In September, ACA organised two expert workshops on the impact of Erasmus Mundus with national and European experts as part of an ongoing study on the 20 years of Erasmus Mundus. This study is conducted under a service contract by...

The Academic Cooperation Association  is excited to be part of the 33rd Annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, taking place 26 – 29 September in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This year’s conference theme is ‘Connecting currents’ and the event will take place...

Opened by a high-level panel – including Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, Joaquim Nadal, Head of the Department for Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, Joan Subirats, Minister for Universities in Spain and Margaritis Schinas, Vicepresident for Promoting...

On 7 September, the European Commission and the UK Government concluded negotiations and reached an agreement in principle on the association of the UK to Horizon Europe and Copernicus under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.  From the 2024 Work Programmes...

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) published the preliminary results of the fifteenth edition of ESN survey conducted over the summer. The survey collected responses from 17,855 exchange students, 1,856 full-degree students, and 3,064 non-mobile students across Europe and beyond. This...

On 15 September 2023, the European Commission opened a public consultation on the mid-term review of the current Erasmus+ programme and the final evaluation of the 2014-2020 programme. The public consultation is open until 8 December 2023.   The overall aim...

The annual negotiation and legislation processes for the EU budget 2024 are in full swing. On 8 September, the Council of the European Union formally approved the position reached by the Ambassadors of the member states to the European Union...

EU member states have appointed Iliana Ivanova as the new EU Commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth by common accord with the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The appointment follows the resignation of Mariya Gabriel...

In the context of the upcoming regional and federal elections in Belgium in 2024, Flemish universities presented their commitments and expectations in their Election Memorandum issued by the Flemish Inter-University Council (VLIR) earlier this month.   A key demand is the...

On 12 September, the OECD’s Directorate for Education and Skills issued the Education at a Glance 2023 report. The report has a broad focus on several education-related themes, ranging from early childhood to adult education. The set of indicators relevant...

As previously announced, the CEEPUS Joint Committee of Ministers has met in Warsaw to agree on the upcoming IV Programme starting from 2025. Their main objective for the 15 participating countries, coordinated by the Polish chairmanship, was to develop the...

The contribution of education to the promotion of common European values and democratic citizenship 03-04 October 2023 More information Erasmus Days 09-14 October 2023 More information Science for Policy in Europe Conference 10-11 October 2023 More information European Universities -...

The PROFFORMANCE project has won the EURASHE 2023 PHE Star Award for Digitalization during the European organization's annual conference in Bucharest. The project, presented by Jan Beseda (Centre for Higher Education Studies, Czech Republic), was recognized for its innovative assessment...

ACA is part of the consortium of the Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities project (ECEM) which is hosting the "Learning through Engagement Lab", taking place from the 5 to 7 October 2023, in Berlin. The event is targeted to students/student...

In November 2022, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) announced the winners of the first Fundamental Academic Values Award funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This year, the awards were presented during the scholarship holders’ meeting...

This July, the ACA Secretariat was strengthened with the addition of a new colleague to the team. Leon Cremonini, recently hired as Senior Researcher Manager, has been active in higher education policy reform in both Europe and globally for two...

On 29 June, DAAD Brussels and the European University Association (EUA) organised a joint roundtable at the EUA's premises in Brussels to discuss support for students, early carreer researchers and academics at risk.  The event brought together interested parties from...

On 6 July, MEP Milan Zver, the Erasmus+ rapporteur at the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education, hosted a meeting on the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme implementation in Brussels. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange experience between various stakeholder...

Earlier this month, the European Commission announced a comprehensive set of measures in the framework of the European Research Area (ERA). Designed to promote attractive and sustainable research careers, these measures will contribute to the priority action expressed in the...

On 3 July 2023, the European Commission unveiled the selection results of the recent Erasmus+ call for European Universities alliances. 30  alliances were selected under the 2023 Erasmus+ call, further supporting the rollout of the European Universities Initiative.  Amongst the...

