During the works of the Conference of Parties (COP) 28 on Climate Change (Dubai 2023), it was recognized that culture, from arts to heritage, has a fundamental role to play in helping people to imagine and to realize low carbon, just, climate resilient futures and that culture has unparalleled capacity for enabling a powerfully inclusive response to create the systemic change needed to tackle the climate crisis.
The Alliance of 4 Universities (A-4U) and the Cervantes Institute organize a seminar of Spanish Language and Culture in Kenya
Within its strategic framework for internationalization, the Alliance of 4 Universities has organized from the 23 to the 25 of October 2023 a seminar about Spanish language and culture in Kenia together with the Cervantes Institute, the Spanish Embassy in Kenya and the United States International University-Africa.
Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U) has secured 367,710 Euros of Erasmus+ funding in 2022. These funds will help continue student and staff exchange between 4 member universities of A4U (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona) and 53 partner universities in 13 countries: Russia, South Africa, Iran, Indonesia, Vietnam, Botswana, Kenia, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Namibia, India, Malaysia and Thailand.
Since 2015 A4U was awarded a total of nearly 2 million Euros of Erasmus+ funding, which enabled the exchange of almost 500 staff and students from A4U and its partner universities, with almost 90 more being planned for 2023-2024 academic year.
As a result of the exchange, students improve their language and intercultural skills, increase their confidence and gain international experience that counts towards their qualification. A research stay abroad can help doctoral students jumpstart their career.
Elizaveta Cherepovskaia is a Linguistics student of the Southern Federal University in Russia who visited the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in 2021. She relates: “Erasmus+ academic stay helped me greatly in all aspects of life. It enhanced my studies. I had never experienced how it feels to be an international student, cooperate with people from different countries, solve daily-life issues abroad speaking only foreign languages. Erasmus+ stay was the best period of my life that changed my mindset radically. I would certainly recommend others to consider going on Erasmus+ exchange.”
Staff also benefit from exchange as they learn and share best practice and have a chance to have a first-hand experience of a different educational system.
Dr Marcos Rodriguez Millan from the Polytechnic school of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid visited the Indian Institute of Technology of Delhi in India in 2019. He says: “The stay allowed me to learn about other research and teaching methodologies. I was able to share teachings with students from different countries close to India. It allowed me to establish new links with the researchers of the university. I was able to produce a joint research paper and I am still in contact with them. The researchers showed me a portion of their culture in addition to their methodologies and potential synergies, which was personally very enriching.”
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are welcome to take part in the programme and may receive top-up grants.
Through participation in Erasmus+ programme, universities have opportunities to forge cooperation in teaching and research, attract talent and increase the number of international students and staff, which in turn contributes to their diversity and internationalisation.
A compilation of stories from previous Erasmus+ participants can be consulted here.
Prof. Fernando Camacho Padilla of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, during his stay at Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran
In 2020 Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U) has once more been successful in securing Erasmus+ funding for student and staff exchange with non-European countries. This year the scope of the programme has been increased and 49 partner universities in 10 countries, Russia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Iran, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, are now part of the scheme.
The inclusion of new partner universities is possible thanks to the ongoing support of the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade, a governmental agency that co-finances A4U institutional visits. During these visits A4U representatives establish links with the leading universities, researchers have the possibility to know each other and explore possibilities of cooperation in teaching and research. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the visits in 2020 took place online.
Since 2015 A4U has been awarded a total of 1.644.103 Euros of Erasmus+ funds, which has enabled the exchange of almost 500 staff and students from A4U and its partner universities. Funds obtained in 2020 will be used to support mobilities during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years. The calls for applications are now open and applications can be submitted via A4U webpage.
As a result of the exchange, students improve their language and inter-cultural skills, increase their confidence and gain international experience that counts towards their qualification. A research stay abroad can help doctoral students jumpstart their career. Staff also benefit from exchange as they learn and share best practice and have a chance to have a first-hand experience of a different educational system.
Through participation in Erasmus+ programme, universities have opportunities to forge cooperation in teaching and research, attract talent and increase the number of international students and staff, which in turn contributes to their diversity and internationalisation.
Erasmus+ continues during COVID-19 pandemic and mobilities can take place as and when the health situation and travel restrictions in the sending and receiving countries allow it.
Check Erasmus+ stories of exchange participants on https://alliance4universities.eu/en/erasmus-stories/
Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U) has secured 247.050,00 Euros of Erasmus+ funding in 2019. These funds will help continue student and staff exchange between 4 universities members of A4U (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona) and 27 partner universities in 4 countries: Russia, South Africa, Iran and Indonesia, and Vietnam*.
Since 2015 A4U was awarded a total of 1.302.093,00 Euros of Erasmus+ funds, which enabled the exchange of 328 staff and students from A4U and its partner universities, with 17 more being planned for 2020-2021 academic year.
As a result of the exchange, students improve their language and inter-cultural skills, increase their confidence and gain international experience that counts towards their qualification. A research stay abroad can help doctoral students jumpstart their career.
Viktoriia Khodyreva, a Bachelor student in Applied Mathematics and Informatics at Higher School of Economics spent a semester studying at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. She says: “Erasmus definitely helped me to become more confident academically. I had an opportunity to study in a different environment, to try new courses and to experience life abroad. What is more, I made good contacts useful in my career and while travelling: I have friends all over the world”.
Staff also benefit from exchange as they learn and share best practice and have a chance to have a first-hand experience of a different educational system.
