Arqus representatives attend the Coimbra Group Annual Conference and General Assembly
Arqus
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11 Jun 2025
The Coimbra Group network organises its Annual Conference and General Assembly on 10-13 June at the University of Bologna under the theme “Forty Years of Impact: Universities and Cities Shaping a Sustainable Future”.
Over 300 people will gather in Bologna (Italy) for the Coimbra Group Annual Conference and General Assembly. This marks the 40th anniversary of the Coimbra Group (CG).
The Arqus Alliance and the Coimbra Group are associate partners, with several Arqus universities being CG members as well: Granada, Graz, Padua and also associate partner Durham University. Representatives from Granada and Durham will attend this Annual Conference.
“From Durham to Bologna; the climate declaration”
On 11 June afternoon, Durham University organises the open conference “From Durham to Bologna; the climate declaration” which will address environmental challenges, presenting the outcomes of initiatives led by Durham University and the Coimbra Group. This conference will also feature results from the working groups convening at the 2025 Coimbra Group Climate Symposium, with a special session dedicated to sustainability, organised in collaboration with Durham University.
Among the speakers are Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor and Warden of Durham University, Charlotte Clarke, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health, Judith Akoto, Durham PGT student, and Daniel Donoghue, Professor of Geography (Durham University) and Treasurer of the Coimbra Group Executive Board.
“Empowering Local and Global Communities: from the Poitiers Declaration to the Future”
This year’s Coimbra Group General Assembly will focus on the Poitiers Declaration, an important initiative introduced by the Coimbra Group which establishes a collaborative framework for the CG universities and their respective municipalities and reaffirms the crucial role that universities play in urban, social, and cultural development.
Another main open conference of the Coimbra Group General Assembly will be held on 12 June morning, titled “Empowering Local and Global Communities: from the Poitiers Declaration to the Future”.
Pedro Mercado, Rector of the University of Granada, will participate as a speaker in this session, which will bring together university rectors and city mayors to reflect on the evolving collaboration between higher education institutions and municipalities. The university-city alliance is increasingly relevant, not only for shaping inclusive and sustainable local policies, but also for amplifying the impact of European and global strategies at the grassroots level. You can watch the session live on YouTube at 11:30 CEST.
“Social Responsibility within European University Alliances”
Artur Schmitt (University of Granada), Deputy Chair of the Arqus Education Board, will participate in the roundtable “Social Responsibility within European University Alliances” on 12 June afternoon. At this open session, speakers from the eight Alliances with CG members will reflect on this theme and share an initiative highlighting how each Alliance has been handling the social responsibility, its impact and the challenges encountered.
Representing our Alliance, Artur Schmitt will present the Arqus Talent Scholarship Fund and the Arqus Innovation Fund. In 2023 and 2024, 27 scholarships were awarded to Master’s or PhD students with fewer opportunities. Through the Innovation Fund, 56 initiatives and 124 sub-activities have been funded.
This is the 6th Open Session on the European Universities Alliances organised in connection with the Coimbra Group Annual Conference and General Assembly. This cycle of annual open sessions aims to foster dialogue, exchange of ideas and promote best practices among the European Universities Alliances with Coimbra Group members and to help disseminate the lessons learnt from their individual experiences as actors for societal change. You can watch the session live on YouTube at 14:00 CEST.
Read more about the Coimbra Group Annual Conference here.
