Coimbra Group contributes to the Forum of Universities for the Future of Europe
28 January 2022
The Coimbra Group actively participated in the Forum of the Universities for the Future that was held by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU on 25 and 26 January to discuss the role of universities in shaping Europe’s future.
Coimbra Group Executive Board Chair was invited to present the experience of the network during the roundtable discussion on “Success and inclusion: developing the potential of all students at university”. Ludovic Thilly shared specific insights in this regard from the recent CG publication Universities’ response to the Covid-19 crisis: What have we learnt so far? Key messages and recommendations from Coimbra Group Universities He also highlighted the important role played by structured and sustained collaboration between universities and their cities as enhanced by the Poitiers Declaration.
Two resources introduced by his co-panelist on the roundtable, Valérie Van Hees, Coordinator of the Support Centre for Inclusive Higher Education (Belgium), could be of interest to Coimbra Group Universities:
- InclusiveMobility.eu is the European platform about inclusion and support services offered by higher education institutions, national agencies, and ministries for education to international students as the outcome of an Erasmus+ funded project. In its current version, the platform aims to provide to students with disabilities all the information they need to study abroad. Higher education institutions, national agencies and ministries for education are able to create their own accounts and upload relevant information which will enable students with disabilities to study abroad.
- MoodSpace is a students’ mental health platform gathering reliable information, tips and self-help resources for helping students coping with emotional problems and studying resiliently and powerfully.
The newly adopted European strategy for universities served as backdrop to the two-days forum which has brought together hundreds of representatives of European higher education stakeholders, European universities alliances, Member States and the European Commission. The event also showcased the first results of the European Universities Initiative. Another major meeting of European universities has been announced for June to conclude the French Presidency of the Council of the EU in this area.