Ιστορίες

CIVIS Days 2024

This year's edition of the CIVIS Days took us to the University of Salzburg from 24 to 26 September with additional meetings for representatives from our Associate Member Universities in Africa on 23 September.

The CIVIS Days 2024 conference programme included a wide range of working meetings and public sessions aimed at fostering cooperation and knowledge sharing within the CIVIS Alliance, with other Alliances, and the broader community. Public sessions covered topics such as the European degree, Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP), African-EU scientific cooperation and European Universities alliances (experiences, outlook). Highlighted initiatives included the Jean Monnet Network PolyCIVIS and special activities for our students.

An integral part of the conference were the working sessions, with open workspaces dedicated to spontaneous meetings, BIPs and degrees, and transdisciplinary teaching. Focus areas included the results of staff mobility, future strategy and cross-hub meetings. The formation of a conference choir enhanced the creative and collaborative atmosphere. The final performance at the CIVIS International Reception was a highlight. The Alliance celebrated two important milestones during this special event: the ceremonial signing of the Alliance Agreement and the presentation of CIVIS' first Secretary General. 

Six public sessions on CIVIS priorities

The CIVIS Days 2024 allowed us to reach out beyond our community and share the experiences our Alliance has gathered throughout this 5-year journey. 

Reflections and discussions on the European degree, Blended Intensive Programmes, African-EU science collaboration, the Alliance project Jean Monnet Network PolyCIVIS, our upcoming Joint Master’s in Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment, and Energy and European Universities alliances filled the programme with insights and exchanges.

24 September - 9:00 – 10:30 -  Georg Eisler Lecture Hall, UNIPARK/Erzabt-Klotz-Straße 1

Agenda

  • Opening speech by Martin WEICHBOLD (Interim Rector, University of Salzburg) and Stefan LANG (CIVIS Secretary General)
  • 09:10-09:30 Nadia FERNANDEZ DE PINEDO (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid): Policy experimentation at its best. Lessons learned from the SMARTT project.
  • 09:30-09:50 Barbara BRUNNER-MARESCH (University of Salzburg): European Degrees through the practitioner’s lenses.
  • 09:50-10:10 Romita IUCU (University of Bucharest): New frontiers, new diplomacy in higher education. A glimpse into the future.
  • 10:10-10:25 Q&A session
  • Closing remarks by Kerstin FUCHSBERGER (University of Salzburg)

What is it about?

The CIVIS Days 2024 Dissemination session on the European Degree will offer a strategic exploration of key insights from the SMARTT project and the European Degree blueprint. Speakers will examine how these initiatives can shape the future of European higher education, particularly within the context of CIVIS and other European alliances. Central to the discussion will be how the lessons learned from these projects can inform and enhance educational strategies across alliances like CIVIS, intertwining with practical approaches and transnational cooperation.

A primary focus of the session will be the adaptability and scalability of the CIVIS model. By investigating how this model can be extended to other university networks, the session will highlight the broader impact of cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing. Participants will reflect on how CIVIS’s innovative practices could inspire other alliances to strengthen educational innovation across Europe. Another key aspect will be the role of policy experimentation in advancing the European Degree initiative. This will prompt discussions on how these experimental approaches can serve as catalysts for innovation and practical implementation within academic systems. Participants will consider how CIVIS can leverage these insights to refine its educational strategy and contribute to the future of European higher education.

Finally, the session will address whether the European Degree could evolve into a distinctive brand of Europeanisation, symbolising both academic integration and enhanced global competitiveness. This reflection will examine how the European Degree could position universities to lead in international collaboration and elevate academic standards across the continent. The concluding Q&A will provide an opportunity for participants to engage directly with these themes, sharing their perspectives on the future of the European Degree and its integration within alliances like CIVIS. The session will challenge participants to consider how their institutions can actively contribute to this transformative initiative, shaping the future of European higher education.

24 September - 11:00– 13:00 - Georg Eisler Lecture Hall, UNIPARK/Erzabt-Klotz-Straße 1

What is it about?

The flexibility of Blended Intensive Programmes can be used to internationalise the curriculum and develop a global mindset among staff and students. BIPs can widen access to international experiences to a more diverse cohort of students, and they can help to develop mutually beneficial collaboration with international partners.

During this session, Lars Banzhaf (CIVIS Head of Mobility, University of Tübingen), Alexandru Cartis (CIVIS Head of the Education Unit, University of Bucharest), Leonie Röthler (Student Ambassador for CIVIS at PLUS) and Maria Isabel Soldevila Brea (CIVIS Head of Communication, Université libre de Bruxelles) will provide practical examples of how to plan, implement and organize BIPs.

Mr. Banzhaf, Mr. Cartis and Ms Soldevila Brea are also active speakers during this year’s  EAIE conference (European Association for International Education) in Toulouse.

24 September - 14:30 – 16:00

What is it about?

African-European collaboration across academic missions is a prominent feature of CIVIS. The panel discussion with high-level representatives from our six associate member institutions from Africa sheds light on their visions and priorities in our partnerships. It also explores how to further unlock the potentials of our collaboration both for the universities involved and the wider African-European science partnership. The audience is invited to actively contribute to this discussion.

Session chaired by CIVIS Global Officer Christian Möllmann, University of Tübingen.

25 September - 9:00– 10:30 - Georg Eisler Lecture Hall, UNIPARK/Erzabt-Klotz-Straße 1

What is it about?

Join us for a crucial hybrid panel discussion on the pressing topic of polycrisis, a key event during CIVIS Days in Salzburg. This event is linked to the  PolyCIVIS network, a collaboration between the CIVIS Alliance members and 4 additional African universities.

Please register for online participation in this session here:  https://airtable.com/appNi6KDXjrerxCco/pagJzB7otbDDD6kye/form

PolyCIVIS’s 21 universities collaborate in this event bringing together experts from a range of disciplines to reflect together on future strategies, joint actions and consequences of polycrisis. 

Speakers:

  • Prof. Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, Rector, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar
  • Prof. Mucha Musemwa, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice-Chancellor, Makerere University
  • Prof. Gudrun Zagel, Faculty of Law, University of Salzburg
  • Prof. Anne Weyembergh, PolyCIVIS Project Director, Université libre de Bruxelles (moderator)

Themes:

  • Defining and understanding polycrisis
  • Exploring polycrisis’ interconnected global risks and cascading effects
  • Social impacts and inequalities
  • Changing the narrative: solutions and resilience

Who this event is suitable for:
This timely event is open to researchers, academics, students, policymakers, journalists, representatives from non-profit organisations and any other key stakeholders interested in polycrisis.

26 September - 12:00 – 13:00 - Lecture Hall 101, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Universitätsplatz 1

What is it about?

At the CIVIS Days, Anna Sobek and Alasdair Skelton, both academics from the University of Stockholm, will share their thoughts on the journey so far towards creating a Masters Program in Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment and Energy “TRANSCLIM” for Europe's Civic University Alliance, CIVIS.

The educators will tell a story that began in November 2021 in Brussels at the CIVIS Days, and continued with the creation of a MOOC in June 2022 on a small island in the Stockholm Archipelago. They will explain how a vision shared by the CIVIS alliance has come closer to realisation in a succession of meetings in Tübingen and Rome in April and October 2023, and in Stockholm in May 2024, and, of course, online.

In Salzburg, Anna and Alasdair, will share our hopes and fears, as the Alliance looks tentatively forward to launching a Masters program, created by educators across Europe and Africa, with the purpose of empowering young people with the transdisciplinary skills they need to be better prepared for the challenges of the Anthropocene.