Within the framework of the European Presidency of the Council, Spain has organized the Second European Partnership Forum, which took place in Barcelona on 14 and 15 September 2023. Taking the lead from the first Forum organised by the French Presidency in June 2022, all existing Alliances, representatives of the Member States, European and national student associations, as well as associations of universities and quality agencies were convened to discuss the main current challenges of the European Universities initiative.
During the two days of the Forum, some 400 people representing the 50 existing Alliances, as well as the various groups involved in this initiative, had the opportunity to dialogue, exchange experiences and discuss specific challenges of the Alliances such as their financing, their external dimension, the role of the student body, as well as the pilot projects on the legal entity of the Alliances and the European seal of titles. The choice of topics and the people involved was made jointly with the European Alliances and the European Commission.
The place chosen to host the II Forum was a unique and emblematic building of the city of Barcelona: the old textile factory Fabra i Coats. This iconic building, part of the industrial legacy of the early 20th century, is now a space for creativity and culture. A space that symbolizes the modernization and transformation of old institutions that, as in the case of the Alliances of European Universities, have to be transformed to face the challenges of a diverse and global society.
