VertebrALCUE News
The VertebrALCUE Project aims to contribute to the development process of the regional integration among Latin American Higher Education Systems (HES´s) and the implementing process of the Common Area of Higher Education between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union (ALCUE in Spanish) by exploring and strengthening different levels of articulation of Latin America-Latin America and EU-Latin America academic cooperation through the design and implementation of a cooperation infrastructure at institutional, national and regional level.
Through this cooperation infrastructure, the Project will contribute to promote the establishment of structural and lasting links and networks among Higher Education Institutions in LA (LA HEIs) and between LA HEIs and EU HEIs, through specific pilot actions and activities that will be carried in the ALCUE Units that will also embody the action’s result.
The specific activities implemented in the VertebralALCUE cooperation infrastructure, following the priorities of the ALFA III Programme, will be addressed to support the reform and modernisation of higher education institutions and systems in the beneficiary countries, as well as their quality, accessibility and relevance.
The Project will also contribute to support the integration among universities, enterprises, local government and society, thus contributing to local development and social cohesion.
To reach these goals, the VertebrALCUE Partners will work together to:
1. identify strengths and weaknesses of existing cooperation models and infrastructures (networks, programmes, agencies, specialised units in HEI and governments, etc.) of academic cooperation among LA HEI and between LA and EU HEI ;
2. identify priority actions to further develop the existing infrastructure for cooperation through a diagnostic, strategic and prospective exercise;
3. implement design principles, model structure and functions, feasibility and action plan, minimum requirements and evaluation criteria for the ALCUE Units in LA and EU HEIs and to do the same for the ALCUE National coordination Units;
4. consolidate the Regional dimension of integration of HE systems in LA;
5. promote thematic dialogue at national, regional and international level and the establishment of lasting Thematic Networks;
6. promote, stimulate and explore bi-lateral and multi-lateral structured cooperation among leading HEI and other relevant actors of the two Regions;
7. evaluate modeling and prototyping activities proposed by the project;
8. propose and promote a Middle Term Action Plan of the ALCUE Cooperation Infrastructure.
