Online   |     |   Members only

Leaning towers: Will universities recover?

Private Science|Business Network online meeting (15:30 – 17:00 CET)


For better and for worse, 2020 has been a year of profound change for universities. The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have rippled across campuses, both in Europe and beyond. Without warning, academic leaders have been forced to adopt new operating models to sustain research and teaching programmes, rethink existing business models, and adapt to significant mobility constraints on their scientific and student communities.

While this turbulence has brought with it a wave of institutional innovation and unprecedented agility, plenty of serious concerns remain. From the prospect of reduced budgets in Horizon Europe and ongoing uncertainties about UK-EU scientific cooperation, to financial safety nets, student health and the future of industry partnerships, universities have plenty to worry about heading into 2021.   

Nonetheless, there are more positive developments to embrace. The Commission is planning to scale up its European Universities initiative, and has launched new proposals to advance the integration of European research, education and higher education areas. Meanwhile, the crisis has encouraged many university leaders to challenge conventions and develop new blueprints for their role in society – mission-oriented, better connected, and in the vanguard of tackling global challenges.

Against this backdrop, in this members-only online event, the Science|Business Network will discuss how systemic risks might be more effectively mitigated at EU and national levels. In parallel, it will explore new frameworks for teaching, research, pan-European collaboration, and engagement with industry and society, and the pathways to putting universities at the heart of Europe’s recovery phase going forward.

Speakers
Speakers
Themis Christophidou
Director-General, DG Education and Culture, European Commission
Patrick Prendergast
Provost, Trinity College Dublin
Jan Palmowski
Secretary General, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities
Donatella Sciuto
Executive Vice Rector, Politecnico di Milano
Amanda Crowfoot
Secretary General, European University Association
Walter Weigel
Vice-President; Chief Scientific Officer, European Research Institute, Huawei
Geleyn Meijer
Rector, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Preliminary Agenda
Programme

15:15    Zoom meeting room opens for participants and featured guests

15:30    Welcome and introductory remarks

15:35    Life support: How will Europe help universities to survive and thrive beyond COVID?

An opening Q&A with Themis Christophidou, Director-General, DG Education and Culture, European Commission, followed by comment and reflections from:

Patrick Prendergast – Provost, Trinity College Dublin & Chair of the Council, Irish Universities Association

Donatella Sciuto – Executive Vice Rector, Politecnico di Milano

Walter Weigel – Vice-President, European Research Institute, Huawei

Discussion topics to include:

  • Quantifying the impacts of COVID on university systems
  • Implementing support mechanisms and safety nets until recovery is well under way
  • Anticipating future skills for the post-COVID labour market
  • Developing digital capabilities for new models of teaching and learning
  • Sustaining industry-university partnerships and enterprise development

Moderated by Simon Pickard – Network Director, Science|Business

16:25      Visionary thinking: Can universities reinvent themselves to drive Europe’s recovery and long-term transformation?                                             

An interactive, forward-looking debate between sector leaders and Network members around ways to scale up universities’ relevance and impact beyond COVID.

Featured guests:

Amanda Crowfoot – Secretary General, European Universities Association

Geleyn Meijer – Rector, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences & Co-Chair, UASNL

Jan Palmowski – Secretary General, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities

17:00        Close of roundtable

Information
Practical Information

For more information on this event, please contact Janni Ekrem at [email protected]

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