Following the common policy of the EU towards China, the German Federal Government has published a new Strategy for China defining new parameters under which Germany’s interests will be upheld in its cooperation with China who is defined simultaneously as...

On July 14, the online consultation for the proposed legislation concerning a more balanced and coordinated approach to internationalisation in Dutch higher education was launched (‘Wet internationalisering in balans’). This phase of online consultation is one of the standard steps...

Erasmus+ mid-term review: university and student perspectives on student mobility 14 September 2023 More information II Meeting of European Alliances 14-15 September 2023 More information II Forum of Universities for the Future of Europe 14-15 September 2023 More information 33rd...

The recent DAAD General Assembly in Bonn has re-elected the current DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee and Vice President, Muriel Helbig for another term from January 1 2024 to December 31 2027. Mukherjee, currently serving as President of Justus Liebig University...

In the recently released "Movetia Jahresbericht 2022" report, the Swiss agency for exchange and mobility and ACA member, Movetia, has outlined its significant strides in fostering international cooperation and mobility in education. A key highlight of these efforts is the...

On June 6, 2023, the second PROFFORMANCE+ thematic webinar, focusing on “Assessment of Students' Learning”, engaged over 120 higher education educators from the EHEA. Showcasing innovative practices, the event sparked discussions about transforming assessment methods and student learning journeys. The...

The picturesque town of Bled played host to an inspiring conference co-organised by ACA and its Slovene member organisation CMEPIUS, from the 7 to 9 of June. The event, titled ‘’Fostering Digital Pedagogies through International Cooperation’’, brought together an international...

In light of the 20th anniversary of the Erasmus Mundus programme, NTT DATA (coordinator), the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Tipik are conducting an EU-funded impact study on Erasmus Mundus. Erasmus Mundus is the...

A wide range of experts and stakeholders have meet in Brussels on 15 June 2023 to discuss the final outcomes of the IHES (Internationalisation in Higher Education for Society) project and future outlooks of the IHES concept, supporting societal engagement...

The UniWeliS project consortium organised a symposium “Welcoming universities: Towards high-quality support for international academics in Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe” on 21 June in Bratislava, Slovakia. The event was held under the auspices of the Slovak V4 Presidency and organised...

In mid-June, the incoming Bulgarian government put forward the candidacies of Iliana Ivanova and Daniel Lorer for Bulgaria’s open slot in the college of EU Commissioners. The post became vacant in May, following the resignation of then Commissioner for innovation,...

The European Union has published “A New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean” (LAC) outlining a strengthened cooperation between the two blocks in several areas: Renewed political partnership Strengthening a common EU-LAC trade agenda...

The 4th call under the DIGITAL Europe Programme, was recently launched to support Advanced Digital Skills, focusing on the shortage of sector specialists, using advanced digital technologies and ICT specialists, and especially on girls and women and semiconductors disciplines. The...

The European Commission published a new call to develop a suitable structure for a fellowship scheme for researchers at risk that would address the currently fragmented and limited support to this group of academics at EU level. The proposed action...

On 20 June 2023, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed a regulation to establish the Ukraine Facility – a dedicated financing instrument meant to provide coherent, predictable as well as flexible support for the period 2024-2027 to...

With the ongoing Erasmus+ mid-term review, which will inform the further implementation in the remaining programme period, and will prepare the next programme generation, the European Universities Initiative (EUI) has been one of the central topics discussed in different fora...

On 27 June, the 20th edition of the QS World University Rankings was released, referring to the academic year 2023/24. This is also the edition with the largest coverage to date: 1 500 higher education institutions in 104 countries, based...

A recent online panel discussion held by Nuffic Connects, involving Sake Jager of the University of Groningen, Reinout Klamer of The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and Dinand Warringa from Hogeschool Windesheim, offered several key insights into the practice and...

