Coimbra Group of Universities

A network of 39 European universities with a specific profile 4 characteristics: high quality research universities long established in university-dominated cities outside capital comprehensive (membership by invitation only)

Origins Coimbra Group created as network of universities with similar profile and similar challenges (strong impact on region, historical buildings...) - 1985 Louvain-la-Neuve & Leuven invite potential network members - 1986 first General Assembly in Coimbra CG at origin of European Union Erasmus Programme

From CG Mission Statement The Coimbra Group is committed to the promotion of academic collaboration between its members on three basic levels: mutual exchange of experience development of best practice influencing European policy

Members 1 Austria: Belgium: Czech Republic: Denmark: Estonia: Finland: France: Germany: Hungary: Ireland: Graz Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve Prague Aarhus Tartu Åbo, Turku Lyon, Montpellier, Poitiers Göttingen, Heidelberg, Jena, Würzburg Budapest Galway, Trinity College Dublin

Members 2 Italy: Norway: Poland: Portugal: Romania: Russia: Spain: Sweden: Switzerland: The Netherlands: Turkey United Kingdom: Bologna, Padova, Pavia, Siena Bergen Cracow Coimbra Iaşi St Petersburg Barcelona, Granada, Salamanca Uppsala Geneva Groningen, Leiden Istanbul Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford

Coimbra Group structure General Assembly (all rectors) 1 meeting/year in framework of Annual Conference Executive Board (8 elected members) 1 meeting/month Rectors Advisory Group (7 members: 4 elected; 3 ex officio) 2 meetings/year together with Executive Board 8 Task Forces (all member universities can join) each Task Force meets several times/year

Coimbra Group Office (Brussels) Inge Anna Nathalie Catarina Serge Inge Knudsen Anna Quici Catarina Moleiro Nathalie Sonveaux Serge Ngangue Office Director Task Force Support Task Force Support Administration Administration

Mobility CG at origin of EU Erasmus Programme and still extremely active in Erasmus mobility - about 20 % of all Erasmus mobility involves a CG university CG has very strong participation in Erasmus Mundus programmes - 40 % of all EM master courses have CG Universities as partners - also very active in Action 2

Task Forces Thematic Culture, Arts and Humanities Doctoral Studies and Research Employment and Career Guidance e-learning Education, Training and Mobility Geographic African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) European Neighbourhood Latin America

Activities CG Position papers on important HE issues (sent to ministers of education and other stakeholders) Annual CG Conferences and other events (seminars, TF) devoted to hot HE topics Annual Scholarship programmes European Neighbourhood, Latin America, ACP Presence as stakeholder in important European projects As coordinator: TRANS-DOC As partner: Tuning Africa, U-Map, U-Multirank, IMPI, EMQT Links with other networks Montevideo Group; Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities

Policy Seminars Policy Seminars at discipline/field level Science Economics and Management Humanities Added value Translation Studies exchange of experience, development of best practice reflection and analysis international benchmarking of study programmes opportunities for cooperation (joint programmes and activities, mobility, research

European Neighbourhood Task Force Mission and activities To complement the worldwide internationalisation activities of he CG To promote international academic cooperation and intercultural dialogue To bring together the experience and expertise of CG universities in cooperating with neighbouring countries To facilitate, support and undertake new collaboration projects To develop links with and among CG universities To raise awareness about the CG among institutions in neighbouring countries To improve knowledge about the universities from the targeted regions among the CG members Activities: organization of events, projects, scholarship programme, exchange of good practices,