The rector Dídac Ramírez closed the Second Bi-regional Conference between Europe and Latin America within the project Alfa Puentes
More than one hundred representatives of university associations and experts on higher education from Europe and Latin America met in Cartagena (Colombia) from 2 to 4 December within the Second Bi-regional Conference: “A Europe-Latin America Partnership for Innovative, Responsive and Sustainable Universities”. The conference was closed by the rector of the University of Barcelona, Dr Dídac Ramírez. The conference is part of the project Alfa Puentes, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the European University Association (EUA). Its main objective is to foster the regional development of higher education in Latin America and to improve the role of European and Latin-American university associations in supporting the modernization of higher education and its internationalization.
Debates on higher education, research development and internationalization were used to expose different initiatives emerged within the project Alfa Puentes. Throughout the meeting, which included plenary sessions and workshops, the results of a survey entitled “Higher education transformations in Latin America” were also presented. The organisers of the project have carried out a study of Latin Americaʼs universities in order to analyse the evolution and future trends of higher education in the continent.
More than one hundred representatives of university associations and experts on higher education from Europe and Latin America met in Cartagena (Colombia) from 2 to 4 December within the Second Bi-regional Conference: “A Europe-Latin America Partnership for Innovative, Responsive and Sustainable Universities”. The conference was closed by the rector of the University of Barcelona, Dr Dídac Ramírez. The conference is part of the project Alfa Puentes, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the European University Association (EUA). Its main objective is to foster the regional development of higher education in Latin America and to improve the role of European and Latin-American university associations in supporting the modernization of higher education and its internationalization.
Debates on higher education, research development and internationalization were used to expose different initiatives emerged within the project Alfa Puentes. Throughout the meeting, which included plenary sessions and workshops, the results of a survey entitled “Higher education transformations in Latin America” were also presented. The organisers of the project have carried out a study of Latin Americaʼs universities in order to analyse the evolution and future trends of higher education in the continent.
The conference that took place in Cartagena was divided into four main sessions focused on the following subject matters: data in higher education institutions at system level, according to the needs of current society and future trends; international frameworks and instruments of different higher education systems; internationalization strategies and actions, and finally, a summary of conferenceʼs main conclusions. Moreover, those present reflected upon university future perspectives on Europe-Latin America partnership.
More than twenty European and Latin-American university associations participate in the project Alfa Puentes. Co-funded by the programme ALFA of the EU, its objective is to developed convergence processes in higher education systems in three Latin American sub-regions (Andean Community, Mercosur region and Central America), in the areas of quality assurance, internationalization and student mobility. Simultaneously, it aims at generating stronger working relationships between European and Latin American university associations to lead the dialogue in higher education issues.