European Higher Education Study Tour
for Higher Education Leaders in Latin America

The European Context

European Higher Education has been undergoing major transformation over the last decade. Most prominent are the now internationally well-known Lisbon Strategy and the Bologna Process. Combined with the creation of the European Higher Education and Research Areas they embody the emergence of a truly European scene, building on the diversity of national systems.

But it is not only at the European level that change and reform is taking place. Many national systems, including France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries, are experiencing structural change, aimed at increased relevance, quality, innovation and responsiveness. Overall, European universities are operating in a highly dynamic context in which supra-national policies increasingly affect universities, their institutional governance and management.

Program Content

European policies and their implementation at the institutional level will be at the core of the study tour program. During the week, sessions will address implications of these policies with a focus on:

• Key issues in education (joint degree programs, quality standards, as well as equity and access)
• Research and innovation (knowledge transfer, responsiveness to industry and society)
• Trends in European higher education, and how their effects are managed at the institutional level

Particular aspects of university governance and institutional management (strategic profiling, financial sustainability and reaching out to society) will be addressed throughout the program.

Program Structure

The Study Tour will last one week, starting in Brussels (Belgium) and ending in Paris (France). During the week, participants will travel to Valencia (Spain) and Glasgow (United Kingdom). 
The Universidad Politécnica de Valencia and the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow) have been chosen as host institutions and case studies for their dynamic engagement at the regional, national and European level. Beyond these two examples, the program will offer a wide diversity of case studies from some of the most dynamic universities around Europe, with a wealth of different perspectives on European policies and their implementation in different national settings and institutions. A final session will draw on lessons learnt through the week, taking a comparative approach between Latin America and Europe.

Program Outline

The program will include opportunities for interaction and networking with university leaders and senior officials from European institutions. 

• Sunday (evening), Brussels
  Introduction to European higher education policies

• Monday & Tuesday (morning), Brussels
  Sessions will explore:
  • European policies in education, research and innovation and their impact on higher education institutions
  • Current developments to map the European higher education landscape in order to make it more transparent
  • Performance indicators, classifications, rankings and their impact on the need for strategic profiling of institutions

• Tuesday (afternoon)
  Travel to Valencia

• Wednesday & Thursday (morning), Valencia
  The program will focus on Education Reform as the main theme, looking at:
  • The Bologna Process
  • Tools to enhance student mobility (learning outcomes, European Credit Transfer System)
  • The European Quality Framework
  • Labor market trends and their impact on universities
• The program will also address governance and institutional management issues, along with questions about financial sustainability.

• Thursday (afternoon)
  Travel to Glasgow

• Friday & Saturday (morning), Glasgow
  The program will focus on:
  • Research and innovation
  • Interactions with the regional environment
  • Increasing participation and access

• Saturday (afternoon)
  Visit Edinburgh and then travel to Paris

Target Participants

This Study Tour is designed for higher education leaders from Latin American universities, higher education associations and policy centers, and government agencies.
There will be a maximum of 25 participants.

Participation Fee