VertebrALCUE
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).
The project, counting on a good number of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Latin America and Europe as partners, intends to design principles, model structure, action plan, evaluation criteria and verify feasibility conditions, for a “vertebrating model” for the Common Area of Higher Education between Latin America (LA) and the European Union.
The VertebrALCUE model will explore and strengthen different levels (institutional, national and regional) of articulation of Latin America-Latin America and EU-Latin America academic cooperation. All partners are meant to establish a prototype ALCUE Unit within their institution which will participate in the feasibility studies of the National Coordination Units and will be involved in the design and evaluation activity for each Vertebralcue component.
Vertebralcue is not to be intended as an extra academic network but a hub which can facilitate and induce a structure for the interlinking of the existing networks and the shaping of the ALCUE space.
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:
- identify strengths and weaknesses of existing cooperation models and infrastructures (networks, programmes, agencies, specialised units in Higher Education Institutions-HEI and governments, etc.) of academic cooperation among LA HEI and between LA and EU HEI;
- identify priority actions to further develop the existing infrastructure for cooperation through a diagnostic, strategic and prospective exercise;
- 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;
- consolidate the Regional dimension of integration of HE systems in LA;
- promote thematic dialogue at national, regional and international level and the establishment of lasting Thematic Networks to promote, stimulate and explore bi-lateral and multi-lateral structured cooperation among leading HEI and other relevant actors of the two Regions;
- evaluate modeling and prototyping activities proposed by the project;
- propose and promote a Middle Term Action Plan of the ALCUE Cooperation Infrastructure.
Services by SCIENTER:
Scienter supports the project leader as a joint coordinator in the technical, networking and sustainability oriented activities. In particular it leads the valorization, sustainability and dissemination activities of and is responsible for the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
