OpenEU presents its vision at Innovating Higher Education Conference 2024

The OpenEU Alliance has been officially introduced at the Innovating Higher Education (I·HE) Conference 2024, organized by the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) and held at the Open University of Cyprus (OUC). The president of the OpenEU Alliance and Rector of the UOC, Àngels Fitó Bertran, took the stage in the plenary session to deliver a keynote speech introducing OpenEU, as a groundbreaking initiative aimed at creating the first pan-European Open University.

Rector Fitó emphasised that OpenEU goes beyond conventional university collaboration, seeking to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in European education promoting lifelong learning, digital transformation, and inclusivity in higher education, all while aligning with core European values of democracy, equity, and environmental responsibility.

In her intervention, the Rector outlined the twofold mission of OpenEU: to empowers individuals in leading their own skills' development, enhancing employability, and opening doors to quality higher education for all; and contribute to the digital transformation of higher education institutions by helping them integrate digital technologies for teaching, thus strengthening the digital dimension of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). To achieve this, the project will focus on four key areas: 

- Lifelong Learning and Employability, by offering flexible learning pathways, a guidance tool for skills matching with the labour market, and upskilling programs, OpenEU will enable personalised education tailored to students’ needs and EU labour market demands.

- Digital Transformation, supporting higher education institutions in adopting digital technologies through initiatives like the OpenEU Research Cluster, a “Think and Do” Tank for innovation, and a dedicated doctoral community to foster research collaboration.

- Widening Participation, making higher education more accessible to underrepresented groups, especially in rural areas, through resources like a joint learning platform, mentoring programs, and targeted staff training.

- Internationalisation of HE, by creating joint degree programs, a shared catalogue of micro-credentials, and a framework for virtual and face to face mobility. 

The OpenEU Alliance is structured to foster seamless collaboration among its member institutions, ensuring that all partners work together towards achieving its mission. With a strong collective commitment, OpenEU aims to make meaningful progress in advancing digital, inclusive and green education across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

President Àngels Fitó expressed the alliance's dedication to its shared goals, emphasising the importance of partnership in realising OpenEU's vision for a more accessible and interconnected, European educational landscape.