Dutch higher education is internationally known for its excellent quality, accessibility, and wide range of English-taught programmes. Due to many years of growing international student numbers, some programmes and research universities in the Netherlands now face crowded lecture halls, high workload...

Journée Erasmus+ Enseignement supérieur 2023 03 July 2023 More information EURASHE Summer Cocktails 2023 04 July 2023 More information II Meeting of European Alliances 14-15 September 2023 More information II Forum of Universities for the Future of Europe 14-15 September...

In May, ACA members published their joint policy input feeding into the European Commission’s call for evidence on the revised European Learning Mobility Framework (for more details, see ACA Newsletter - Education Europe, February 2023). This statement is based on...

The European cooperation programmes for education, youth and sport all place high emphasis on sustainability as a priority. They encourage beneficiaries to find eco-friendly ways to participate in international activities and call for applications that address climate change. ACA member...

On 15 June 2023, the final conference of the IHES project will take place in the Catalan delegation in Brussels. A wide range of experts will discuss how to further advance the links between higher education, civil society and regional...

Just recently the SALTO Inclusion and Diversity (Education and Training) resource centre published a research report on the needs and challenges of national agencies related to the topic of inclusion and diversity.  The objective of this research was to provide...

In the new annual report, Nuffic presents data on incoming degree student mobility in the Netherlands in the academic year 2021-23, covering yearly growth in total numbers, new enrolments, countries of origin, and fields of study, amongst other parameters. The...

Over the month of May, participants of The Inclusion ACAdemy engaged in thought-provoking and informative sessions led by experts in the field of providing inclusive support. Valerie Mertens from the SIHO centre presented tools and resources for supporting students going...

In the framework of the recently kicked-off Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) project, partners met in Porto on 11 and 12 May to discuss how to use service learning to boost the civic engagement on the one hand, and...

In parallel to the Education Council meeting, the Swedish Presidency facilitated on 23 May a policy debate on knowledge security and responsible internationalisation as part of the latest Competitiveness Council meeting. This topic was defined, in the preparatory note that...

At the May meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, EU ministers approved two documents aiming to further advance the European Education Area (EEA) and to make automatic mutual recognition in education and training a reality. The Council’s...

The European Commission recently published a report analyzing the intermediate progress achieved in 2021-2022 by the 17 European University Alliances funded under the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society IBA-SwafS-Support-1-2020 call – Support for the Research and Innovation Dimension...

At the end of April, EURYDICE published the third edition of the Mobility Scoreboard - Higher education background report, covering the years 2022-2023. This is the last report responding to the mandate given by the Council of Ministers in 2011,...

At the end of April, the Swedish Government announced a decision to reduce the mandate of government-appointed external university board members from 36 to 17 months. This unexpected decision was justified in terms of helping universities to limit potential foreign...

The German Center for Higher Education and Science Research (DZHW) and the AG Hochschulforschung at the University of Konstanz developed and published with the cooperation of the the German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW) the 22nd Student survey in...

Fostering digital pedagogies through international cooperation 7-9 June 2023 More information EUF Open Space: Supporting changemakers in European higher education 7-9 June 2023 More information Career assessment for researchers at risk 8 June 2023 More information IHES Final Conference 15...

The final conference of the Internationalisation in Higher Education for Society (IHES) project will take place in Brussels on the 15 June 2023, hosted by the Catalan Delegation. The rich programme will include discussions on the potential of internationalisation for society, an...

The Dora Pluss programme (2016-2023) aimed to improve Estonia’s visibility and attractiveness as a destination for study and research, and to enhance the global competitiveness of the Estonian higher education sector. The programme was implemented with the support of the...

The call for applications for the 5th edition of the Stanisław Ulam programme, aiming to increase the internationalisation of Polish universities and scientific institutions, is open. The ULAM NAWA programme allows recognised as well as promising scientists coming to Poland,...

From 7 to 9 June 2023, the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) in cooperation with its member Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes (CMEPIUS) are organising the event ‘Fostering digital pedagogies through international...

