EURASHE is pleased to report that its 22nd Annual Conference titled "Responding to challenges for European higher education: Lifelong learning and the Welfare Society" was successfully held on 10 & 11 May 2012 in Riga, Latvia.

The event was hosted by the Banku Augstskola - BA School of Business and Finance at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija, in cooperation with the Danish Rectors' Conference - University Colleges Denmark (both our members) and the FLLLEX project.

A really theme-bound conference of EURASHE was organised, which produced a Conference rich in subject specific content. Keynote speakers provided the wider background for the two themes. Joeri van den Steenhoven (NL) reflected on the modernisation of the welfare society and the role of (higher) education in Lifelong learning, social innovation and the welfare society. Jørn Henrik Petersen (DK) discussed a dilemma embedded in all European societies: a weakening of individual responsibility as the State has taken over and the role of the welfare society and (higher) education in this sense.

On this occasion the FLLLEX project has also been presented, in particular the instrument which has been developed in order to implement Lifelong Learning strategies in higher education institutions: the FLLLEX-Radar. This is a project initiated and supported by EURASHE, which aims at identifying challenges and implications of the incorporation of Lifelong Learning into European Higher Education institutions

EURASHE's participation and message at the Bologna Ministerial Meeting, Bucharest: TOWARDS A DIVERSIFIED, RESPONSIVE AND COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION

A delegation of EURASHE led by President, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, participated in the Bucharest Ministerial Conference and the 3rd Bologna Policy Forum on 26-27 April. This high-profile biannual event gathered the 47 EHEA Ministers and the stakeholders' organisations in the Bologna Process for a state of the art HE reform conference, and fixed the agenda for the coming years, whereas additional non-EHEA Ministers and stakeholders also participated in the 3rd Bologna Policy Forum.

EURASHE favours a higher education that focuses on making graduates employable in a sustainable way, in continuous contact with stakeholders in HE, with the support of a lifelong learning framework and a student-centred approach, and based on a transparent and quality-assured provision of programmes, irrespective of the institutional or country context.

Universities of Applied Sciences in the creation and practical development of knowledge and its technological applications. This message was also expressed in the joint policy paper with UASNet, 'Position paper on Research and Innovation' which was presented to the Ministers, alongside our overall message for this Conference, 'Towards a diversified, responsive and competitive European Higher Education'.

Learn more on EURASHE's invovlement in 'Bologna' activities, in the EHEA, in the BFUG, and at this particular Ministerial Conference.

Read our Policy paper 'Towards a diversified, responsive and competitive European Higher Education' and our Joint Position Paper with UASnet here.

EURASHE is pleased to inform you that it will organise a 'Seminar on the implementation of Internal (and External) Quality Assurance and of the ESG in HEIs' on 27 and 28 September 2012 in Nicosia, Cyprus.

This capacity building event is organised in cooperation with the European University of Cyprus, and the Open University Cyprus, both EURASHE members. Moreover it will take place under the Auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the European Union.

The seminar is built upon two themes, Internal QA processes & instruments for improvement; and Implementation of the ESG for QA in the institutions.

The provisional programme of the event is already accessible and more information will be available including registration information in the next week.

Stay tuned and reserve the dates!

On 20 April, EURASHE was represented at the CaribErasmus (Caribbean Opening to Erasmus Mundus) Seminar in Haiti dedicated to Academic Cooperation and Mobility between the Caribbean and Europe.

You can view the presentation by EURASHE delivered during this event.

Read the draft Report of the Seminar here.

Moreover the CaribErasmus project plans an International Seminar titled 'Higher education cooperation between the Caribbean and Europe: challenges and opportunities' in Brussels on 4 July. This will be the Final Event of the project.

This Seminar envisions to share information, exchange knowledge, and begin a process of roadmapping; based on research results and data on EU-Caribbean cooperation.

You can learn more in the draft programme and on our website.

Or go directly to the official page of the Seminar.

It comprises information on the activities of EURASHE in 2011, its members, the policy development activities of EURASHE, as well as information on the projects in which EURASHE is involved.

 Moreover a log of events will inform you of all the events and activities EURASHE organised and took part in throughout the year.

You can read the 2011 Annual Report here, and in our library!

On 11 May EURASHE organised its 2012 General Assembly in the framework of its 22nd Annual Conference. Next to the usual matters dealt with in the General Assembly, the Office of Vice-President had to be renewed.

EURASHE is pleased to inform you that Capt. Patrick Blondé (BE), Rector of the Antwerp Maritime Academy, has been confirmed in his position for the next two years.

In 2002 he was appointed General Manager of the Antwerp Maritime Academy. At the Academy he introduced the bachelor-master structure and initiated scientific research. He was also in charge of various international cooperation projects, for instance the establishment of nautical training and education in Cambodia. He is a vice-chairman of the Association of Antwerp University & Colleges (AUHA) and of Flamenco. As a member of the Executive Committee of VLHORA (EURASHE member), chairman of Adinsa (Advisory Group International Cooperation) and director of VLIR-UOS, he is active in internationalisation and development cooperation.

The European Access Network (EAN) will be organising its 21st Annual Conference titled "Access to Higher Education: is it a right, a privilege or a necessity" on 27-29 June, in Zagreb Croatia.

It will discuss the impact of rankings; issues of affordability, quality, equity and diversity; the responsiveness of education systems to new demands and trends. There will be a strong element of student participation within the programme.

More information can be found in the programme, on our website or on the EAN website.

EURASHE is co-organising, with the E4 group, EUA, ENQA and ESU, the 7th European Quality Assurance Forum in Tallinn, Estonia. It will take place on 22 - 24 November 2012. This 7th edition of EQAF will be titled 'How does quality assurance make a difference?'.

It will specifically explore the impact of external and internal quality assurance (QA) on higher education policies and institutional realities through a mix of plenary and parallel sessions.

As the deadline for submitting contributions (31 July 2012) for parallel sessions approaches, we would like to encourage you once more to contribute to EQAF 2012.

You can find more information on our webpage dedicated to the event, or on the official page of the 7th EQAF.

Download the call for contributions as well as the Workshop proposal form and the Paper proposal form.