The Lithuanian EU Presidency has kept its word in declaring education part of its key priorities during its Presidency period until 1 January 2014. This month of September was strongly devoted to education matters with a number of conferences held in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.

Following the European Commission’s communication European Higher Education in the World published in July of this year (see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, July 2013), the first educational conference on 5-6 September 2013 dealt with international education as such. With over 150 participants and stakeholders from Europe and beyond the international conference on higher education offered an opportunity for its participants to discuss the Commission’s communication and Europe’s role in an increasingly competitive and internationalised higher education sector.

On 23-24 September two more conferences were held in Vilnius – a meeting of directors responsible for higher education and a conference dedicated to social sciences and humanities. During the higher education director’s meeting, participants discussed issues in national systems of higher education with a specific focus on questions related to public and private funding. The conference Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities dealt with the role of social sciences and humanities in the EU’s new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020. 

Lithuanian Presidency press release - European higher education in the world

European Commission - Education & Training news

Lithuanian Presidency press release - Directors responsible for the higher education meeting

Lithuanian Presidency press release - Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities