March 2016 NUI Galway to Host University Leaders from Across Europe for Major Education Conference

‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’

NUI Galway is delighted to announce it will host the European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference 2016 “Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus” from 7 to 8 April 2016. This is the first time that the EUA conference has been held in Ireland and President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will deliver the opening address.

With 850 members across 47 countries, EUA is the largest organisation representing universities in Europe. 17 million students are enrolled at EUA member universities. As the voice of Europe’s universities EUA supports and takes forward the interests of the European higher education sector as a whole.

The EUA Annual Conference will explore how Europe’s universities are developing comprehensive “bricks and clicks” strategies and how they are tackling the challenges involved in becoming more interactive and interconnected.  Of specific interest to the Irish higher education sector will be sessions on ‘University mergers in Europe’ and ‘Galway as a Digital University’.

Universities in Europe are currently engaged in large-scale transformation in an attempt to address social, cultural and technological changes. The conference will address these changes, especially the advent of digitalization and why it is important for European universities.

In welcoming the conference, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne, said: “I am delighted that the EUA annual conference is being held for the first time in Ireland this year, and I’m particularly pleased that NUI Galway will host our colleagues from the university sector right across Europe. From our position on the edge of Europe, Galway has a unique view of the global education agenda. NUI Galway will provide a unique platform for informed discussion and stimulating exchange on the changing paradigms in higher education and research and I very much look forward to welcoming more than 300 leaders in European higher education to Galway for this important conference.”

High-level university leaders and practitioners from across Europe will share their experiences of major change processes, such as the introduction of open access, open innovation and research and the incorporation of new technologies in university teaching. The conference will also seek to explore how these transformations are affecting institutional development, in particular in terms of HR and campus management as well as community relations.

Conference speakers include Entrepreneur in Residence at NUI Galway, student Edel Browne, Regina Moran, CEO of Fujitsu UK and Ireland and Lord David Puttnam, Chair, Atticus Education, and former Chancellor, Open University UK as well as many other leaders of European universities and representatives from the European Commission.

The conference will provide a Europe-wide discussion for higher education stakeholders to exchange experiences, share good practices, discuss future strategies and thus anticipate tomorrow’s educational needs.

For more information or to view the conference programme, please visit the conference  website.

Ends

Mórchomhdháil Oideachais in OÉ Gaillimh do Cheannairí Ollscoileanna as gach cearn den Eoraip 

‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’

Is cúis áthais do OÉ Gaillimh a fhógairt go mbeidh Comhdháil Bhliantúil Chumann Eorpach na nOllscoileanna (EUA) 2016, dar teideal ‘Bricks and clicks for Europe: building a successful digital campus’,  á reáchtáil san Ollscoil an 7 agus an 8 Aibreán 2016. Seo an chéad uair a bheidh comhdháil an EUA ar siúl in Éirinn agus is é Uachtarán na hÉireann, Micheál D. Ó hUigínn a thabharfaidh aitheasc na hoscailte.

Tá 850 ball as 47 tír san EUA, arb í an eagraíocht is mó í a dhéanann ionadaíocht ar ollscoileanna san Eoraip. Tá 17 milliún mac léinn cláraithe in ollscoileanna ar baill iad den EUA. Tugann an EUA guth d’ollscoileanna na hEorpa agus cuireann sé leas earnáil ardoideachais na hEorpa i gcoitinne chun cinn.

Ag Comhdháil Bhliantúil an EUA féachfar ar an gcaoi a bhfuil ollscoileanna na hEorpa ag forbairt straitéisí cuimsitheacha ‘brící agus cliceanna’ agus ar an gcaoi a bhfuil siad ag tabhairt faoi na dúshláin a bhaineann le héirí níos idirghníomhaí agus le níos mó ceangail a chothú eatarthu.  Cuirfidh earnáil an ardoideachais in Éirinn spéis go háirithe sna seisiúin dar teideal ‘University mergers in Europe’ agus ‘Galway as a Digital University’.

Tá athrú ó bhonn á dhéanamh ar ollscoileanna san Eoraip faoi láthair d'fhonn dul i ngleic le hathruithe sóisialta, cultúrtha agus teicneolaíochta. Pléifear na hathruithe sin sa chomhdháil seo, agus díreofar go háirithe ar theacht an digitithe agus ar an gcúis a bhfuil tábhacht leis an digitiú d’ollscoileanna na hEorpa.

Agus é ag fáiltiú roimh an gcomhdháil, dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne: ‘Tá ríméad orm go bhfuil comhdháil bhliantúil an EUA á reáchtáil in Éirinn den chéad uair i mbliana, agus tá mé thar a bheith sásta gur in OÉ Gaillimh a bheifear ag fáiltiú roimh ár gcomhghleacaithe ó earnáil na n-ollscoileanna fud fad na hEorpa. Tá léargas ar leith ag Gaillimh ar an gclár oibre oideachais domhanda, ón áit a bhfuilimid suite ar imeall na hEorpa. Cuirfidh OÉ Gaillimh ardán ar leith ar fáil le plé stuama a dhéanamh agus le smaointe spreagúla a roinnt maidir leis na múnlaí ardoideachais agus taighde atá ag athrú. Tá mé ag dúil go mór le fáilte a chur roimh níos mó ná 300 ceannaire as earnáil ardoideachais na hEorpa chuig an gcomhdháil thábhachtach seo.’

Roinnfidh ceannairí agus cleachtóirí ó ollscoileanna ardleibhéil ar fud na hEorpa a dtaithí ar mhórphróisis athraithe, mar shampla, tús a bheith á chur le rochtain oscailte agus le nuálaíocht agus taighde oscailte, agus teicneolaíochtaí nua a bheith á dtabhairt isteach sa teagasc ar an ollscoil. Déanfar iarracht sa chomhdháil freisin plé a dhéanamh ar an tionchar atá ag na claochluithe seo ar fhorbairt na n-institiúidí, go háirithe ó thaobh bainistiú Acmhainní Daonna agus campais de agus ó thaobh an chaidrimh leis an bpobal chomh maith.

I measc chainteoirí na comhdhála beidh Fiontraí Cónaitheach OÉ Gaillimh, an mac léinn Edel Browne, Regina Moran, Príomhfheidhmeannach Fujitsu sa Ríocht Aontaithe agus in Éirinn agus an Tiarna David Puttnam, Cathaoirleach, Atticus Education agus iar-Sheansailéir Open University UK, mar aon le go leor ceannairí eile ó Ollscoileanna san Eoraip agus ionadaithe ón gCoimisiún Eorpach.

Tabharfaidh an chomhdháil deis plé do pháirtithe leasmhara ón ardoideachas ar bhonn uile-Eorpach chun a dtaithí a roinnt, dea-chleachtais a mhalartú, agus straitéisí a bheidh acu amach anseo a phlé chun go mbeidh siad ábalta freastal ar na riachtanais oideachais a bheidh ann amach anseo.

Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil nó chun féachaint ar chlár na comhdhála, téigh chuig láithreán gréasáin na comhdhála.

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