Between 3 and 4 April, together with the University of Gdansk, NAWA has hosted over 300 guests representing academic community worldwide during the 2nd edition of the Focus on Ukraine conference, devoted to supporting Ukraine in the context of the...

Alumni Farnesina is a network recently created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in association with Uni-Italia, for all the international students who were awarded a scholarship by the Italian Government to study in Italy. The aim...

The OeAD is organising a bilateral Erasmus+ contact seminar for US universities on 30 May 2023 in Washington DC. The US institutions interested in enhancing cross-Atlantic collaboration with Austrian university partners are invited to join. The goal of the event...

The Erasmus Student Network held the second edition of the Erasmus Generation Meeting (EGM) in Bucharest, Romania, in early April. Attended by over 1,000 participants, the event brought together student mobility alumni, as well as representatives of partner organisations, EU...

In the DAAD recent position paper, an ambitious goal was set to double the number of international higher education graduates entering the German labour market every year based on a joint effort of policymakers, universities, and business. This number is...

Following the adoption of the Council recommendation on a European Approach to micro-credentials in June 2022, the discussion has gained further momentum in Germany and other parts of Europe. To assess the progress achieved so far, DAAD conducted a second...

Earlier this month the European Commission released the study, carried out by PPMI, exploring the feasibility of a joint European degree in the European context. The research for the study, involving stakeholder consultations, surveys and case studies, had been conducted...

On 24 March 2023, the European Commission adopted two multiannual work programmes under the Digital Europe Programme, allocating a total of EUR 1.284 billion in funding, out of which EUR 553 million is available in 2023. The main education work...

The European Commission Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) has opened an online consultation for its planned European framework for sustainable and attractive careers in higher education. This framework was proposed in the European Strategy for...

The Dutch education policymakers and stakeholders have been discussing lately various options aiming to better regulate international student enrolment in Dutch higher education. As part of this process , Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science issued a...

Recent statistics have shown an increase in the number of mobility periods Finnish higher education students completed abroad in 2022 compared to the year before. There were 6200 long-term mobility periods, i.e., study exchanges or traineeships with the minimum duration...

On 12 April, the Swedish Presidency and the Mission of Norway to the EU organised a joint seminar on automatic mutual recognition in higher education, in Brussels. The seminar provided an opportunity to present Nordic processes for recognition, as well...

With the digitalisation of higher education underway and increasingly affecting international education and collaboration, several funding schemes have been put in place to support projects within digitalisation, digital campuses, on-line learning as well as virtual/blended mobilities for individuals. The resulting...

Erasmus Goes Digital: Lessons learnt 2021-2022 3 May 2023 More information EduCafé  10 May 2023 More information Strategic dialogue on European Universities 10 May 2023 More information Virtual Mobility for All - Teaching and Learning in a Connected World, 1st...

This article is written by Enora Bennetot Pruvot - Deputy Director for Governance, Funding and Public Policy Development,  EUA. Autonomy remains a necessity for institutions’ ability to fulfil their core missions. University Autonomy in Europe IV: The Scorecard 2023, published...

On 24 March, ACA Director Irina Ferencz participated as an expert in the second session of the European Citizens' Learning Mobility Panel. The citizens’ panel is part of a broader consultation strategy, which aims at gathering feedback from all interested...

In light of the ongoing evaluation processes of the current and previous Erasmus+ programme, the European University Foundation (EUF), the European Students Union (ESU) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) organised on 23 March an event dedicated to the Erasmus+...

The Erasmus Mundus programme has played a significant role in the development of joint programmes at European and national level since its establishment nearly 20 years ago. The Erasmus+ third application round under the current programme generation shows that the...

Interoperability, blended mobility, virtual exchange and digitalisation strategies...these are just a few of the hot topics discussed at the Digitalisation in International Higher Education: Forward Looking Perspectives conference, co-organised by the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS) and the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), 1 –2 March...

