This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Jean Monnet activities, launched in 1989 by the European Commission with the aim to promote excellence in teaching and research in higher education in the field of European Union studies, in Europe and also beyond. The Jean Monnet activities are part of the Erasmus+ programme and mainly relate to the implementation of Jean Monnet Teaching Modules, Jean Monnet Chairs and Centres of Excellence, and to supporting associations, networks and projects. The activities have supported more than 1 000 universities so far, 300 000 students each year and have funded a total of 5 000 projects. In 2018, 60% of the 1 300 grant applications came from countries outside the European Union. On 18 June 2019, a high-level event was hosted in Brussels by Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, who stressed the importance of further upscaling the Jean Monnet activities and extending them to schools.

2019 is also the year when the Bologna Process turns 20. For this occasion, a 2-day celebration conference on the future of the Bologna Process beyond 2020: Fundamental values of the EHEA has been held in Bologna on 24-25 June. Among the main organisers were the University of Bologna, the Observatory Magna Charta Universitatum, the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), the European University Association (EUA), the European Students' Union (ESU), the Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA) and the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI). The discussion revolved around five main themes:

• the academic and related civic values in changing societies;

• student-centred learning;

• the role of higher education in providing leadership for sustainable development;

• the social dimensions of higher education; and,

• careers and skills for the labour market of the future.

The event featured key speakers such as: Stefania Giannini, Deputy Director-General for Education at UNESCO; Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot, Director for Youth, Education and Erasmus+ at DG EAC:; Michael Murphy, EUA President; Sjur Bergan, Head of Education Department at the Council of Europe and Marco Bussetti, Italian Minister of Education, Universities and Research, among others.

Source: http://bolognaprocess2019.it/

Photo source: European Commission - Erasmus+

European Commission – Press Release Jean Monnet conference

Factsheet Jean Monnet