EDUC Consortium Met in Pécs Again

The European Digital UniverCity (EDUC) consortium, established as part of the European Commission's European Universities programme, organized a two-day meeting at the University of Pécs from 17-18 January. The aim of the hybrid training was to discuss the good practices and experiences concerning internationalization and regional outreach strategies, and to jointly develop and define a unified framework for the further actions plans of the programme. 

The European Commission's medium-term flagship project for higher education is certainly the alliance of six European universities, which aims to achieve significant progress in increasing the global competitiveness of European universities. One of the tools for this is the exchange of experiences on the internationalisation strategy of partner universities, which goes beyond increasing the number of international students and includes urban, regional and even cross-border developments, cooperation agreements, student and staff exchanges, and diverse participation opportunities for employees.

"This alliance is very important at both international and regional level.

I hope that the two-day meeting offers a good opportunity to enhance th effectiveness of this network", - emphasized dr. József Bethlehem, Vice Rector for General Affairs, Connections and Strategic Affairs of the University of Pécs in his welcome speech, greeting all those who were present in person or joining the discussion online. Then, dr. István Tarrósy, Director of the International Centre of UP, presented the development directions and challenges of the internationalization strategy of the University of Pécs in a straightforward presentation, reviewing the past decades. The professor shared, that as a positive result of the internationalization efforts, 

the number of international students has increased an all faculties of the university,

and that thanks to the Modern Cities Programme, many infrastructural and other developments have been realized at the university, which form the basis for further development. "In the future, the focus will be on international research partnerships, our active participation in higher education networks and a sustainable increase in the number of foreign students" - highlighted dr. István Tarrósy. This makes UP an even more prominent knowledge base and engine for the development of the macro-region in the heart of Europe. 

At the seminar, all member universities also shared their own good experiences, best practices, challenges and development plans, many of which resonate with the strategic focal points of the consortium.

Working towards the Renewal of Higher Education in Europe through a Unique Initiative »

Stay tuned for an in-depth interview about EDUC and this Good Practices training in Pécs!