ACA started the year in its traditional fashion, i.e. with the What’s New in Brussels Seminar. Held on 22 January in, as the title already ‘warns’, Brussels, the seminar gathered once again high-calibre speakers and a diverse body of participants from all over Europe and beyond, all interested in new developments in European policies and programmes.

Highlights of the seminar included: current debates around and future perspectives of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR), two entities expected to foster innovation and quality of European higher education; the increasing role of the European Investment Bank in supporting European higher education; and current and future funding opportunities through EU cooperation programmes with non-European countries.

The seminar was also a good venue to reflect on the future of European programmes and of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) as a whole. After presenting the schedule of the European Commission for the consultation of stakeholders on the preparation of the next generation of EU education programmes, the seminar ended with a panel discussion. The panel gathered a host of animated speakers who debated the future of the Bologna Process and the Education and Training agenda beyond 2010.

ACA would like to thank all speakers for their thoughtful insights and outlook and to all participants alike.