The Arqus Forum 2022 starts today at the University of Granada. During two days (12th and 13th September), more than 150 participants including students, academics and professionals from the nine universities of the Alliance will meet at the University of Granada to share the most important outcomes and experiences acquired during Arqus I and to discuss the immediate future of the European University Alliances and Arqus.
The Arqus Forum 2022 entails the official closing of Arqus I, after 3 years of successful implementation of the first phase of the Alliance in which the foundations of the truly European University, to which the Arqus community aspires, have been laid. The event is also an opportunity to celebrate the approval of the Arqus work plan for the next 4 years (2022-2026) as well as to reinforce the enthusiasm, motivation and commitment for the new phase.
Today, after the formal opening of the event by the Rector of the University of Granada, Pilar Aranda, the Rector of the University of Minho, Rui Castro, and the Arqus Coordinator, Dorothy Kelly, participants in the Actions Lines will present some of the main Arqus highlights on:
• Widening Access, Inclusion and Diversity (AL2);
• Student Centred Frameworks for Quality Learning (AL3);
• Multilingual & Multicultural University (AL4);
• Entrepreneurial University and Regional Engagement (AL5);
• Research Support and Early Stage Researcher Development (AL6);
• Engaged European Citizens (AL7) and
• Research and Innovation dimensions of the Alliance, Arqus RI.
During the afternoon, the Action Line Boards, the Arqus RI team, the Steering Committee and the Vice-Rectors’ Council will work in different parallel internal meetings. The day will end with a welcome dinner and diverse cultural activities offered by the hosting institution.
On Tuesday morning, 2 open sessions will take place:
• From 9:30 to 11:00 CEST, Panel debate "The future of European Universities Initiative", with the participation of Vanessa Debiais-Sainton (Head of Unit, Higher Education DG-EAC, Markus González (Permanent Secretary, Spanish Ministry for Universities), Juan Rayón (President of the Erasmus Student Network), Roberto Zanino (Vice-Rector of the Politecnico di Torino, representative of the UNITE! EU Alliance), Ruth Ladenheim (member of the Arqus International Advisory Board). Moderated by Dorothy Kelly (Arqus Coordinator).
• From 11:30 to 13:00 CEST, Session “Looking forward: panel reflections on the future of the Arqus European University Alliance”, with the participation of Arturas Vasiliauskas (Vilnius University), Petra Schaper-Rinkel (University of Graz), Anne Giroir-Fendler (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), Duarte Lopes (President of Arqus Student Council). Moderated by Rui Castro (Rector of the University of Minho).
Both Monday and Tuesday sessions will be broadcast live on the Arqus YouTube Channel.
After the lunch break on Tuesday, internal meetings of different bodies will continue.
"The Arqus Forum 2022 is the finishing touch to these three years of effort, enthusiasm and commitment of the entire Arqus community to lay the foundations of the university of the future, the European University, in each of our institutions. As Arqus I comes to an end, it is time to share the main achievements and successes, but especially the lessons learned in order to continue improving our functioning as an Alliance of universities and as a community. The Forum is also a great opportunity to reflect on the highly valuable intangible results that have been acquired during this first stage of Arqus, such as the trust created within the diverse working teams involved in all the activities or the tacit knowledge about the internal functioning of each of our universities, and to ask ourselves how we can make the most of and sustain them so that Arqus can generate a deep impact on our societies in the long term", says Dorothy Kelly, Coordinator of the Alliance and Vice-Rector for Internationalization at the University of Granada.