The CDEDU Sub-Group on Higher Education Policy has concluded its meeting in Venice, bringing together representatives of public authorities, the academic community, students and higher education stakeholder organisations.
The meeting focused on two major priorities of the Council of Europe’s Higher Education Programme: the development of a Student Rights Charter and the strengthening of the legal protection of academic freedom.
The proposed Student Rights Charter aims to establish a common European framework of minimum principles and guarantees for the protection and effective exercise of student rights. Participants also discussed the development of a comprehensive framework to protect academic freedom through normative instruments, monitoring mechanisms, policy dialogue and thematic work.
The Sub-Group received information on progress in several other areas of the Council of Europe’s work, including:
- the ETINED agenda on ethics, transparency and integrity in education;
- the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR);
- the Lisbon Recognition Convention and the ENIC-NARIC Networks;
- artificial intelligence and education, including the fair, transparent and trustworthy use of AI in the recognition of qualifications; and
- the Council of Europe’s contribution to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The programme also featured an intervention by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), which presented its current priorities and perspectives on quality assurance in European higher education.
Participants visited the Università Iuav di Venezia, formerly the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV), where they had an opportunity to engage with members of the university community and exchange views on current opportunities and challenges in higher education.
The CDEDU Sub-Group supports the Steering Committee for Education in providing strategic direction for the Council of Europe’s Higher Education Programme. It promotes policy dialogue and the exchange of good practices among member States and key higher education stakeholders.
