Quote of the month

"All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." - Aristotle

Introducing BRIDGES-LAC

BRIDGES-LAC is a project co-financed by the European Commission within the framework of the ERASMUS MUNDUS Programme. Its main objective is to consolidate the relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the area of HIGHER EDUCATION.

The rationale underlying BRIDGES-LAC is that Higher Education, and particularly cooperation in the area of Higher Education, must not be considered a mere mechanism for the transfer of knowledge but must rather be thought of as a POWERFUL TOOL TO DEVELOP LASTING RELATIONSHIPS and TO CONVEY cultural, political, social and economic VALUES in a sustainable manner between BOTH REGIONS. Higher Education is therefore a DEVELOPMENT TOOL capable of generating a shared view when RESPONDING TO TODAYS’ MAJOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES.

It is within this context that BRIDGES-LAC intends to contribute to the development of the Common Area in Higher Education between Europe and Latin American and the Caribbean (ALCUE) and seeks the active participation of EU and LAC Higher Education Institutions as well as academic staff, policy makers, decision makers, managers and administrators. Its multiplying effect will benefit other stakeholders such as Higher education inspectors EU and LAC Higher Education Advisors and Counsellors and the Research community in both regions as well.

Thus, BRIDGES-LAC aims at:

• Improving Latin American students’ ACCESS to EU Higher Education;
• Contributing to the advancement of MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF DEGREES AND QUALIFICATIONS;
• Strengthening the international dimension of QUALITY ASSURANCE for Higher Education;
• Fostering the interdisciplinary policy debate with a view to enhancing participation and
• CONSOLIDATING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING among different stakeholders in both regions; and
• Ensuring sustainable means of MULTIPLYING AND DISSEMINATING SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES of EU-LAC in the area of Higher Education and Research.

Among its most important outputs BRIDGES-LAC envisages:

• Carrying out a BRIDGES-LAC survey, to identify the real problems and challenges encountered by students, officials and agencies for the consolidation of a reliable database that will prove a valuable source when generating recommendations;
• Preparing research papers, prototype models, round-tables, debates, forums, workshops and seminars, on different subjects within the scope of the project;
• Developing a dynamic website portal and an updated on-line bulletin that will act as a platform to generate contacts and multiply the necessary synergies for the enhancement of sustainable cooperation among different networks; and
• Generating multiplier and participatory units to foster the active participation and debate among networks and stakeholders with an interest in Higher Education in both regions.

BRIDGES-LAC is composed of internationally renowned associations and Universities with a clear vocation to improve cooperation in the area of Higher Education between both regions:

• COORDINATOR: OBSERVATORIO DE LAS RELACIONES UNIÓN EUROPEA AMÉRICA LATINA (OBREAL) – SPAIN
• LEIDEN UNIVERSITEIT – THE NETHERLANDS
• MENON NETWORK - BELGIUM
• UNIVERSIDAD DE DEUSTO - SPAIN
• ASOCIACIÓN LATINOAMERICANA DE INTEGRACIÓN (ALADI) - URUGUAY
• AUSJAL - VENEZUELA
• FACULTAD LATINOAMERICANA DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES (FLACSO) – COSTA RICA and MEXICO