The Sustainability of European Universities

The Sustainability of European Universities Conference was the theme of the Annual Conference of the European Universities Asociation, this year hosted by the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, 22-23 March 2012. During the conference, the EUA and its members debated how to ensure quality teaching and deliver excellent research in a competitive environment by considering the different models developed in various higher education systems and taking into full consideration the role of framework conditions – such as funding and facilities.

One major theme of the conference related to Innovative Teaching and Learning to which Director of HERC, Professor Maria Slowey was invited to contribute on the topic ‘Higher education and social innovation: partnership approaches to lifelong learning and civic engagement’. This paper presented some key outcomes from a critical policy analysis of developments in fourteen countries-on which a forthcoming book is based (‘Global perspectives on higher education and lifelong learning’ Routledge, forthcoming May 2012).. The session explored how teaching has been impacted by technological and social change, and the engagement of universities within the wider community. For further details on the event please visit the EUA website.