WHAT IS OBREAL GLOBAL IN FOCUS 2021?

 

OBREAL Global In Focus
Charting the course for South-South-North cooperation and beyond.

 

Get to know us

OBREAL Global is a membership organisation of diverse, internationally-oriented academic and research institutions, as well as individual researchers and professionals from Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

What do we propose? Promoting dialogue and synergies between governmental, academic and social sectors, taking into account the specificities and heterogeneity of each region around the world.

What are our objectives? Creating cross-regional and truly global bridges for enhanced development in the higher education and research

What do we do to reach our objectives? We generate collaborative multi-regional projects that aim at impacting in the discussion and formulation of innovative approaches to international policy and policy development in the area of research and higher education.

 

 

What is OBREAL Global in Focus 2021?

OBREAL Global and its members are launching the first edition of OBREAL Global in Focus, a programme of virtual events and activities aimed at connecting higher education and research institutions worldwide.

OBREAL Global in Focus 2021 is dedicated to the theme ‘Charting the course for South-South-North cooperation and beyond’. It will feature presentations, panel discussions and debates linked to the activities of OBREAL Global’s regional Chapters in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, India and Africa. OBREAL Global in Focus 2021 will be an opportunity to learn about the results and progress of our projects and our efforts to promote South-South-North dialogue. It is a concentrated platform for events that will engage our members, partners, and the wider global community in a dialogue on current priorities in higher education and research, as shared by diverse regions.

OBREAL Global in Focus editions will explore, more deeply, four areas of knowledge production to which we are committed:

    • The multidimensionality of higher education and research policy reform processes.
    • Higher education and research in the framework of regional/continental integration.
    • Flexibilisation, internationalisation and modularisation of learning processes in higher education.
    • The South-South-North perspective as a political construct for equitable global collaboration.
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agenda

WEEK 01.

MARCH 10 – 15h CET / 17h EAT/ 10h BOT/ 19:30h IST

 Kicking-off OBREAL Global in Focus 2021 – Charting the course for South-South-North cooperation and beyond

*Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish

This webinar will provide an introduction to OBREAL Global’s mission, notably that of promoting and facilitating South-South North Cooperation in the higher education and research sectors. It will provide an introduction to the events and activities sponsored by OBREAL in Focus 2021, framing the activities with a keynote speech and panel discussion involving OBREAL Global members from different regions.

  • Welcome and Introduction to OBREAL GLOBAL in Focus 2021
  • Keynote: Why is South-South-North Cooperation relevant for the North and the South?
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MARCH 11 – 14h CET / 16h EAT/ 09h BOT/ 18:30h IST

Europe and Africa in strategic partnership: What’s new in higher education?

Webinar organized by the HAQAA Initiative.

*Interpretation provided in English, Portuguese and French

This online event will take an in depth look at the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership and provide updated information on EU support for higher education integration on the African continent, in line with the African Union Continental Strategy for Education (CESA) and the related African harmonisation objectives. It is part of a webinar series support by the HAQAA Initiative, an EU funded endeavour that, amongst other objectives related specifically to quality assurance capacity development, is supporting Africa-EU policy dialogue around harmonisation processes in the higher education sector. The webinar will take stock of current EU initiatives supporting the higher education sector at continental level in Africa and debate their importance in the run up to the forthcoming Africa-EU summit. This comes at a time when Africa is increasingly in the spotlight when it comes to research, innovation and higher education, as an important partner to tackle global challenges ranging from climate change to health.

  • Introduction and welcome on behalf of the HAQAA2 Initiative
    • African Union Commission and OBREAL Global
  • The role of higher education in the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership 
    • Eleonora Martinello, INTPA.A.2 – Regional and Multi-Country Programmes for Africa, Directorate General International Partnerships, European Commission

  • Panel: Working collaboratively towards regional harmonisation objectives
    • Abdou Cissé, National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ANAQ-Sup-, (Senegal)

    • James Jowi, East African Community, (Tanzania)

    • Felix Kabwena, African Students’ Alumni Forum (ASAF)

    • Jeffy Mukora, National Quality Assurance Agency of Mozambique -CNAQ- (Mozambique)
  • Respondent: African higher education in the spotlight: Harmonisation and prospects for global cooperation:
    • Nico Jooste,Southern African Regional University Association -SARUA- (South Africa)
  • Chair: 
    • Deirdre Lennan, DG Education and Culture (EAC), European Commission
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MARCH 12 – 14h CET / 16h EAT/ 09h BOT/ 18:30h IST

Modularisation and flexibilisation of learning. Skilling and Reskilling in the global context.

