COMMUNIA’s Post

As most of us are starting to wrap things up before the winter break, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union is preparing to hand over the baton to the Belgian Presidency of the Council of European Union on 1 January. In their editorial 'Protect, Strengthen, Prepare', our colleagues from Universiteit Gent Wendy Sonneveld and Andries Verspeeten reflect on this upcoming Presidency and its priorities for research, innovation and higher education. To read the full text ➡ https://lnkd.in/e7Q8cV2Z

🎉 This week we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Education Committee. If you missed the live event, don’t worry - you can now watch the recording! Organised with the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024, the event highlighted significant milestones like #ErasmusPlus and discussed the future of EU education cooperation. Dive into the insightful discussions and share your vision for the future of EU education. 📍 Watch the recording here: https://europa.eu/!wDx4rP #Education50 #EUEducation #EuropeanEducationArea #LifelongLearning #EUCooperation

🌟What is the current structure of education systems in European countries? Last week, #Eurydice - European Commission published the annual report 'The structure of the European #education systems 2023/2024: schematic diagrams'. From pre-primary to tertiary level, this report illustrates the main organisational models of 39 #European educational systems from 37 countries participating in the #Erasmus+ programme. Download the report ➡️ bit.ly/eurydice2023-2024

Glad that our research agenda article (by Luis Bouza Garcia & myself) is now published by JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. Check out "Regulating Disinformation and Big Tech in the EU: A Research Agenda on the Institutional Strategies, Public Spheres and Analytical Challenges" https://lnkd.in/e-KK99Hu

I am very pleased to be invited to the University of Ankara, European Union Research Centre to give a lecture on April 22 entitled: Freedom of association in Canada and the European Union: a comparative assessment

🔔 New research article by Daniel S. L. and Rita de Cassia T. Santos is available in M@n@gement Vol.26(4) Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eXHyEYQw 🔎 The authors analyse the disputes on social networking platforms around the discourse on public universities in Brazil. They show the impact of the communication architecture of these platforms on the processes of discursive legitimation. The interactions on these platforms play an important role in shifting the debate from technical arguments to moral and identity-based arguments, thereby changing the argumentative focus of the discourse and influencing the perception of public universities and their policies. These mechanisms have been mobilised by the far-right populist movement, giving them the power to shape public opinion and influence political decisions.

As the European University Association spells out what’s needed to mobilise political support for greater transnational university cooperation, I report on a bid for #Erasmus+ funding to create an alliance of all the European university alliances. The aim is to create a “community of practice” to encourage the 50 (soon to be 60 European University alliances) to learn from each other’s experience in transnational cooperation and share best practice. I interview Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik from the European University Association, about what needs fixing to fully implement the #Bologna tools, including the adoption of the European Approach to #QualityAssurance of Joint Programmes. And Olga Wessels, head of the Brussels’ office of the #ECIU consortium of 14 innovative European universities, tells why the Alliances (that represent 500 universities across Europe) need to seize the moment (after the Euro elections) to “innovate” funding as the EU starts a new mandate and discussions about the next multi-annual financial framework and next EU programmes. https://lnkd.in/e2vt2Bg9 Gian-Andri Casutt Hannamaija Helander Christine Legrand Anneli Waara Virginia Aceituno University World News Kevin Daly Piet Van Hove Hilligje van't Land Bettina Neunteufl Pil Maria Saugmann Deirdre (Dee) Kilbride Sophia Karner Isabel T. Simone Hackett Simona Bizzozero Jo Frost Frank Ziegele Fabrizio Trifirò Dr Vangelis Tsiligiris SFHEA, FCMI Vincenzo Raimo

Prof Peter Maassen of the University of Oslo warns of a growing threat to Academic Freedom in Europe, as highlighted by recent European Parliament studies. Threats include government interference, social media attacks, and private sector influence in various EU states. Existing legal safeguards may not be adequate, promoting the need for strengthened European and national policies. Maassen underscores the importance of academic community participation and advocates for democratizing science to safeguard academic freedom and public trust, particularly in light of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the commentary in Frontiers Policy Labs ➡️ https://lnkd.in/enN-nKHF #AcademicFreedom #SciencePolicy #SciPol

Is the future of democracy digital? Let your voice be heard! The digital revolution is turning democracy upside down. More and more political discourse occurs via social media, and increasingly, citizens can participate in decision-making about their city's organization through digital platforms. However, while digitization can open doors to greater inclusivity and engagement, there is still much work to be done to design digital technologies smarter, so that they truly strengthen our democracies. For this, close collaboration between practice and science is essential. That's why the European Digital DemocracY network (EDDY) is organizing a panel titled "Is the Future of Democracy Digital?". This panel opens up a #conversation between scientists, practitioners, and the #audience. The panel will investigate the role citizens should play in developing #digital #democracy, look at the biggest challenges scientists should address, and decide which findings deserve more attention in order to enhance the #benefits of digital democracy. In the spirit of digital democracy, EDDY lets the audience determine the content of the panel discussion. How? Upload your questions or ideas on the ‘All our ideas’ page: https://lnkd.in/e8KPz_HU, and vote for those ideas that you think are most pressing! 👉 Are you an EUR student? EDDY is raffling off 10 vouchers worth 15 euros to spend at the Erasmus Plaza for Erasmus University students who submit a question. For a chance to win, complete this form: https://lnkd.in/exv-GThD. Panel members include: Anouk De Meulemeester (she/her) Davide Grossi Ivonne J. Olya K. ⏲ Wednesday, April 10th from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. 📍 Senaatszaal at campus Woudestein. 🗣 Everyone is welcome to attend the panel! ℹ For more information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eZJi25yc

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱? 🔎 I'm excited to share that Lorena Göritz, Katharina-Maria Illgen, Kim Jana Müller, Dr. Jan Heinrich Beinke, Prof. Dr. Oliver Thomas, and I have explored this question in our latest completed research paper "Breaking Barriers: A Multi-Method Approach to Improve Teachers' Computer Self-Efficacy in German Schools". I look forward to present our findings at The European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2024 in Cyprus on 18 June! Our research highlights that information quality, principal support and learning culture are crucial contextual factors that influence teachers' computer self-efficacy. However, resistance to change and digitalization anxiety are personal factors that mediate the influence of teachers' attitudes. With these findings, we aim to contribute to the creation of supportive learning environments and address the challenges of inadequate professional development in the digital transformation of German schools. 📚💻 The full paper can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/gmfkTjfN #Education #DigitalTransformation #Digitalization