A NETWORK FOR AMBITIOUS UNIVERSITIES
European University Foundation - Campus Europae A network for ambitious universities December 2014 Château de Munsbach 31, rue du Parc L-5374 Munsbach Luxembourg Š European University Foundation - Campus Europae, 2014 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Design: J. Wyssling Printed in Germany
“In Europe, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts (...). We have no other choice than to share our energy, talents, ambitions, projects, and dreams.� Jean-Claude Juncker
EUF-CE Launch Conference
MISSION Campus Europae aims at fostering the idea of European citizenship by enabling students to experience Europe’s unity and diversity and at contributing to the modernisation of the European Higher Education Area.
ACTION Besides being an incubator for innovation in student exchange, the network implements long-term and in-depth cooperation among universities, by exploring their complementarities and differences. This results in new avenues of cooperation among European universities as well as their modernisation.
VALUES Campus Europae stands for diversity and social fairness in Higher Education, and it acknowledges the role of universities as a key driver for societal change underpinned by academic freedom in both teaching and research.
Academic cooperation It is commonly agreed that recognition of credits earned abroad remains one of the biggest challenges of credit mobility in Europe, as confirmed by the last PRIME Survey by the Erasmus Student Network: only 76% of mobile students obtain full recognition of their studies abroad. Campus Europae advocates for the full recognition of studies abroad and pioneered the development of ex-ante recognition processes. Students moving within the network can rely on an online database of courses that have been mutually recognised between partners of the network, to prepare more reliable learning agreements. From 2014, the methodological know-how and mutual trust that has been accrued over years of intensive cooperation is being used to systematically embed mobility in curricula by means of mobility windows and double and joint degrees.
140
academics cooperating 15 subject fields
7000
entries in the online database of course equivalences
Language learning Europe’s extensive and rich cultural heritage is indissociable from its linguistic mosaic. Campus Europae has been researching ways to allow diverse and balanced mobility flows, that enable students to choose destinations where less frequently spoken languages are being used. In this context, cooperation has concentrated on enabling mobile students to acquire basic skills in local languages before their actual mobility, which in turn has rendered exchanges more academically successful. While more than 50% of the students going on exchanges within the network have no knowledge of the host country when they decide to go abroad, they earn in average 54 ECTS during their study year abroad.
13
languages are available on the online language learning platform of the network
2014
Erasmus+ introduces an online language learning platform for 6 major languages
Social Dimension European higher education policies should contribute to reducing inequalities and forging social cohesion in our societies. This also concerns internationalisation and student exchange programmes - it is thus crucial that students from all social backgrounds are able to afford to study at European universities and be mobile. Campus Europae started advocating for equal access to mobility in 2005, and it has never stopped investigating how this can be best achieved. The network has also focused on how the mobility of working students can be enhanced, since they amount to more than 50% of Europe’s student body - and conventional mobility grants often fail to take into account the loss of income they incur when studying abroad.
2005
the network advocates for mobility grants based on social and economic background
2014
top-up grants are introduced in Erasmus+ for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds
Employability & entrepreneurship Young graduates find it increasingly difficult to find jobs when leaving the world of Higher Education. It is therefore necessary to ensure not only appropriate education is provided, but also that students receive the right mix of skills. Member universities have been developing the notion of part-time placements for students spending one academic year abroad. On one hand they allow for greater social, linguistic and professional immersion in the host country, while on the other they are ideally suited to micro knowledge-transfer projects between universities and SMEs.
2007
Erasmus placements are introduced following recommendation of Campus Europae
2015
launch of #Europehome to implement entrepreneurial approaches and part-time placements in curricula
Active Citizenship Human Rights and active Citizenship are values that cannot be taken for granted. Campus Europae has launched the Luxembourg Forum on Human Rights and Higher Education, which takes place every second year under the patronage of the Council of Europe. The Forum aims to investigate the role universities and students can play in the promotion of Human Rights, as well as to reflect on how Human Rights should impact the mission, strategies, and priorities of higher education institutions. The students of member universities have also launched a project to create the Ride for Your Rights! movement, encouraging students to become active Citizens by promoting student mobility, advocating for their rights and making a deeper understanding of other cultures possible for themselves.
9000
km cycled for students’ Rights since 2011
2013
the second Luxembourg Forum on Human Rights and Higher Education is organised
By 2020 and beyond In an increasingly globalised world, universities that are ready to build alliances stand a greater chance in addressing complex challenges. Campus Europae is designed with a focus on policy experimentation and implementation, as well as on capacitybuilding activities.
The member universities are broadening their cooperation to jointly devise solutions for: • Increasing the employability and entrepreneurial skills of young graduates and strengthening the University Research - Business cooperation; • Accelerating and taking advantage of the digital revolution when preparing the world of tomorrow and its higher education systems; • Advocating for investment in Education, as being necessary to build long-term perspectives of our societies; • Increasing the attractiveness and visibility of the European Higher Education Area. The above mentioned priorities are of strategic importance for further development of the European Higher Education Area and hence are at the core of the network strategy. In addition, the network promotes European Citizenship and multilingualism in Europe and addresses the social dimension of mobility.
OUR ROOTS Campus Europae was initiated in the late 90s via a proposal by the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl with the goal of creating a European space for profound academic cooperation and since 2003 has been under the patronage of the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
OUR PROFILE The member universities are among the best of their respective countries, and share a culture of academic excellence. They are committed to the advancement of the European Higher Education Area, each contributing with best practices and project proposals that reflect their respective strength and experience.
NEW MEMBERS Upon invitation by one of the active members, new universities join Campus Europae to: • Be part of an innovative network, committed to promoting high quality student mobility. • Be actively involved in projects and discussions aimed at shaping future EU level policies. • Establish synergies with partner universities by developing practical solutions that enhance the efficiency of their international activities.
European University Foundation - Campus Europae Ch창teau de Munsbach 31, rue du Parc L-5374 Munsbach Luxembourg Phone: +352 26 15 10 Website: www.campuseuropae.org Email: contact@campuseuropae.org
This project has been funded with the support from the Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
This project has been funded with the support from the European Commission. The flyer reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.