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Aug2023What does Nicolaus Copernicus teach us?
Rector Jacek Popiel, Jagiellonian University in Krakow The current year has been declared the Year of Nicolaus Copernicus in Poland. This decision was made to honour the 550th anniversary of birth of a figure thoroughly deserving recognition for science, whose achievements undoubtedly transcended the horizons of his own era. A special place in the calendar […]
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Jul2023The Swedish presidency and academic freedom
Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt, Uppsala University The Swedish EU presidency can probably be best described as efficient and unglamorous. Run on a shoestring budget, with most meetings located at Arlanda airport, it focused on making progress on EU legislation (migration, data, AI, climate) – and quite successfully so. In the areas of research and education, where there […]
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Jul2023Showing strong solidarity with our Israeli colleagues
The Coimbra Group, together with other major research organisations, has endorsed a joint statement raising concern about threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Israel if the proposed judicial reforms proceed: Freedom and Autonomy of Science and Research in Israel Scientific collaboration with Israel, a leading nation in research and innovation, is essential to […]
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Jul2023In Memoriam
Professor Jean-Marie Boisson It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the death of Professor Jean-Marie Boisson, who passed away on 20 July 2023. Prof. Boisson notably served the Coimbra Group as Executive Board member for two full terms (2005-2013) and he continued contributing to the activities of the group regularly for a […]
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Jul2023EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum: Partners in Change
The Latin America Working Group (LAWG) participated in the event organised by the European Commission, with the support of a Steering Group of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) titled “EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum: Partners in Change” in advance of the EU-CELAC Summit where EU leaders and leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean […]
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Jul2023LAWG at 5th LAC-EU Permanent Academic Forum
From 6-8 July, representatives from the Latin America Working Group (LAWG) participated at the 5th LAC-EU Permanent Academic Forum (FAP-ALC-UE) hosted by the Universidad de Alcalá (UAH) in Spain. The delegation consisted of the Chair of LAWG Mara Constantinescu (University of Leiden), M. Cristina Sanz (University of Barcelona) and Hans Egil Offerdal (University of Bergen). […]
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Jul2023Coimbra Group signs Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations
Julien Bobineau, Chair Development Cooperation Working Group, University of Jena From July 4 to 7, 2023, the Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors & Presidents of African University (COREVIP), was held in Namibia under the title “Advancing Excellence in African Higher Education”, organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU). In addition to important African and […]
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Jun2023Why we need to think globally
Rector Axel Freimuth, University of Cologne Dear Friends and Colleagues of the Coimbra Group, On behalf of the rectorate of the University of Cologne, I would like to thank you for attending the 2023 Annual Conference in Cologne. The participants of two major conferences ‒ in addition to the Coimbra Group Annual Meeting, the European […]
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Jun2023“European Network on Teaching Excellence” project’s final event
On 21 June, the Coimbra Group hosted the final conference of the “European Network on Teaching Excellence” (E-NOTE) project at the University Foundation in Brussels. It was the occasion for the consortium members (Leiden University, University of Coimbra, Charles University, Copenhagen University, Global Governance Institute, and the Coimbra Group) to present the fruits of the […]
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Jun2023Reaction to the European Innovation Council Board’s statement on intellectual property
On 3 May 2023, the Board of the European Innovation Council (EIC) published a statement on the Intellectual Property (IP) rules applicable to EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects. Our associations of knowledge transfer professionals, research and technology organisations, and universities, including the Coimbra Group, praise the efforts of the EIC Board especially the then interim […]
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Jun2023Towards a collective open access publishing service
From the Research Support Officers Working Group On 14 June 2023, Coimbra Group represented by RSO WG members Ondřej Daniel (Charles University) and Börje Dahrén (Uppsala University) attended a R&I stakeholders‘ online meeting organised by the Commission’s DG RTD on the future of the Open Research Europe platform (ORE), “Towards a collective open access publishing […]
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Jun2023ERA Action 11.3 Workshop on the digital transition and working life
By Luca Pietrantoni (University off Bologna), Katrine Moland Hansen (University of Bergen) and Sergi Martinez Rigol (University of Barcelona) On 16 June the Coimbra Group, represented by members of the Employability Working Group, Sergi Martinez Rigol (University of Barcelona) and Katrine Moland Hansen (University of Bergen), and by expert Prof. Luca Pietrantoni (University of Bologna), […]
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Jun2023Coimbra Group 2023 Annual Conference
Wrap-UpThe Coimbra Group (CG) 2023 Annual Conference and General Assembly took place from 31 May to 2 June 2023 in the beautiful city of Cologne, hosted by our member the University of Cologne. Around 250 representatives of the 40 Coimbra Group member universities gathered in the event for a full 3-day programme. You can watch the public […]
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Jun2023Dealing with Complex Heritage: Revisiting University Pasts in Contemporary Practice
Call for ChaptersHeritage Working Group Editors: Peter Bille Larsen (University of Geneva), Markéta Křížová (Charles University), Gertjan Plets (Utrecht University) How do universities deal with problematic or complex heritage issues from colonialism, exclusion of minorities to authoritarian practices? This book aims to explore and learn from how universities address “uneasy”, “problematic” or “difficult” heritage (in both its […]
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Jun202325 R&I organisations urge the African Union and European Union to take a novel funding approach to science cooperation
Ahead of the second African Union – European Union Research & Innovation Ministerial Meeting scheduled to take place on 13 June 2023 at Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), where Ministers are expected to adopt the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and hence kick-start its implementation phase, Coimbra Group joins several other stakeholders in urging AU and EU leaders, and […]
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May2023Valuing student voice, engagement and partnership
President Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, University of Galway When we at University of Galway launched our Strategic Plan Shared Vision, Shaped by Values in early 2020, we committed to ‘being here for our students, our society and our planet’. As President of University of Galway, who had been a student here in the 1980s and who […]
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May2023All roads lead to… Cologne!
The Coimbra Group 2023 Annual Conference and General Assembly is taking place this week, hosted by the University of Cologne. More than 250 representatives of the 40 Coimbra Group member universities will get together in the beautiful city of Cologne for a full 3-day programme. On the 31st the day starts with a meeting between […]
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May2023Join the Final Conference of the European Network on Teaching Excellence (21 June, Brussels)!
The consortium partners of the European Network on Teaching Excellence (E-NOTE) are delighted to invite you to their final event on “Higher Education Teaching Excellence and the Future of the European Education Area”. The conference will present the outcomes of the E-NOTE project, a Strategic Partnership funded by the Erasmus+ programme (2020-2023) with the view […]
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May2023Standing in solidarity with their values, Coimbra Group members vote to revoke the membership of St Petersburg University
On 26 April 2023, an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Coimbra Group (CG) Universities has taken decision on the membership status of St Petersburg State University (SPbU). In March 2022 SPbU’s membership had been suspended after the Rector of SPbU co-signed a public statement by the Russian Union of Rectors backing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine […]
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May2023Workshop on green transition and working life
Annette Retsch, Vice-Chair Employability Working Group (University of Würzburg) On 27th April the representatives of the CG Employability Working Group Annette Retsch (Vice-Chair, University of Würzburg) and Katrine Moland Hansen (University of Bergen) and Enora Bergot (CG Office) participated in the first workshop of the ERA4FutureWork subgroup that was initiated by the European Commission. The […]