The University of Minho presents Arqus in two important events in Portugal

European alliances are a real opportunity for transformation and should be a priority for members of academic communities. The message was focused these days in two events in Portugal – the EDLAB Seminar at Braga and the FAIRe (Forum of the Academic Federation for Information and External Representation) at Aveiro.

“Two different moments and two different audiences, but both with the same feeling – we all believe in the importance of strong European dynamics for innovation in the national system and we must be more incisive, putting these issues at the centre of the agenda for higher education”, said Manuel João Costa, Pro-Rector of the University of Minho.

“The dynamics of innovation in higher education through internationalization already exist, and it is essential to bring them into an articulated space, where everyone’s voices contribute richness and ideas, ensuring that everyone feels supported in the transformation movement we are currently witnessing in Portugal”, he added.

At the EDLAB seminar, the focus was on the new European degree label. Magda Pinheiro presented the European Commission’s proposal and the results of the EDLab project, in which the University of Minho participated as an Arqus member, along with the University of Algarve (a member of SEA.EU Alliance) and the New University of Lisbon (a member of EUTOPIA Alliance). In addition, Professor Henrique Santos recounted the journey of creating the Master’s Programme in International Cybersecurity and Cyberintelligence under the umbrella of Arqus.

Meanwhile, Isabel Cavaco shared her rich experience in building degrees within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes in Algarve. She emphasised a key idea for the design of the European degree programme: “jointless”. Thus, the motivation and resilience of the proponents are still the key to success in joint degree construction projects.

At the FAIRe event, Manuel João Costa shared a panel with Paula Tavares, on behalf of the Forum of Portuguese Institutions in European Alliances. The topic was about the involvement of students in the Alliances movement, focusing on the challenges that association leaders face in making these initiatives work. It was also inspiring to hear the conviction of FAIRe’s president, Daniel Alarcão, about the importance of the involvement of student unions leaders.

Original news.