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SGroup General Assembly 2017

The Social Responsibility of Universities

Ghent University

10-11 November 2017

Venue: Het Pand, Onderbergen 1, Ghent

https://www.ugent.be/het-pand/en

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Ghent University 200 years

Ghent University is a top 100 university and one of the major Belgian universities counting

over 41,000 students and 9,000 employees. Located in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of

Belgium and the cultural and economic heart of Europe, Ghent University is an active partner

in national and international educational, scientific and industrial cooperation.

With a view to cooperation in research and scientific services, numerous research groups,

centers and institutes have been founded over the years. Several of them are worldwide

renowned, in various scientific disciplines such as biotechnology, aquaculture,

microelectronics, history.... The University distinguish itself as a socially committed and

pluralistic university in a broad international perspective.

The history of Ghent University is built on social impact. 200 years of Ghent University is a

symbolic pivotal point for Ghent University. We are not just looking back at our rich history:

most of all we are looking ahead and asking ourselves about what role we want to play as a

university in the future. 2017 is the perfect moment to give shape to this vision.

Ghent University is not the University of Today or the University of Tomorrow: it is the

University of the Future.

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AGENDA

Venue: Het Pand, Onderbergen 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium

https://www.ugent.be/het-pand/en

10th November

9.30 Welcome coffee

10.00-10.30 Welcome address: Guido Van Huylenbroeck, Academic Director

Internationalisation, Ghent University and Jacek Witkoṡ, SGroup President

10.30-11.00 EU Policy Initiatives on Civic Participation, François Théron, Policy Officer, DG

DG Migrations and Home Affairs Strategy and General Affairs, European

Commission

11.00-12.30 Global engagement of universities

Cooperation of Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) with partners in

Colombia – a contribution to peace – Julia Volz, Head of IRO, Justus Liebig

University of Giessen

SGroup´s policy on global partnerships and collaboration

o Think Tank for Latin America – Bárbara Costa, Head of International

Relations Office, University of Porto

o Think Tank for China – Arnim Heinemann, Head of International

Relations Office, University of Bayreuth

12.30-13.30 Lunch, Venue: Het Pand

13.30-15.00 Universities in the dissemination of values: equity, excellence, ethics – case

study presentations from SGroup Network will be followed by an interactive

session with participants

Third mission and citizenship at the University of Liège -Didier

Vrancken, Vice-Rector for Citizenship, Institutional and International

Relations at University of Liège

Ethics, Values and Internationalization in the Higher Education Sector

– Dilemmas and Possible Ways Forward, Hans Abelius, Head of

International Relations Office, University of Gothenburg

15.00-15.30 Coffee break

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15.30-16.30 Universities engaging with diversity

CEDAT Foundation: a UPV project on social responsibility - Cristóbal Miralles Insa, Co-ordinator of CEDAT, Polytechnic University of Valencia

Higher Education as a driver for transformation of society - Cecilia

Christersson, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement and Challenge

Based Learning, Malmö University

Engaging with Diversity at the University of Westminster –

Alexandra Hughes, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement,

University of Westminster

16.30-17.00 Concluding remarks by Frederik De Decker, Head of International Relations

Office at UGhent and Jacek Witkoś, SGroup President

19.00 Gala dinner in De Foyer

11th November

9.00-11.00 Internal business meeting – Part I.

Approval of minutes from General Assembly 2016

Report of activities 2016-2017

Financial report 2016

Appointment of auditors

Elections of Executive Committee Member

11.00 – 11.15 Coffee break

11.15-12.30 Internal business meeting – Part II.

