In the 21st century, the European Union is experiencing a time of upheaval characterised by social, economic, political and cultural challenges. To face these challenges, the time has come to develop new forms of education and solutions that offer a better future for European inhabitants and societies.
Universities play a major role in co-building a more inclusive society: they constitute the interface between knowledge and the socioeconomic and cultural environment.
Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), along with international partners, has created 2 European strategic partnership networks: "Social Inclusiveness and Civic-Mindedness" (InclusU), and "University Open to Society and Sustainable Development Goals" (UNOS).
The InclusU alliance is a consortium composed of 7 European universities: the University of Lille (France); Babes-Bolyai University (Romania); Malmo University (Sweden); the University of Minno (Portugal); Roma Tre University (Italy); the University of Wroclaw (Poland); and MRU (Lithuania). The partners are united by their shared common values and have developed a project for the alliance that will reshape the way universities collaborate inside the EU.
This new way of thinking about and carrying out cooperation requires shifting the paradigm of mobility and its recognition, as well as broadening the spectrum of those who benefit from European cooperation activities: students, researchers, teachers, university personnel, officials from local institutions and authorities and those from local communities' NGO's and private companies.
Feb. 20th, the first Networking Lunch for Inclusive Universities in Europe took place in Brussels in partnership with the Hauts-de-France region and the network of Universities in South Sweden.
The meeting included Rectors and Vice-Rectors from the 7 universities, as well as vice-presidents and directors of international relations and representatives of their home countries present in Brussels. Through the multicultural and multilingual dimensions of the "European University" project, InclusU is a key driver of the Europeanisation of its teaching programs, of new learning practices and of the dissemination of European values in the world.
Activities of the project: historical memory and the challenges of today; diversity and inclusive higher education in Europe, social context and community involvement, reflective university in an open society (responsible MRU), a university based on challenges - borderless learning; a university which cares, European citizen and social inclusion.
The "UNOS" project was prepared by 6 European universities: Spain's National Distance Education University, Portugal's Aberta Universidade; Romania's Ovidius University of Constanta; Croatia's Catholic University of Croatia; Italy's International Uninettutto University; and Mykolas Romeris University.
Feb. 6-7th, the first meeting of university heads took place in Madrid.
The universities are linked by an integrated long-term studies strategy, research and management, internationalisation, innovation and the latest technology, openness to society and sustainable development goals.
According to Mykolas Romeris University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, membership in international university alliances opens new studies and research possibilities for MRU students, lecturers, researchers. It can inspire creation of new joint programmes, various intercultural activities based on research, as well as implementation of student, researchers and university personnel mobility programmes.