In all some 150 university leaders (including rectors and vice rectors) from across Europe and China attended the events, along with the EU Commission's DG Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EAC), the China Mission to the EU and the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Portugal. The main aim of the event was to highlight EU-China cooperation and discuss higher education policies, university governance and academic leadership. Presentations were made by a.o. the rector of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNICA Network President, VUB former vice rector for international policy, Vice President of Renmin University of China and the Executive Vice President of Tongji University on EU-China cooperation with regards to structural reform of higher education, internationalisation, research, education innovations, challenges and opportunities for cooperation on governance, academic leadership and capacity building.
In conjunction with this seminar, a LEAD workshop on academic leadership was organised by the Universidade de Lisboa, VUB and UNICA. It focussed on the impact of internationalisation on university governance, the development of creative thinking of academic leaders and structural transformation of institutions of higher education. In addition and as part of the LEAD workshop there was also an annual meeting of EU-China Higher Education Platform for Exchanges and Cooperation (HEPEC). The discussion here focussed on EU frameworks and initiatives were introduced where Chinese universities activitely particated.
More information:
The programme of the LEAD workshop at University of Tampere on 2 May 2017 can be found here.
The programme of the LEAD workshop on Academic Leadership and HEPEC meeting in Lisbon on 4 May 2017 can be found here.
The programme of the LEAD-UNICA Europe-China Rectors Seminar in Lisbon on 5 May 2017 can be found here.
The programme of the LEAD kick-off event at VUB, March 2016 can be found here.
More information regarding the Erasmus+ LEAD project can be found here.