From 7 to 9 May 2014, the meeting of the Utrecht Network is held in the Jagiellonian University Auditorium Maximum. Every year such meeting takes place in a different university belonging to the network, which groups European institutions of higher education collaborating in the field of internationalisation. On Thursday, 8 May, the general session of the Network was officially opened by the JU Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs, Prof. Andrzej Mania, and the JU Vice-Rector for Research and Structural Funds, Prof. Stanisław Kistryn. The talks of several dozen prominent representatives of European academic institutions concentrated on such strategic issues as internationalisation, mobility of university staff and students, development of new curricula, and the promotion of European universities in the World.

The general session was preceded by a number of workshops devoted to the above mentioned issues, with special focus on new the programmes: Erasmus Plus and Horizon 2020, and on collaboration between higher education institutions and the private sector.

The Utrecht Network was created in 1987, whereas the Jagiellonian University became its member ten years later. Before 1997, the JU had already participated in the joint Tempus project.

Currently, there are 32 universities from 29 European countries collaborating within the framework of the consortium. During the last 25 years, about 20,000 students took part in its exchange schemes. Besides European partnership, the Utrecht Network actively cooperates with similar consortia in Australia and the United States.

Zdjęcia: Jerzy Sawicz