The SEA-EU Alliance, led by the University of Cádiz, participated in the European Universities Alliances conference, held last Tuesday as a satellite activity of the EAIE (European Association for International Education) in Toulouse. The event brought together 300 participants from across Europe to delve into the role of alliances in the internationalization of higher education.
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Higher Education Policies at the European Commission, set the tone for the discussions with a powerful message: “By joining forces, we can be the best in the world, and that is the ambition of the European Universities Initiative.” These words reflected the collective goal of European universities to strengthen their global position through strategic alliances.
The panel, moderated by Dorothy Kelly from the Arqus Alliance, included representatives from CIVICA, EUTOPIA, ULYSSEUS, and CIVIS, who shared their approaches on the importance of internationalization. Each alliance presented its best practices for building global partnerships and discussed the challenges they face.
One of the most emotional moments of the conference was the session on cooperation with Ukrainian institutions. Representatives from alliances such as EUNIWELL, 4EU+, EPICUR, EC2U, and UNUVERSEH spoke about their efforts to support Ukrainian universities in the context of the war with Russia. The representative from EUNIWELL highlighted how this collaboration has evolved: “In 2022, we began this cooperation as a crisis response. Now we are focusing on the medium and long term.”
SEA-EU’s leadership in international collaboration was evident in the panel on cooperation with Africa, in which Alexandra Teodósio, Vice-Rector for Internationalization at the University of Algarve, shared the best practices of the Alliance. Teodósio spoke of the success of the SEA-EU Global Congress, which brought together a wide variety of African universities, and highlighted how these collaborations have strengthened capacity building and innovation, benefiting both African and European institutions.
Her speech underscored SEA-EU’s commitment, under the leadership of the University of Cádiz, to create sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships with African institutions.
On Wednesday, the EAIE exhibition opened, which will run until Friday and has attracted more than 7,000 participants. SEA-EU has a stand at the exhibition, which has become a meeting point for visitors from around the world.
In addition, Laura Howard, former president of EAIE and director of SEA-EU at the University of Cádiz, delivered a session within the EAIE framework on the local impact of university alliances, highlighting the key role they play in the development of the regions where they operate.
As the conference and exhibition continue, SEA-EU and the University of Cádiz position themselves at the forefront of internationalization and the promotion of global partnerships in Europe, Africa, and beyond.
