“We need to talk about impact” is the keynote of the European University Association’s international conference, which this year, for the first time, will be held in Poland. The event scheduled for 20 and 21 April will be hosted by the Gdansk University of Technology.
The European University Association (EUA) is the largest organisation representing European universities. It was established in 2001 through the merger of the Association of European Universities and the Confederation of European Union Rectors’ Conferences. It brings together more than 850 universities and national rectors’ conferences from 49 countries. This group includes 37 Polish universities and the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland. There are 19 million students at all EUA member universities.
The EUA plays a key role in the Bologna process, works for the development of higher education in Europe and represents the sector in the social and political forums that decide the shape of education, research and innovation regulations.
The EUA’s annual conference, attended by rectors and management and academic representatives from several hundred European universities, will take place in Gdansk. The leading theme is the impact of universities on the surrounding socio-business environment and how they shape key principles in times of great change or crisis.
During traditional and interactive sessions, participants will discuss the desirability of international rankings, universities’ pursuit of the highest possible quality of science and teaching, their contribution to ecology and action in the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as their key role in innovation and support for scientists in their research work.
Discussions will go beyond narrow definitions of economic impact, looking at the broader context of impact as a measure of a university’s responsibility to its own academic community and to the social and business environment. During the conference, the EUA authorities for the 2023-2027 term will be elected.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński