The Czech Republic took over from France the presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July 2022. During its 6-month presidency, France organised more than 400 events and over 2000 meetings of EU officials, allowing thus concrete progress to be made with 130 texts adopted on priority political subjects for a Europe that is more sovereign, social, green and closer to its citizens, especially in the exceptional context of war in Ukraine.

The priorities of the second country in a row of the France, Czech Republic, Sweden trio, are reflected in its motto: "Europe as a task: rethink, rebuild, repower". Five closely linked priority areas will be the main focus of the Czech presidency:

1. Managing the refugee crisis and Ukraine’s post-war recovery;
2. Energy security;
3. Strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and cyberspace security;
4. Strategic resilience of the European economy; and
5. Resilience of democratic institutions.

In the field of higher education and research, the new presidency’s key priority is to create synergies between European and national research and innovation funding, so as to ensure the most efficient use of invested funds and resources. Multiple events are foreseen to take place during the presidency, including officially recognised presidency events and side events, facilitating expert contacts on current topics in the field of higher education. It will bring together relevant stakeholders from higher education, including experts and policymakers, internationalisation practitioners and academics in the higher education field, to reflect on the digital transformation in the present and the future of universities.

Find out more details about the Czech EU Council Presidency here.

Stay tuned for more information about the "Digitalisation in International Higher Education: Forward Looking Perspectives" international conference.