A celebration of European cooperation at the University of Cádiz
The University of Cádiz celebrated Europe Day with an event focused on the impact of European programmes on higher education, mobility and international cooperation.
The event was organised by the Vice-Rectorate for Internationalisation through the Director General for Language Policy, Leonor Acosta. Students, academic staff and professional services staff gathered to reflect on how European initiatives continue to transform university life. During the opening session, Marcela Iglesias, General Coordinator of the SEA-EU Alliance, highlighted the importance of programmes such as Erasmus+ and the growing role of the European Universities alliances in the future of higher education.
Erasmus+ and international mobility at UCA
Participants reflected on how Erasmus+ has evolved far beyond student mobility. Today, the programme supports education, training, youth activities, sports initiatives and international cooperation projects across Europe. Currently, the University of Cádiz offers around 3,000 mobility places and maintains more than 1,400 active agreements with universities and institutions around the world.
The event also highlighted the importance of international cooperation projects developed through European funding programmes. These initiatives include capacity building projects, cooperation partnerships, innovation projects and Jean Monnet Chairs.
SEA-EU and the new joint programmes
A central part of the event focused on the SEA-EU Alliance (European University of the Seas), coordinated by the University of Cádiz together with eight other European coastal universities.
Through SEA-EU, the university is working towards the creation of a shared European interuniversity campus. In addition, the alliance launched three joint programmes during the 2025–2026 academic year.
These programmes are:
- the Joint Bachelor in Sustainable Blue Economy (SeaBluE)
- the Joint Master in Port Management and Logistics (MIPMAL)
- the Joint Master in Sustainability Transition for Organisations and Resilience Management (STORM)
These programmes combine international education, mobility and collaboration between European universities.
Students and staff share their international experiences
One of the main moments of the Europe Day celebration at the University of Cádiz was a round table dedicated to international experiences. Students, academic staff and professional services staff shared personal stories connected to mobility programmes and multicultural learning environments. Robin Cruz, a student of the Joint Bachelor in Sustainable Blue Economy, explained how moving from Madrid to Cádiz and joining an international programme completely changed his expectations. He described how local and international students initially stayed separated during the first days of the programme. However, friendships and shared experiences gradually helped create a real European student community.
Open language exchange closes the event
After the round table, participants joined an open language exchange activity. The initiative encouraged interaction between attendees and celebrated Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
The event concluded by reaffirming the University of Cádiz’s commitment to internationalisation, European cooperation and a more connected European Higher Education Area.
