SEA-EU
CONGRESS
The University of Algarve (Portugal) and the University of Gdańsk (Poland) organized the SEA-EU Congress – Strong Partnership to Face Global Challenges and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
The event happened in the University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, on January 12-13, 2024.
Location: Grande Auditorium-Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Building 4), Campus de Gambelas, Faro
Download the Booklet for a sneak peek into the extraordinary moments that happened in the SEA-EU Congress at University of Algarve.
Additionally, in order to watch the complete video of the congress, please click here.
Who participated
The SEA-EU Congress gathered the rectors, vice-rectors, experts and other delegates from 9 SEA-EU Universities, along with Stakeholders from both public and private institutions, as well as External Partners hailing from Europe and various parts of the world.
Aims
The most important aim of the event was to transform the European Partnership into a Global Partnership, emphasising its benefits for the whole planet and envisioning a future centred on a sustainable blue environment. To achieve this intention, a Global Gateway Declaration was signed during the SEA-EU Congress. Specifically, it was intended to involve SEA-EU external academic partners with the 9 SEA-EU Universities to address the global sustainability challenges such as migration, gender balance and open science, while focusing on climate neutrality, clean energy transition, sustainable industry and agriculture, and sustainable mobility. The external partners were strongly encouraged to prioritise the protection of biodiversity, especially the marine aspects, the potential of the marine economy for sustainable food production and the well-being of citizens in coastal areas.
Activities
At this event, the accomplishments of SEA-EU 1.0 were detailed and plans for SEA-EU-2.0 was unveiled. There was also be deliberations on the outcomes of the Future Leadership Forum, with a particular focus on Generation Z. Finally, the Global Gateway Declaration was signed by the representatives of the SEA-EU Alliance universities, and their strategic partners and stakeholders from around the world.
Global Gateway Declaration document signatories
On 12 January 2024, in Faro, at the University of Algarve, the legal representatives of 42 entities — including SEA-EU Alliance universities, external universities, and associated partners — convened for the purpose of signing the SEA-EU Global Gateway Declaration. This act constitutes one of the most significant outcomes of the SEA-EU Congress, formally expressing the parties’ shared intention to strengthen international cooperation through an enduring framework grounded in mutual trust, knowledge sharing, empathy among peoples, and a commitment to sustainable development.
The Global Gateway Declaration is an open and evolving document. Additional institutions and partners continue to be invited to join the initiative, and further signatures are being progressively added, thereby expanding the reach and impact of this cooperative effort. This dynamic process reflects the SEA-EU Alliance’s unwavering commitment to fostering long-term, responsible and inclusive international collaboration across regions and continents.
Click here to see the list of institutions and universities from different countries across four continents that have signed the document, as well as those that are in the process of signing it.
