Over 1,000 people from across Europe participated in the “European University Alliances: Drivers of Change and Innovation in Higher Education” conference. This event allowed UMONS and its Rector, Prof. Philippe Dubois, to underscore the significance of these alliances, especially EUNICE.
During the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union, the ten Belgian universities, in partnership with the Rector’s Councils of Belgium, invited researchers, academics, and other key figures to engage in an enriching discussion on European university alliances as catalysts for change and innovation in higher education.
The conference, held at the European Commission in Brussels on April 29 and 30, brought together over 1,000 attendees (250 on-site) to focus on themes related to European university alliances (which currently number 60 following an ongoing call).
Participants from across Europe discussed six key topics including multilingualism, student and staff mobility, superdiversity, pedagogical innovation, cooperation with southern countries, and the future European degree.
Prof. Philippe Dubois, Rector of UMONS and President of EUNICE, concluded the conference by summarizing the discussions and recommendations. “This participation allowed us to clearly highlight the role, initiatives/achievements, and importance of our EUNICE Alliance in the context of the globalization of universities in Europe,” he explained after two days of constructive exchanges.
Each conference session was led by a duo of universities representing a specific alliance. UMONS (EUNICE) led the session on the future European degree, titled “The European Degree as an Important Milestone towards a Strong Future for the European Higher Education Area”, in collaboration with KU Leuven (Una Europa).
Among the attendees were several UMONS representatives including Laurence Ris, vice-rector for International Affairs, and Rony Snyders, EUNICE Coordinator at UMONS.
