Campus Europae Newsletter, March 2011

Table of contents

  • Introducing the Forum Human Rights in Higher Education

  • Fast Facts

    • Joint Coordinators and Student Council meeting

    • Teacher Training and Education Subject Committee meeting report

    • Computer Sciences workgroup meeting report

    • Medicine Subject Committee shows its resolve

    • Online questionnaire on the modernisation of higher education

    • Gazi University new microsite for CE incoming students

  • Upcoming events
    • Board of Directors and Luxembourg Forum
    • Humanities Subject Committee meeting
    • Engineering Subject Committee meeting
    • Business Subject Committee meeting
    • Natural Sciences Subject Committee meeting

Introducing the Forum Human Rights in Higher Education

The Forum Human Rights in Higher Education is a new initiative by the European University Foundation – Campus Europae, which will be held under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, at the Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg on the 10th and 11th of March.

This high-level international conference will deal with the ever complex and always pertinent issue of Human Rights in Higher Education – a timely and unique opportunity to look into the role of Education and particularly of the Universities in furthering Human Rights.

The first panel of the Forum will deal precisely with matters of cultural relativism and will be lead by an expert which can offer unique insight on the ongoing events in North Africa: Dr. Amina Lemrini El Ouahabi, from Morocco. The second panel of the Forum will look into the role of Universities in promoting values and how Higher Education Institutions (can) act as catalysts for change. This discussion will be headed by Prof. Anatoly Mikhailov, Rector of the exiled Byelorussian European Humanities University and Prof. Jean-Paul Lehners, UNESCO Chair for Human Rights at the University of Luxembourg. The third and last panel will discuss how academic freedom, university access and autonomy comply and are influenced by fundamental Human Rights dispositions.

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The Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg (photo credits: Wolfgang Staudt)

In addition to the three panels there will be speeches by other experts, such as Prof. Emmanuel Decaux, Rapporteur of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in Education, Dr. Ólöf Ólafsdóttir, from the Council of Europe and Heidi Hautala, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights.

Prof. Christoph Ehmann, Secretary General of the EUF-CE, offered the following comments about the  Forum: “the aim of the Forum is to, at a time where the Higher Education agenda is overly focused on financing and organizational matters, provide a first class platform where more fundamental and far-reaching challenges can also discussed. The events that are unfolding on Europe’s southern border should remind us all that Higher Education must aim at equipping young adults to solve questions as or more complex than financial crisis, and there are few more pressing than advancing Human Rights. As such we are very proud to host some of the leading experts in Human Rights and Higher Education in Luxembourg.”

The Forum is organized jointly with the University of Luxembourg and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.. The full programme of the Forum can be found here.

Fast facts

Joint Coordinators and Student Council meeting

The Campus Europae Coordinators and Student Council held a joint meeting in Luxembourg on the past 18th of February. This has been the first time the two groups convened together, the underlying objective being to improve cooperation and mutual knowledge of each other’s activities and responsibilities.

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Some of the Coordinators in attendance (photo credits: Nico Rausch)

Amongst other items in the agenda were the administrative workflow of CE Movers, the evaluation of the 09/10 exchanges, the CE Charter of Rights and Duties and promotion of Campus Europae. There was also a reflection about how cooperation amongst partner universities can be deepened, which will be made a focal topic at the next CE Coordinators meeting.

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The Coordinators were joined by Student Representatives from across the network (photo credits: Nico Rausch)

The meeting was attended by Coordinators and Student Representatives of 16 member universities.

Teacher Training and Education Subject Committee meeting report

The Teacher Training and Education Subject Committee convened in Kaunas on the 7th and 8th of February, following an invitation by Prof. Margarita Teresevičienė.

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The CETT meeting in Kaunas (photo credits: Vytautas Magnus University)

The meeting served for the representatives of the universities of Hamburg, Luxembourg, Alcalá, Aveiro, Luxembourg, Saint Petersburg, Vienna, Eastern Finland and Vytaytas Magnus to inform each other about curricular developments at their respective universities and review any issues that surfaced during the 09/10 and 10/11 exchanges. There was also a session about integrating Education students as Hook Up tutors and the opportunity to meet with VMU students, the Vice-President of CE, Prof. Vaidotas Viliūnas, the Vice-Rector for Public Communication, Prof. Auksė Balčytienė, the President of the VMU Student, Council Donatas Juodpusis, ESN National Representative Orinta Movsesjan and the Director of VMU International Office, Zina Baltrėnienė.

Computer Sciences workgroup meeting report

The Engineering Subject Committee convened in Brussels on the 5th of February to update and expand its Computer Sciences compatibility matrices. The Universities of Novi Sad, Aveiro, Henry Poincaré/Nancy, Eastern Finland and Lodz Techical Universities attended the meeting, having accomplished remarkable progress during the 8 hours working session.

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A bird's eye view of the workgroup meeting (photo credits: João Bacelar)

The universities of Alcalá and Gazi also participate in the workgroup, but had completed their matrices prior to the Brussels meeting. The Technical University of Lodz will host the next plenary meeting of the Engineering Subject Committee, on the 8th and 9th of April.

Medicine Subject Committee shows its resolve

Following their meeting in Berlin the Medicine Subject Committee has prepared and publish its compatibility matrix, covering the universities of Henry Poincaré/Nancy, Greifswald and Novi Sad. An expanded version, including also the universities of Gazi and Estearn Finland, is expected to be available shortly.The Medicine course equivalences can be found at http://matrices.campuseuropae.org.

Online questionnaire on the modernisation of higher education

The European Commission invites all higher education stakeholders to participate in an online questionnaire about the modernisation of higher education. The answers provided will help shape the new EC Communication, which is expected for October 2011. The questionnaire can be found here and will be open until the 15th of March.

Gazi University new microsite for CE incoming students

The University of Gazi has made available a one-stop information page for all interested and/or incoming Campus Europae students where all relevant information about deadlines, administrative procedures and contact persons can be found.The page can be found here.

Upcoming events

Board of Directors and Luxembourg Forum

Luxembourg, 10-11 March

Humanities Subject Committee meeting

Joensuu, 18-19 March

Engineering Subject Committee meeting

Lodz, 8-9th April

Business Subject Committee Meeting

Berlin, 8th April

Natural Sciences Subject Committee Meeting

St Petersburg, 27-28th of May

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