The two-day visit included meetings on topical issues, preparations for the Annual Conference which is organised in Turku in the summer of 2024, and participation in the Europe Forum.
The Coimbra Group is a network of long-established European multidisciplinary universities of high international standard. The Group is committed to creating academic and cultural ties in order to promote, for the benefit of its members, internationalisation, academic collaboration, and excellence in learning and research. It is also actively involved in the development of European education policy. The University of Turku has been a Coimbra Group member since 1995.
The University of Turku had the pleasure of hosting a visit for the Members of the Coimbra Group Executive Board to Turku and the Europe Forum. The visit was hosted by Piia Björn, Vice Rector of the University of Turku, who is one of the members of the Executive Board. The Executive Board has a central role in the Coimbra Group as it is responsible for implementing all decisions taken by the General Assembly and for all the decisions affecting the running of the Coimbra Group between General Assemblies.
The programme of the visit included a meeting of the Executive Board on current topics as well as meetings with the Rectors of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. During the visit, the focus was also on the preparations of Coimbra Group's next Annual Conference which will take place in Turku in the summer of 2024. The Conference is organised by the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University on the theme of Research and Education - Most Impactful Together.
“Preparations for the next Annual Conference are well underway and it will be a very interesting event. The Coimbra Group is excellent in its advocacy work and it is important for the University of Turku to be involved,” says Vice Rector Björn.
The visit took place in the last week of August which enabled the members of the Executive Board to participate in the Europe Forum which was organised in Turku at the same time. The Forum's programme included a discussion European Universities and Alliances for excellence: Reaching towards new Frontiers with Northern America organised by the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. The discussion was moderated by Ludovic Thilly, Professor at Poitiers University, Chairman of the Coimbra Group Executive Board and Coordinator of the European Campuses of City Universities (EC2U).
