FOREU4ALL takes part in the 1st Spanish national Forum of Alliances hosted by Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid)

In early November, Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid hosted the 1^st Forum of Universidades Españolas en Universidades Europeas (UEUE), the Spanish national network bringing together representatives from 62 Spanish universities actively involved in European Universities alliances, including six institutions holding the Seal of Excellence.

Dorothy Kelly, Coordinator of Arqus, current UEUE President and a member of the FOREU4ALL Forum Board moderated the session where Meritxell Chaves, leader of Communication & Dissemination of FOREU4ALL, contributed to this first national meeting, which marked an important step toward strengthening collaboration among Spanish universities engaged in the European Universities Initiative.

Over the course of two days, participants discussed shared experiences and common challenges, while identifying new opportunities for cooperation. The sessions addressed key topics such as the development of joint degrees, mobility programmes, and the reinforcement of the digital and institutional transformation capacity of alliances.

The UEUE group, closely aligned with FOREU4ALL’s objectives and governance model (an Assembly and an Executive Committee), aims to promote synergies at the national level and enhance the collective impact of European University alliances in Spain. Like FOREU4ALL, UEUE is structured around thematic working groups that foster dialogue and collaboration between alliances, complementary to FOREU4ALL, focusing particularly on national policy coordination and visibility.

The Forum was officially inaugurated by the Secretary General for Universities at the Spanish Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities, Rector Amaya Mendikoetxea of the Autonomous University of Madrid in representation of the Spanish Rectors’ Conference and Rector Abraham Duarte of the host university, all of whom underlined the importance of alliances for the transformation and enhancement of the European university system. The programme also featured Ioana Dewandeler, representing the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture (EAC), and the Spanish Erasmus+ Agency, SEPIE, who shared insights into current European and national support mechanisms for university alliances.