On Tuesday, May 13th, Philippe DECLERCQ, Managing Director-President, and Nicolas VELINGS, Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Life, flew to Portugal to attend the 34th EURASHE Conference.
Entitled “Place, Knowledge and Skills: Applied Universities Driving Regional Competitiveness”, the conference explored how higher education institutions contribute to supporting Europe’s economic competitiveness through a more sustainable and inclusive approach. The event was held at the Polytechnic University of Portalegre.
Innovation at every level and strong ties with the professional world
The Conference was opened by speeches from Hannes Raffeseder, President of EURASHE, Luís Loures, President of the Polytechnic University of Portalegre, Fermelinda Carvalho, Mayor of Portalegre, and Fernando Alexandre, Portuguese Minister of Education, Science and Innovation.
During the first day, participants attended an information session focused on innovation serving our missions in our regions, as well as another session on local skills ecosystems.
Round tables were also organised around various topics such as:
- the role of PhD candidates in Europe, considering that they can serve as bridges between academic excellence and the professional world;
- ways to have an impact at regional and international levels;
- rethinking learning spaces to offer immersive experiences;
- quality assurance.
The following day was dedicated to identifying the strengths of European regions. Four discussion tables were set up on:
- assessing regional engagement;
- preparing students for the job market across Europe;
- applied research in teaching and training;
- inclusion in professional higher education.
EURASHE – What is it?
EURASHE stands for the European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education.
Founded in 1990 in Greece, EURASHE is an international association that promotes professional higher education in Europe.
It brings together more than 80 members across Europe, representing over 500 professional higher education institutions.
The association has established two networks: the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for education and the European Research Area (ERA) for research, with the main goal of fostering international cooperation.
It is worth noting that Philippe DECLERCQ, Managing Director-President of HELHa, represents ARES (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur) at the EURASHE General Assembly.
Opportunities for our University College
During this trip, our two representatives had the opportunity to network with peers from other institutions across Europe and to discuss the role of higher education institutions in sustainable regional development.
The aim is also to raise HELHa’s profile internationally and to develop partnerships for both our students and staff, whether in initial training, continuing education, or research.
Published on 19 May 2025
HELHa