Webinar organized by the DIESSEL Initiative.

*Interpretation provided in English and Spanish

Many sectors of society and industry are currently undergoing radical changes regarding their processes and their use of enabling technologies, with digitalization and automation at the forefront. This puts large pressure on securing the right competence of the staff. To handle this combined problem of lack of relevant skills and low employability, Industry as well as Academia are faced with the challenge of skilling young graduates entering the labour market and re-skilling of older personnel.

There is a growing consensus that HEIs must adopt an open and flexible approach with respect to the status and equivalence of courses, diverging away from the traditional academic model. HEI must also consider their lifelong learning agendas, and how they approach skilling/reskilling, in a new context.

´Microcredentials´ and modularisation of learning are tools and approaches that HEI may employ to face this challenge. In this webinar, we will discuss the problem from a global perspective and explore, through concrete cases, the potential and the limits of modularisation, micro-credentials and the general flexibilisation of learning when it comes to skilling/reskilling.

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WEEK 02.

MARCH 16 – 14h CET / 16h EAT / 09h BOT/ 18:30h IST

Challenges for higher education reform in South Africa. Public launch event: HERE-SA

Webinar organised in the framework of the Erasmus+ Project HERE-SA.

*This webinar will be conducted in English.

What are the current challenges facing teaching and learning in South African universities? How can more coherent and effective approaches to Work-Based Learning, entrepreneurship education and teaching for the Forth Industrial Revolution be achieved?

And how can a more fluid dialogue between university practice and policy making be accomplished? The HERE-SA project, supported by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education programme and co-coordinated by THENSA and OBREAL Global, explores these very issues, piloting a network of Higher Education Reform Experts for South Africa. The public launch of the project will provide insight on South Africa’s current higher education environment as well as the opportunities that the project will provide for both South African HE development and EU-South African university partnership.

  • Welcome and Introduction
    •  Anshu Padayachee,THENSA (South Africa)
    •  Ramon Torrent, OBREAL Global (Spain)
  • Panel Discussion 1: EU – Africa Cooperation For Higher Education Reform: Building Capacities And Sharing Experiences.
    • The Experience of the Higher Education Reform Experts Network – Anila Troshani, Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual and Culture, European Commission
    • The impact of the HERE in Egypt– Youhansen Eid,  NAQAAE/HERE (Egypt)
    •  Contributing to the AFRICA-EU dialogue and capacity building: The HERE-Network and continental initiatives – Michael Gaebel, Higher Education Policy Unit, European University Association -EUA-, (Brussels)
  • Chair: Nicolas Patrici, OBREAL Global (Spain)
  • Panel Discussion 2: HERE-SA as a tool to re-conceive South African higher education in the 4IR and a post-pandemic world A discussion with leadership from South African partner universities, South African policymakers and EU partners
    • Heidi Bolton, South African Qualifications Authority -SAQA- (South Africa)
    • Judy Peter, Cape Penninsula University of Technolofy -CPUT-, (South Africa)
    • Kirsi Viskari, Tampere University of Applied Science -TAMK-, (Finland)
    • Vathi Papu-Zamxaka, Tshwane University of Technology – TUT- (South Africa)
  • Chair: Sershen Naidoo, THENSA and HERE-SA (South Africa)
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MARCH 18 – 16h CET /18h EAT / 11h BOT/ 20:30h IST

Structure, organisation and management of university research: Exchange of good practices and collaboration

Co-organised by the OBREAL Global  Chapter Central America, CSUCAthe EU-LAC Foundation and the Mimir Andino project.

*Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English and Spanish

In conditions of scarce human, material and financial resources, how can research be organised and managed in order to generate scientific knowledge and technological solutions of quality, relevance and impact for the well-being and development of peoples and countries, while at the same time enhancing the meaningful learning of students? This online forum is aimed at exchanging visions, experiences, good practices, and proposals for regional, Central American and international collaboration in this field. It will be introduced and moderated by the president of SIRCIP (Central American and Caribbean Regional System of Research and Postgraduate Studies) of CSUCA and then include three interventions, marking different experiences in research management: 1) the University of El Salvador UES, highlighting the dynamics of the country and the Central American region, its challenges and needs in terms of capacity building, 2) the experience of the MIMIR ANDINO project (http://mimirandino. org/), an Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Association of Colombian Universities (ASCUN) and OBREAL Global, which has developed a model for university management of research in Andean countries, and 3) the experience of a European regional university, the University of Extremadura in Spain, which can provide important lessons for university research and its relevance for regional development.

Find all the information on the IX Congreso Universitario Centroamericano at the following link

  • Opening
    • Francisco Herrera, CSUCA (Guatemala)
    • Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, CSUCA (Guatemala)
  • Welcome from OBREAL Global and EU-LAC Foundation
    • Elizabeth Colucci, OBREAL Global (Spain)
    • Adrián Bonilla, EU-LAC Foundation (Germany)
  • Panel
    • Armando Euceda (Chair), SIRCIP – CSUCA- (Honduras)
    • José Miguel Sermeño, Universidad de El Salvador (El Salvador)
    • Elizabeth Bernal, ASCUN (Colombia) Co-Chair of the Chapter South America of OBREAL Global
    • Alfonso Marzal Reynolds, Universidad de Extemadura (Spain), OBREAL Global and Mimir Andino project
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WEEK 03.

MARCH 23 – 13:30h CET / 15:30h EAT / 08:30h BOT/ 18h IST

Perspectives and challenges for the university role in Local & Regional development

Webinar organised in the framework of the Erasmus+ Project Vita Global.

*Simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish will be provided.

Panel with university and industry representatives of the Mercosur region, the Western Cape (South Africa) and Porto (Portugal), regions that are represented in the Vita Global project. Panelists will provide specific examples of regional/local development strategies from the regions targeted, and comment on how teaching, learning and research are articulated with these strategies, across diverse sectors. They will also explore the concept of ‘extension’ or the university third mission in Latin America, Europe and South Africa, and how this relates to local development strategies of universities.

The Vita Global project is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education project that connects universities in diverse parts of the world – Latin America, the European Union, South Africa and Georgia – around the common theme of internationalising the curricula through modular approaches to study programmes. It does this through the lens of the viticultural sector and its link to local regional development.

  • Introduction to Vita Global, in the context of OBREAL Global in
    Focus 2021
    • Jimena Estrella, National University of Cuyo – UNCUYO -(Argentina)
  • Panel Discussion – Perspectives and challenges for the university
    role in local & regional development 
    • Ariel Castro, Faculty of Agronomy, University of the Republic –
      UdelaR- (Uruguay)
    • Danie Brink, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University
      (South Africa)
    • Luís Carvalho, Faculty of Economics, University of Porto (Portugal)
    • Ricardo Cabrera, National Institute of Vitivinculture -INAVI- (Uruguay)
    • Philipp Bowes, Vinpro (South Africa)
  • Chair: Álvaro Maglia, Montevideo Group of Universities – AUGM-
    (Uruguay)
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MARCH 25 – 16h CET /18h EAT / 11h BOT/ 20:30h IST

Innovation of teaching and learning and the relationship to quality assurance

Co-organised by the OBREAL Global  Chapter Central America, CSUCA, the EU-LAC Foundation.

*Simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish will be provided.

The Central American University Council (CSUCA), chair of the OBREAL Global Central American Chapter, is currently organising a virtual workshop series on key development challenges for the Central American university sector in the lead up to its University Congress in June 2021. Amongst the issues to be explored are innovation in teaching and learning and its link to quality assurance. This webinar will explore current challenges, strategies and practices for innovating teaching in the current pandemic context. Speakers from further afield in Latin America and Europe will provide contrasting perspectives and also ideas on capacity building for Central American universities.

