Pro-Rector of UMinho appointed to continue at the EUA Learning & Teaching Steering Committee

Manuel João Costa, Pro-Rector of the University of Minho (UMinho) for Student Affairs and Pedagogical Innovation, will serve in a second mandate of two years in the Learning & Teaching Steering Committee of the European University Association (EUA).

The European University Association’s Steering Committees have been charged with overseeing targeted initiatives requiring specialized expertise. These encompass research and innovation policy, doctoral education and learning and teaching. Notably, the Learning and Teaching Committee has a significant responsibility in organizing the annual European Learning and Teaching Forum, scheduled for February, intending to foster knowledge exchange among EUA members. Additionally, the committee annually facilitates inter-institutional working groups to promote the sharing of insights and best practices, and to craft guiding documents on various emerging themes within higher education. The overarching aim is to propel and augment institutional capabilities in embracing structural reforms within the realms of teaching and learning.

Manuel João Costa served a first mandate between 2022 and 2024 as one of the leaders of higher education institutions selected based on his experience in supervising and implementing innovation activities in teaching at the institutional level, as well as his familiarity with the work of the EUA, stemming from his presence since 2019 as a representative of UMinho in various EUA forums and working groups.

Over the next two years, the Vice-Rector of UMinho will be part of a team responsible for guiding EUA action in this specific area on a European scale, encouraging exchanges among various educational institutions.

EUA activities aim to improve the quality and relevance of higher education offerings, highlighting the importance of learning and teaching as a central mission of higher education and the need for more parity with research activities. They advocate for teaching and learning activities to be oriented towards student learning and success. In this regard, the European organization argues that the higher education institutions it comprises should be more attentive to the learning and teaching process itself, driving developments in learning and teaching through close collaboration with key stakeholders, including national and European policymakers.

Photos by ©FrankWissing, EUA.

EUA Learning & teaching website.

Photos of the 2024 European Learning & Teaching Forum.