The "Study in Europe" conference serves as a significant platform for the annual meeting of European Higher Education National Promotion Agencies, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among participating agencies. Traditionally held in Brussels, the conference broke away from tradition last year when the capital city of France, Paris played host, with the French agency Campus France taking the lead as the organizer. This year, Estonia's Education and Youth Board became the second non-Brussels agency in history to be granted the privilege of organizing the annual meeting.
Eero Loonurm, the head of international promotion of Estonian higher education and the head of the organizing committee of the conference, expressed his delight at Estonia's opportunity to be the meeting place for Europe. "We were glad to organize the annual meeting," said Loonurm. "Besides promoting our own country, Estonia has always been committed to promote European higher education and the continent's academic excellence on a global scale."
The conference agenda was packed with insightful discussions and presentations, focusing not only on promoting Europe as a sought-after educational destination but also on exploring the economic impact of higher education and foreign students. Key topics included national study migration strategies and the identification of global trends in higher education, ensuring that participants gained valuable insights and a comprehensive understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of European higher education.
Keynote speakers were Gunnar Vaht (Head of Estonian ENIC/NARIC centre, member of UNESCO Drafting Committee of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education), Elīna Apsīte-Beriņa (University of Latvia, Management Committee member of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action CA20115 - European Network on International Student Mobility: Connecting Research and Practice (ENIS) and Vasso Koutsos (the University Lead of the Brand and Recruitment Marketing Reference Group with Education New Zealand).
The programme included case studies from Austria, France, Spain, Czechia, Poland, Romania, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Academic Cooperation Association and Erasmus Student Network International.
In addition to two days of intense discussions on higher education, academic mobility, and national strategies, the delegates planted more than 200 trees for the new "Study in Europe" park, designed to symbolize European cooperation and sustainability. A park was established at the border of Põlvamaa and Tartumaa in the Järvselja Training and Experimental Forestry District of the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
The Estonian Education and Youth Board and its partners won the European Higher Education Area Marketing procurement that was announced by the European Commission. The national higher education promotion initiative "Study in Estonia" teamed up with Higher Education national promotion agencies from Germany, France and the Netherlands, as well as the pan-European think tank Academic Cooperation Association. The project is part of a broader initiative from the European Commission to enhance the internationalisation of European higher education.
Study in Estonia is a cooperation initiative that introduces Estonia as a country offering high quality higher education opportunities. All Estonian institutions of higher education, at which it is possible to study in at least one program that is taught fully in English and is internationally recognised, can participate in the programme. The activities of Study in Estonia are coordinated by the Estonian Education and Youth Board in the framework of the Dora Pluss programme, which is being carried out via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and with the aid of EU structural support.
Photos of the conference:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/haridusjanoorteamet/albums/72177720308994727
More information
Eero Loonurm
Study in Estonia
[email protected]
Estonian Education and Youth Board