Find all the information on the IX Congreso Universitario Centroamericano at the following link

  • Opening
    • Francisco Herrera,  CSUCA (Guatemala)
    • Carlos Alvarado Cerezo, CSUCA (Guatemala)
  • Welcome from OBREAL Global and EU-LAC Foundation
    • Elizabeth Colucci, OBREAL Global (Spain)
    • Adrián Bonilla, EU-LAC Foundation (Germany)
  • Panel
    • Susan Francis Salazar, Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica)
    • Lea Cruz, Consejo Centroamericano de Acreditación -CCA-
    • Maria Kelo, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education -ENQA- (Belgium)
    • Elizabeth Noonan, University College Cork (Ireland)
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MARCH 26 – 16h CET /18h EAT / 11h BOT/ 20:30h IST

Joint study programmes for regional integration: Perspectives from the Caribbean

This webinar is co-organised by Universities Caribbean, who is the chair of the OBREAL Global Caribbean Chapter.

*Simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish will be provided.

Universities Caribbean (UC) aims to foster one Caribbean voice for the diverse, multi-lingual university sector in the region, connecting it with global partners to tackle common challenges related to climate, health, security, cultural heritage and resilience. UC is embarking on a project to develop a regional study programme, rooted in the diverse strengths and perspectives of its members as well as Caribbean identity. The webinar will explore the topic of joint study programmes, providing voices from the Caribbean and further afield in Europe and South America on their strategic importance for fostering regional cohesion and collaboration.

Welcome – Representatives from OBREAL Global and Universities Caribbean

Presentation: Consolidating the Caribbean academic cooperation space and the role of joint programmes 

  • Patricia Martinez, Universidad Simon Bolivar / CRECES  (Colombia)

Panel Discussion: Joint programmes, strategic orientations and regional integration 

  • Fred Réno, Université des Antilles (Guadeloupe)
  • Jessica Byron, International Relations Institute, University of the West Indies
  • Nicolas Maillard, Association of Universities Grupo Montevideo -AUGM- (Uruguay) and UFRGS’ Institute of Latin-American Advanced Studies (Brazil)
  • Maria Guijarro Mata-Garcia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid / UNA Europa Working Group on the European Degree (Spain)

Chair:

  • Patricia Martinez, Universidad Simon Bolivar / CRECES  (Colombia)
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WEEK 04.

MARCH 29 – 15h CEST / 16h EAT / 09h BOT/ 18:30h IST

Trends in digitalisation and internationalisation: Perspectives from South America

*Simultaneous interpretation in English, Portuguese and Spanish will be provided.

The opportunities and challenges offered by digitalization in higher education are numerous. They require thorough exploration, so as to be assess what needs the university sector has and how capacity building, both of university teaching staff and administrative and technical staff, can be best shaped. The OBREAL Global South America Chapter has made this issue a priority, launching in December 2020 a series of focus groups in Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil dedicated to exploring university needs for capacity development, both for optimizing online learning more generally and especially for leveraging it for international academic collaboration. This webinar will present the preliminary outcomes of the research conducted and discuss its implications for both South America and other world regions grappling with similar issues.

  • Welcome and introduction to OBREAL GLOBAL in Focus 2021 and
    to the webinar
    • Ramón Torrent, President. OBREAL Global (Spain)
  • Chair and introduction of the South American Chapter:
    • Oscar Domínguez, Executive Director. ASCUN (Colombia)
  • Case study: presentation of the results of the Focus Groups conducted by the South American Chapter of OBREAL Global.
    • Julio Theiler, LINED and Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Argentina)
  • Panel
    • José Passarini, Universidad de la República (Uruguay)
    • Maria Leonor Alves Maia, Presidente FAUBAI (Brazil)
    • Cliona Maher, University College Cork (Ireland)
    • Armida de la Garza, University College Cork (Ireland)
    • Mónica Marquina, CONICET (Argentina)
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Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]  if you have questions, concerns, any technical problem during the registration process or if you need any further information regarding OBREAL Global in Focus 2021