Vice-chancellors’ delegation to Brussels
Global Wales recently joined colleagues from across the sector on a two-day high-level delegation to Brussels.
9 November 2022
Joining the delegation were representatives from Welsh higher and further education, including vice-chancellors Professor Elizabeth Treasure (Aberystwyth University), Professor Paul Boyle (Swansea University), Dr. Ben Calvert (University of South Wales), and Professor Colin Riordan (Cardiff University), Dr. Andrew Cornish of Colleges Wales, and Susana Galvan of Taith. The delegation coincided with a visit to Brussels by Welsh Government Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS.
The visit to Brussels involved discussions with European partners on topics including internatonalisation in further education, student mobility between the EU and Wales with Sabine Verheyen MEP, , and shared areas of interest within higher education with Amanda Crowfoot, Secretary General of the European University Association.
This was followed by an alumni reception hosted by Universities Wales with Welsh Government Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS, former MEP, Derek Vaughan, and executive director of Taith, Susana Galvan in attendance. The reception demonstrated Welsh higher education’s commitment to Europe through alumni working across European institutions.
The second and final day of the visit included further meetings with European partners on matters such as research opportunities, higher education international mobility, European Qualification Framework and the EU skills agenda, as well as UK Government perspectives on European Research and Innovation.
The delegates visited the European Parliament for a lunchtime event with Jeremy Miles and Hannes Heide MEP to further discuss mobility between Wales and Europe, and how Taith can support this, before bringing the visit to a close.
Reflecting on the visit Dr. Ben Calvert, Chair of Global Wales said “This has been an incredibly insightful and productive visit, I’m pleased to be able to work with colleagues across Wales to meet our European partners and reaffirm our commitment to a positive and long-lasting relationship with European institutions, that will benefit our students, staff, colleges, and universities.”
We would like to thank the Wales Higher Education Brussels team for organising a complex and highly productive programme, and Taith and ColegauCymru for joining us to support Global Wales meetings.