The UAB attends ECIU activities in Brussels

"Being part of ECIU allows us to have, at the same time, a first contact with high European institutions and influence capabilities since we are consulted on these initiatives."

On 12 March, Oscar Jané, vice-rector for International Relations at the UAB and member of the ECIU Board; Aurora Ruiz-Herrera, assistant to the vice-rector for Research and member of the ECIU Research Commission; Ivan Martínez, deputy executive administrator of Research; and Mireia Galí, institutional coordinator of ECIU University at the UAB, participated in the “From Valorisation to Impact” forum in Brussels. This event brought together over 100 participants to analyse the current discussions on EU competitiveness and define what is needed to better assess the knowledge produced by universities and increase impact on society. The session also included the presentation of an innovation document, a leaflet with case studies on impact, and also contained an innovation display, with specific inventions created by ECIU members that are having a positive impact on society.

The event was attended and addressed by Andras Inotai, head of the Innovation and Access to Funding Unit of the European Commission, who considered of great value the ECIU’s publication "From Valorisation to Impact", which shows ECIU's vision on the role of innovative universities in improving EU competitiveness and offers recommendations for universities in society.

ECIU Board meeting

On 13 and 14 March, the ECIU Board, of which the UAB Vice-Rector for International Relations Oscar Jané is member, held a meeting which was also attended by Ramon Vilanova, vice-rector for Studies and Quality and member of the ECIU Studies Commission, and Mireia Galí, institutional coordinator of ECIU University at the UAB. The board met with Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, member of the Cabinet of Roxana Mînzatu, executive vice-president for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Work and Preparation of the European Commission, to share the most relevant and recent updates of European policies in the field of competitiveness and Higher Education, as this are directly related to Europe’s university alliances, such as the ECIU University, and to the implementation of micro-credentials. In this regard, Debiais-Sainton highlighted the relevance of the implementation of the European degree and the ECIU University's commitment to a flexible learning pathway based on the choices and needs of students so that they can complete their European skills passport. The meeting also focused on discussing the recent publication of the Union of Skills plan. This plan is designed to improve high quality education, training and lifelong learning with the aim of delivering higher levels of basic and advanced skills, providing opportunities for people to upgrade and learn new skills on a regular basis, facilitating recruitment by companies across the EU, and attracting, developing and retaining top talent in the EU.

In this regard, the UAB team highlighted "the importance of being part of an alliance like ECIU in order to face the new challenges posed by both the European degree and the Union of Skills plan, which will lead us to rethink aspects of the university education model. Being part of ECIU allows us to have, at the same time, a first contact with high European institutions and influence capabilities since we are consulted on these initiatives."

Antoni Abat, member of the UAB Institute of European Studies, and Enric Lopez, from the International Relations Area, also presented to the board the results of the challenges they have been working on in the past months of the ECIU Leadership Programme. This initiative emerged in 2003 with the aim of contributing to ECIU innovation by providing a structured learning experience for a group of selected potential leaders.

Throughout this week in Brussels, Aurora Ruiz-Herrera, assistant to the vice-rector for Research, and Ramon Vilanova, vice-rector for Studies and Quality, participated in the respective work meetings of the ECIU University’s Research and Studies comissions.