Deepening cooperation between European and North American universities at the graduate/PhD level and discussing the next steps toward that goal is the intent of the upcoming Balance Seminar, titled Furthering Cooperation Between European and North American Universities: Developing Practical Proposals.
Hosted by the Offices of the Vice-President Academic & Provost and the Associate Vice-President International at York, the seminar is the sixth and final one in a series organized by the Balance Project, an initiative of the Coimbra Group of universities in Europe. The seminar will run Sept. 24 and 25 at York’s Keele campus.
Furthering Cooperation Between European and North American Universities will look at developments to date from the Balance Project, as well as updates on the Bologna Process, and will focus on employability issues, graduate issues and the research landscape. Each session will feature three speakers representing Canada, the US and Europe.
The first session will look at the worldwide market for academic labour and research workers, exploring the idea of linking education and workforce planning together. The second session will discuss graduate issues, including co-tutelles, quality assurance and dual or joint degrees, and will be followed by break-out sessions to discuss the issues in greater depth.
On the second day, there will be discussion about the research landscape and enhancing bilateral and trilateral collaboration, identifying areas for joint/collaborative research and exploring how joint/collaborative research can be accomplished. Finally, speakers will give their perspectives on the seminar and propose the next steps beyond the Balance Project.
Founded in 1985, the Coimbra Group is an association of long-established European multidisciplinary universities of high international standard. It is committed to creating special academic and cultural ties in order to promote, for the benefit of its members, internationalization, academic collaboration, excellence in learning and research and service to society.
The Balance Project is a pilot initiative funded by the European Commission to strengthen the knowledge of European higher education reforms in North America and links between international offices to increase mobility in both directions, as well as promoting professional development of international office staff. Support for this final seminar has also been received from Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada.
For more information, visit the Coimbra Group Web site.