The Inclusion ACAdemy is a new, tailor-made training series on inclusion and widening participation in international programmes, designed for higher education institutions (HEIs) from Austria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Iceland and Slovenia. The training series has been created for HEIs in...

In March, ACA’s member OeAD organised the Bologna Day 2023 dedicated to the transversal topic of internationalisation explored from the perspective of professional development. Hosted by the Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, the event brought together 160 participants including 40...

With the new "Ta'ziz Partnership" programme, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is promoting academic cooperation between German universities and their partners from the MENA region. 47 projects selected for 2023 will receive around EUR 4 million. A total of...

The European Commission has published the new ECHE monitoring guide for Erasmus+ national agencies. This document provides the general quality framework for European and international cooperation activities funded through the Erasmus+ programme. All higher education institutions based in EU member...

During the week of 20–24 March, several meetings with Directors-General for schools, vocational education and training and higher education were held in Stockholm as part of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Skills supply, green transition, recognition...

On 22 March 2023, the European Commission published a new study exploring the state and effectiveness of national funding for the European Universities Initiative (EUI). The report was prepared by experts from the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS)...

The Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education came into force on 5 March 2023, becoming the first legally binding United Nations instrument on higher education, fostering international mobility and opening up increased opportunities for students and...

The new Finnish Higher Education Partnership (HEP) development cooperation programme emphasises equal partnerships between higher education institutions, increases mobility and promotes closer collaboration between administrative staff, teachers and students. Launched in February 2023, the new HEP programme will further enhance...

Early in March, Academic Freedom Index 2023 update was released, assessing the academic freedom on a global scale as of December 2022. According to the report, in 22 countries, academic freedom deteriorated significantly compared to ten years ago, while only...

As of 1 January 2023, the Slovak parliament has approved an amendment to the Act on Health Insurance, regulating the public healthcare insurance for general healthcare provision in Slovakia. Scholarship holders within national/EU scholarship programmes or a programme that is part of an international agreement, residing...

Geflüchtete an österreichischen Hochschulen 12 April 2023 More information Erasmus+ Salon 1: Is the future of Erasmus+ students living in tents? 17 April 2023 More information Rethinking Learning Modes and Learning Paths 20-21 April 2023 More information Preparing universities of...

On 21 February, Nuffic published a new analysis on outgoing mobility of Dutch higher education students. The study was conducted by Saoradh Favier and Anneloes Slappendel-Henschen, based on the outgoing degree and credit mobility data collected from various sources including...

In February, ACA continued with a series of thematic peer group meetings organised for the association members on several topics of common interest. The European policies and programmes thematic peer group convened its ninth meeting on 15 February. The main...

The PROFFORMANCE project partners will organise a series of webinars for higher education teachers and professionals across Europe. This project and its successor PROFFORMANCE+ aim to improve the quality of teaching and learning through the support of higher education teachers....

As usual around this time of the year and finally in the physical format again, ACA conducted its flagship seminar What’s New in Brussels? Latest Developments in European Policies and Programmes. This year's programme focused on the translation of the...

On 13 and 14 February 2023, ACA hosted the kick off meeting of the HIBLend project in Brussels. The aim of this three-year project funded under the Erasmus+ programme is to raise interest in and enhance the capacity of higher...

Accompanying the EU's Green Deal, and the German government's National Hydrogen Strategy, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has launched a new scholarship programme called "ERA Fellowships - Green Hydrogen." The programme supports national and international research stays, internships and expert...

The European Commission has launched a call for evidence on the European learning mobility framework, accompanied by a public consultation on the same topic. Views on the upcoming initiative can be expressed between 8 February and 3 May 2023 via...

The European Commission published a report assessing the progress made by member states in the automatic and mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad. This report follows the...

On 8 February, the German Federal Government published its new research and innovation strategy: Zukunftsstrategie Forschung und Innovation. This strategy aims to provide a response to the multiple new and existing challenges ranging from climate change and digitalisation to the...

