2024 Arqus Annual Conference

• Rui Vieira de Castro (Rector of the University of Minho)
• Dorothy Kelly (Arqus Coordinator)
• Fernando Alexandre (Minister of Education, Science and Innovation)

• Keynote: Elizabeth Gadd (Vice-President of CoARA Steering Board)

Our institutional research endeavours have long been hampered by a range of issues all of which have their roots in poor research assessment practices. The lack of engagement with open research practices, the rising cost of scholarly publishing, research integrity issues, a lack of equity, diversity and inclusion in our research communities, and toxic behaviours from powerful ‘lone wolf’ PIs can all be traced back to a fixation with narrow, publication-based assessment mechanisms.

It is for this reason that there is such a strong base of support for research assessment reform. The Coalition on Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) inspired over 700 signatories from almost 50 countries in less than 18 months. The decade-old Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) has approximately 25,000 signatories from 169 countries. There is no doubt that the vast majority believe that ‘something needs to be done’. It is now up to all of us to get that job done and harness the positive potential of research assessment reform. This talk will describe some of the key themes and trends arising from a range of assessment reform agreements and interventions. It will also describe some of the challenges and tensions we will need to navigate, if assessment reform is to be successful.

• Panellist 1: Ruth Ladenheim (Arqus IAB)

Qualitative evaluation and studies on research impact

• Panellist 2: Eloy Rodrigues (University of Minho)

The role of open research information in facilitating the consensual but difficult research assessment reform. How universities can regain control and sovereignty over the research information they use in research assessment exercises by sustaining and supporting their own and/or shared/third party open research information infrastructures.

• Moderator: Peter Riedler (Rector of the University of Graz)

• Keynote: Gemma Irvine (Co-Chair of Scholars at Risk Maynooth and Vice President for Equality and Diversity at Maynooth University)

Dr Irvine will discuss the role of universities as places of sanctuary in challenging times. Including expectations of universities to prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their community, and to ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is everyone’s responsibility. A specific focus on ‘Excellence in Exile’ initiatives that Universities use to support refugees, asylum seekers and migrants will include University of Sanctuary student scholarships, Scholar At Risk (SAR) Fellowships for staff, and the wider policy work of SAR Europe, the European office of the Global Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network. Opportunities for university alliances to work together to amplify their impact in this space will be considered.

• Panelist: Eva Egron-Polak (Arqus IAB)

University as a safe space, a sanctuary where ideas and views can be expressed and heard in a safe environment is essential. However, this does not mean that the university is closed off from society. On the contrary, societal challenges and engagement with society in all its complexity is part of the social responsibility of all universities. Such engagement can take on diverse forms but all are anchored in fundamental and agreed upon values. Organisations such as the IAU and the Magna Charta Observatory have worked hard to encourage and support discussion and implementation of values-based higher education.

• Panelist: Eirini Aivaliotou (Student Council)

Inclusion of migrants and refugees in academia, as well as support to Ukrainian students at the University of Wroclaw, global scholars and the importance of diversity in academia. The importance of providing readings to students from academics with diverse backgrounds.

• Moderator: Eva Obergfell (Rector of Leipzig University)

• Keynote: Pedro Teixeira (Full Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto and Director of CIPES – Higher Education Policy Research Centre)
• Panelist: Laura Czerniewicz (Arqus IAB)

Challenges and opportunities for inclusion in European University Alliances and in relation to the European Higher Education Package (European Degree, attractive academic careers and quality systems)

• Panelist: Uršulė Barkauskaitė (Student Council)

The Arqus Student Council’s position on the Commission’s proposal “Blueprint of a European Degree”

• Moderator: Eeva Leinonen (President of Maynooth University)

• Irene Martín (CIVIS Alliance)
• Daniela Craciun (ESEU project / ECIU Alliance)
• Aleksandar Šušnjar (FOCI project / YUFE Alliance)
• Roberto Zanino (UNITE! Alliance)
• Moderator: Dorothy Kelly (Arqus Alliance Coordinator)

• Tore Li (Arqus IAB)

Challenges and future prospects for the Arqus Alliance

• Mireille van Poppel (Chair of the Arqus Executive Council, Univ. of
  Graz)

Prof. Van Poppel will speak as new Chair of the Executive Council

• Matthias Middell (Vice-Rector for Campus Development at Leipzig University)

Invitation to the 2025 Arqus Annual Conference at Leipzig University

• Dorothy Kelly (Arqus Coordinator)

Closing words from the Alliance perspective

• Moderator: Rui Vieira de Castro (Rector of the University of Minho)

Closing words from the host university perspective