The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) has begun on January 1st, lasting one semester. This will be our 4th rotating Presidency, succeeding Germany and preceding Slovenia in the Trio of Presidencies, countries with which we have developed a joint programme for a period of 18 months. The pandemic and its social and economic consequences have, by force of circumstance, become a central theme of the Trio, thus underlining the importance of building a more resilient and better prepared EU to manage crises in the future. Broadly, Portugal will also work for a more social, green, digital and global EU.
In the specific context of Higher Education, EU-Africa cooperation in R&I will be highlighted, in conjunction with Space, with emphasis on institutional capacity building and striving to avoid a “brain drain”. The expansion of Higher Education to new audiences will also be promoted, through the acquisition of new skills and the updating of skills in adult learning, as well as by strengthening Higher Education networks, with a focus on the networks of “European Universities” and the Universities of the Future. Special attention will also be given to mobility in education, including higher education and research careers, and to “brain circulation”. In this regard, emphasis will be placed on the establishment of the European Education Area by 2025, the development of a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, as well as initiatives within the scope of the new Skills Agenda for Europe and the new Digital Education Action Plan.
For further information see: https://www.2021portugal.eu/en/
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