On 6 February 2023, Türkiye was hit by two major earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 respectively. The earthquakes also affected neighbouring countries, causing severe casualties and injuries in Syria especially, and damaging buildings in Lebanon, Iraq, Cyprus, and...

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has released new data showing the negative effects of Switzerland’s continuing non-association to Horizon Europe. Since 2021, Switzerland is no longer associated with European programmes. Swiss researchers can still participate in collaborative...

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and the National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK) have received financing of EUR 85 000 from The Centre for Peace Mediation of the Finish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for...

China recently lifted its temporary rules that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing foreign universities to offer online courses to students within the country. Like many other countries, it recognised the need for students to continue their...

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has adapted the research programme on IT security “Digital.Sicher.Souverän.“ (Digital.Secure.Sovereign.) to new developments and threats and complemented it with the BMBF's newly published “Agenda Cybersecurity Research” (in German). In the new publication,...

Digitalisation in International Higher Education: Forward Looking Perspectives 1-2 March 2023 More information TORCH Annual Forum: Sharing Common R&I Policies and Strategies 8 March 2023 More information Polonium Foundation- Science Polish Perspectives Meetup in Brussels 9-10 March 2023 More information...

With the national accompanying programme "European University Networks (EUN)–National Initiative", ACA member, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports German universities participating in the EU initiative “European Universities”. The third funding round of the program, which started in January 2023...

Movetia's latest publication: “Mobility Rates and Internationalisation Index of Swiss Higher Education Institutions” addresses a wide range of questions, such as which Swiss higher education institution has the highest mobility rate or which internationalisation factors are most encouraging for student...

Recently, the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) has been tasked by the government to map and analyse the conditions of Swedish HEIs’ participation in the European Universities Initiative (EUI). The report will entail an evaluation of the ongoing EU...

An impact assessment was recently conducted by ACA member, EDUFI, on its international trainee programmes. These programmes enable international traineeship opportunities yearly for around 200 Finnish higher education students and recent graduates. As in the previous assessment of 2017, the EDUFI...

As the European Commission just published the results of its European joint degree label and legal status calls, the European Universities Initiative continues to be in the spotlight at the start of the new year. Six of the ten selected...

Sweden assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a difficult time for member states and the Union as a whole as the geopolitical and economic situation in Europe has been strongly affected by Russia’s war against...

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) has recently launched the EIT Campus, a new initiative aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students and young professionals across Europe. The EIT Campus is designed to provide rich educational and...

At the end of December 2022, the European Commission informed the Tempus Public Foundation (TPF) – ACA’s member and the organisation that serves as the national agency for the Erasmus+ programme in Hungary – that based on the Council Implementing...

Following the Norwegian government’s budgetary proposal to introduce tuition fees for degree students from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland starting from autumn 2023, approved in the Parliament last December, the higher education sector is widely debating its implementation. As...

On 20 December 2022, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, Minister of Higher Education of Afghanistan, issued a letter to the HEIs across the country to impose an indefinite ban on Afghan women’s access to higher education. Taliban government justified this decision based...

A total of 1484 international degree students were enrolled to Estonian higher education institutions (HEIs) this academic year, which is 15% less than last year. Likewise, the total number of international degree students who currently study in Estonia dropped from...

The objective of the Education Finland programme, which operates within the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) and boosts Finnish education exports, is to increase the value of education exports to EUR 1 billion by 2030. According to a recent...

UK’s Department for Education has announced the provision of additional GBP 15 million (around EUR 17 million) funding to help students struggling raising with living costs. This will come on top of the GBP 261 million (around EUR 297 million)...

What's New in Brussels 2023 2-3 February 2023 More information IUA In-Person Event, Researchers Share Your Views on Enhancing the Success of Ireland’s New Funding Agency 02 February 2023 More information EDEN NAP Webinar - Students’ Wellbeing In Open and...