Dr Maxim Anikeev, a Lecturer in Computer Security at Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don who visited Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, says: “Delivering classes abroad is a great experience. I would totally recommend it to all university teachers. This is a chance to bring your teaching materials to an audience with an unfamiliar background. This is also a great insight into the higher education system of another country. I established contacts with several colleagues from UAB and hope we will have a chance to submit a joint grant proposal.”
Through participation in Erasmus+ programme, universities have opportunities to forge cooperation in teaching and research, attract talent and increase the number of international students and staff, which in turn contributes to their diversity and internationalisation.
Check more Erasmus+ stories of exchange participants on https://alliance4universities.eu/en/erasmus-stories/
*Universities that take part in A4U Erasmus+ programme
Russia: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Higher School of Economics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Russian State University for the Humanities, North-West Institute of Management branch of RANEPA (St. Petersburg), St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Southern Federal University.
South Africa: University of Pretoria, University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape, and University of the Free State.
Iran: University of Tehran, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Amirkabir University of Technology.
Indonesia: Universitas Indonesia, Institute of Technology of Bandung, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Airlangga, BINUS University, Telkom University, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Vietnam: Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam National University in Hanoi, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
Alianza 4 Universidades (A4U) has been successful in gaining Erasmus+ funding, securing 275.050,00€ in the latest round of funding award. A4U is a consortium of 4 Spanish public universities: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.
Thanks to this funding student and staff exchange will be carried out between universities members of A4U and their partner universities in Russia, South Africa, Iran, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. As a result of the exchange, students will return with improved language and inter-cultural skills, increased confidence, and gain international experience that counts towards their qualification. Staff will get to know first-hand the workings of a different educational system, learn and share new ideas and explore best practices to take back home. They will also be able to benefit from research and teaching development opportunities, and receive training.
Bachelor, Master and PhD students as well as teaching and administrative staff from all subject areas from partner universities and A4U universities can apply. Erasmus+ funding covers travel and living expenses from 3 to 5 months for students, and for 7 days for staff. The time spent abroad is recognised by the sending university, and the obtained credits count towards the student’s academic record. Staff deliver 8 hours of teaching or receive training during their stay.
148 staff and students have already taken part in the exchange between A4U and its partner universities in Russia, South Africa, Iran, India, Indonesia since 2015, and 164 more will join them in the next two years.
It is expected that as a result of this exchange programme, participating partner universities and universities members of A4U will:
Check Erasmus+ stories of students and staff who took part in the exchange on https://alliance4universities.eu/en/erasmus-stories/
The IUNE Observatory has published a report on the research conducted at Spanish universities between 2005 and 2014. The report measures various parameters, such as scientific output (number of papers by university, region and subject area), scientific collaboration (national and international), impact (citations by university and professor), visibility (papers published in first-quartile journals), recognition of teaching staff (based on the number of six-year productivity bonuses, or sexenios, awarded), technological innovation (measured with indicators such as the number of patents and spin-offs), competitiveness (Spanish and European competitive projects), and talent recruitment and training capacity (linked to the number of dissertations defended or Ramon y Cajal, Juan de la Cierva, research internship (FPI) and university internship (FPU) grants received).
The A4U excels in all the parameters measured. The Alliance accounted for 17% of all research output, despite having only 6% of the Spanish university system’s teaching staff. Indeed, according to Professor Elías Sanz, the coordinator of the IUNE Observatory project, at the international level, ‘The A4U’s joint output outstripped that of institutions such as the universities of Munich, Copenhagen, Pierre & Marie Curie or Bologna.’
Similarly, according to the report, the A4U accounted for 20% of the university’s system’s national collaborative output, 5% more than the system average. The quality and visibility of the output also bear witness to the Alliance’s potential, as together the partner universities account for 19% of the papers published in journals in the first quartile and 20% of the system’s ‘Top 3’ papers. Finally, the report highlights competitiveness as one of the key strengths of the A4U, which accounted for 17% of the system’s Framework and Horizon 2020 programmes and averaged 3.3 projects per 100 teachers, compared to 0.56 for the system as a whole.
uring the past 27 May Competitiveness Council of the EU, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas, announced the 25 members of the High-Level Advisory Group Open Science Policy Platform that will provide advice about the development and implementation of open science policy in Europe.
Dr. Eva Méndez Rodríguez, Deputy Vice President for Strategy and Digital Education at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has been nominated as one of themembersof the Platform and will represent the interests of YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network), as well as of REBIUN (Network of Spanish University Libraries, CRUE).
The mandate of the Platform will be to:
· Advise the Commission on how to further develop and practically implement open science policy, in line with the priority of Commissioner Moedas to radically improve the quality and impact of European science
· Function as a dynamic, stakeholder-driven mechanism for bringing up and addressing issues of concern for the European science and research community and its representative organisations, following five broad lines for actions which are presented in thedraft European Open Science Agenda
· Support policy formulation by helping to identify the issues to be addressed and providing recommendations on the policy actions required
· Support policy implementation, contributing to reviewing best practices, drawing policy guidelines and encouraging their active uptake by stakeholders
· Provide advice and recommendations on any cross-cutting issue affecting Open Science
Regarding the type of organisations represented, the following categories feature:
· Universities
· Research organisations
· Academies of Science/ Learned Societies
· Funding Organisations
· Citizen Science Organisations
· Publishers
· Open Science Platforms/ Intermediaries
· Libraries
Open Science is one one of the three priorities of Carlos Moedas’ mandate Open Science, Open Innovation, Open to the WorldOne of the concrete actions refers to the development of the European Open Science Cloud, presented on 19 April, as part of the Digital Single Market.
