EDUC continues its work with full throttle

In January this year, members of the EDUC Alliance had met in person at the Jaume I University in Spain, and this time the work continued in a hybrid format at the University of Pécs between 6 and 7 March.

"EDUC is a great success for us,” said Prof. Dr. Attila Miseta, Rector of the University of Pécs, in his welcome speech on behalf of the host institution. Prof. Dr. Florian Schweigert, Vice President for International Affairs of the University of Potsdam, which coordinates the EDUC Alliance, also welcomed the participants. "The last time we met here in person was before the coronavirus outbreak," said Florian Schweigert, adding, "Since then, we have added two new members to our alliance, and new tasks and more challenging areas have opened up for us." He recalled an incident at the University of Potsdam, where a colleague was working on an EDUC-related project without instructions from the management. "I don't think we have lost control; on the contrary, I think it's a good sign: we have reached a moment where EDUC is moving forward on its own, going beyond the local level of each university," said Florian Schweigert.

The two days were about talking through the experiences of the different functions, sharing good practices, and discussing how they can be assisted by the organization. Members were also working on how to meet the IT challenges they face in the work of the alliance.

There were two kick-off workshops of tasks led by the University of Pécs, as well. One was about the establishment of a Knowledge Investment Fund, for which the members in the coming months will first explore funding opportunities and then develop a fundraising strategy. The other one was to help the take-off of EDUC communication and community building.