the world in an effective and sustainable way. We cannot do this in isolation, we must connect: to each other as universities, and to the world outside of our university. […]
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Dec2023Coimbra Group’s Recommendations for the Erasmus+ Programme 2021-2027 Interim Evaluation
The EU’s Erasmus+ programme plays a pivotal role in European Higher Education. The vast majority of the European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) rely on it as the primary financial support for international mobility and collaboration in education. The Erasmus programme has always been a key element and emblem of the most successful idea of “Europe” […]
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Nov2023UK association to Horizon Europe – a win for global research
The announcement, on 7 September 2023, that the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Commission had reached an agreement on UK association to Horizon Europe has rightly been met with a sigh of relief and the warmest of welcomes across the research-intensive university sector. We are delighted that we finally have the breakthrough that we have all been working so hard to achieve.
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Nov2023Coimbra Group at EP conference on Academic Freedom
Emmanuelle Gardan, CG Office Director, and Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the CG Executive Board were invited to attend the high-level conference “Academic Freedom – The state of a fundamental value for Europe” organised on 29 November 2023 at the European Parliament in Brussels by the Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Panel for the Future […]
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Nov2023Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Universities
Workshop and Conference organized by the Research Support Officers Working Group The conference on the “Responsible Use of AI in Universities”, held at Charles University on 23 November, attracted 110 registered participants from 29 universities, ministries (6), the Czech Academy of Sciences, and 3 private companies. The event provided a comprehensive exploration of the responsible […]
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Nov2023Coimbra Group actively engaged in the EU Conference on Research Careers 2023
Coimbra Group attended on 21-22 November in Brussels the first European Conference on Research Careers at the invitation of DG RTD. The plenary session on the first day shed light on recent developments at EU level to advance the agenda of more attractive and sustainable research careers, such as the Commission’s proposal for a Council […]
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Nov2023ERA Action 11.3 “ERA Forum online workshop on “Twin Transitions and vulnerable groups; R&I actions, gaps and challenges” – 24 October 2023
On 24th October 2023, the Coimbra Group, represented by members of the Employability Working Group, Chair Orla Bannon (Trinity College Dublin) and Vice-Chair Annette Retsch (University of Würzburg), participated in the third workshop of the ERA4FutureWork subgroup that was initiated by the European Commission.
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02
Nov2023Further steps are needed to attract and retain research talents in Europe
As EU Member States are expected to conclude negotiations on the European Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, the Coimbra Group joins other leading university associations – AURORA, EUA, The Guild and YERUN – in welcoming the attention given by […]