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The 4 Universities Alliance (A-4U), a strategic association of four leading public universities in Spain: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona (UPF) has carried out an institutional mission to Malaysia from the of 26th February to 5th March.

Within the strategic framework for the internationalization of these universities, the A-4U has developed the institutional mission in Malaysia with the aim of promoting bilateral collaborations between Malaysian and Spanish universities in the areas of teaching, research and technology transfer. The institutional mission was attended by the representatives of international relations of the four universities and the coordinator of the International Relations department of the A-4U.

The mission, which was held for a week in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, has developed a series of meetings and visits to the main Malaysian universities to establish contact and strengthen relations with the main agents of the country. The institutions visited were: Universiti Kuala Lumpur(UniKL), University of Malaya(UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia(UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia(UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia(USM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and el Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

In addition, the A-4U has held meetings with the Spanish Embassy in Malaysia and Aula Cervantes in Kuala Lumpur.

The general assembly of the Alliance of 4 Universities (A4U) held today, 17 January, at UPF has served to strengthen the joint task in teaching, research and internationalization of the four universities that belong to it: Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

Attending the meeting were the four rectors and members of their management teams. It reviewed the main achievements of 2016 and served to sketch out new lines of action with a view to 2017, marked by the firm intention to promote new joint projects.

Review of 2016

In the field of research, the high impact achieved so far in the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Commission stands out, with resources being obtained in competitive calls by the four universities. UPF stands out especially in Pillar I of the programme, “Excellent Science” with 38 grants, UC3M in Pillar II, “Industrial Leadership”, with 12 grants, and UAB in Pillar III, “Social Challenges”, with 15 grants.

Moreover, this year the IUNE Observatory has become established and become a national benchmark used by many universities to decide their future strategy. The A4U observatory conducts an annual analysis of the research activity in Spanish universities with comparative data.

In the field of internationalization, the joint work by the Alliance allowed initiating relations with the countries of South-East Asia, as is the case of Indonesia, where a mission was organized to present the academic programmes of the different institutions. The Erasmus+ mobility project has been consolidated with 15 Russian universities and 4 in South Africa, which has benefited 121 undergraduate, master’s and doctorate students.

In teaching, the joint degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics has become established after three years with a high level of demand and an entrance cut-off mark of 12 out of 14. The degree aims to prepare professionals who are solidly trained in political and economic sciences, with a significant base in moral and critical analysis thanks to the humanities’ input.

The main feature of this degree is the mobility involved, since students study the degree between Barcelona and Madrid, with the possibility of stays abroad.

Finally, with regard to communication, the new A4U website has been presented, with a revamped design and structure that is better suited to the new technological requirements

Future challenges

The meeting also lay down the lines to follow with a view to 2017, which are based on strengthening the alliance, especially in the international arena, to manage to gain visibility and attract the best foreign students.

Work will also begin to provide new joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees between the four universities, in view of the successful functioning of the bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

The Alliance of 4 Universities is a strategic partnership between four public Spanish universities. It was established in 2008 with a joint commitment to promote high quality scientific research and excellence in education. Its objectives are to improve the international mobility of students, researchers and academics, as well as to establish collaborative partnerships in research throughout the world and enhance the international profile of each of the universities.

Last October 6th, Jaume Casals, president of the Alliance 4 Universities and rector of the Pompeu Fabra University had an appointment with Maurício da Silva Ferreira, rector of the Catholic University of Salvador (UCSAL) in Barcelona. The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the ties between UCSAL and A4U in research, teaching and mobility. During the meeting, the organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the next 5 years. This agreement confirms Brazil as a key country for the internationalisation process of the universities of the A4U.

Within the strategic framework for the internationalization of universitiesof the alliance, the A4U has developed an institutional mission to Indonesia in mid-July, aiming at establishing contact and strengthen relationships with key players in the country in the sector Higher Education, such as Universitas Indonesia, the Bandung Institute Teknology Bandung, Universitas Gajda Mada, the Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP) or the Ministry of Reshe coordinator of the A4U.