Employment in Portugal

SGroup policies and strategy 2018 and programme of acitivies 2018

SGroup’s global engagement

EU-funded projects

Budget and membership fee 2018

General Assembly 2018

12.30-13.30 Lunch, Venue: Het Pand

15.00 Social program, Boat trip

16.00 Guided visit to Belfort

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PANEL SPEAKERS’ BIOGHRAPHIES

Guido Van Huylenbroeck, Academic Director Internationalisation, Ghent University

Prof. Guido Van Huylenbroeck (1958) is full professor in Agricultural and

Rural Environmental Economics at Ghent University. He holds a PhD in

agricultural economics and is Doctor honoris causa of the National

University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Aleksandras

Stulginskis University in Lithuania and Slovak Agricultural University.

His research area is institutional economics, agricultural policy and rural

development. He is also coordinator of the Erasmus mundus international

joint master degree in rural development (IMRD).

He is author or co-author of more than 350 publications of which ± 175

peer reviewed journal articles and supervised so far 30 PhD theses. He

served for 7 years as Dean of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of Ghent University (2008-2015)

and, since October 1st 2015, he is the Academic Director for Internationalization of Ghent University

(equivalent to vice-president) and in this function responsible for the Ghent University Global Campus,

Incheon, Korea. He also served as board member and treasurer (2005-2017) of the European

Association of Agricultural Economists and as board member and president (2010-2016) of ICA (the

European Association of Agricultural Universities and Faculties).

Jacek Witkoś, President, SGroup

Prof. Jacek Ireneusz Witkoś (born in 1963) is full professor of English

linguistics at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. He

obtained his title of Doctor of Philosophy in 1993.

Since 1999 he has been the head of the Department of Polish-English

Comparative Studies at AMU. He spent several years as visiting scholar

and researcher in foreign Higher Education Institutions such as the

University of Maryland in College Park, U.S. (2000-2002), the University

of Vienna (1994-1997) and the University of North Wales in Bangor, UK

(1991-1992). Prof. Jacek Witkoś is active in professional organizations

and scientific societies; he is a member of the Scientific Committee for

Societas Linguistica Europea (SLE) and an executive board member of the Slavic Linguistic Society (SLE).

Jacek Witkoś is also actively involved in university administration. From 1999 to 2005 he was Deputy

Head of the School of English, from 2005 to 2008 he was Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Modern

Languages and Literature and recently, for the past eight years (2008-2016) he was Deputy President

of AMU for Research and International Cooperation. He has served as an executive board member for

SGroup for the past three years.

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François Théron, Policy Officer, European Commission

François Théron is a Policy Officer in DG Migration and Home Affairs

(HOME), seconded to the European Commission by the French Prime

Minister’s office. He is in charge of policy initiatives in civic participation in

the Europe for Citizens sector, working with civil society organisations in

the inter-institutional and citizenship unit of the Strategy General Affairs

directorate of DG HOME.

As member of the French Prime Minister’s office, he has been assigned in

the Council of the European Union, in the French Government information

service and in the General Secretariat for National Defence. He also

previously served in the French Ministry of Defence, in the OSCE and in

the United Nations.

François Théron graduated from Sciences Po (Service public) and holds a LL.B. He occasionally gave

lectures in France for the École nationale d’administration, the École des officiers de la gendarmerie

nationale, the Institut national des hautes études de la sécurité et de la justice and the Institut regional

d’administration de Lille.

Julia Volz, Head of IRO, Justus Liebig University of Giessen

Julia Voz, head of the IRO and team leader at Justus Liebig University of

Giessen, is responsible for the internationalization strategy, partnerships

and cooperation agreements, as well as the international study programs

and international marketing.

She has an academic degree diploma in Social Sciences from Justus Liebig

University Giessen (JLU) and experience in mobility and structural

programs of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), indicators

for mapping and profiling internationalization (IMPO) and European

Social Funs (ESF). She worked with the ERASMUS Mundus External

Cooperation Window, Jean Monnet Project and TEMPUS program.

Volz is member of the strategic committee on international relations of the Strasbourg University and

implemented an international meeting center in the context of the development of a new

internationalization strategy for Justus Liebig University. She was member of the SGroup Universities

Network from 2011 to 2014, participated in the Pilot project partner of the HRK-Audit and Re-Audit

“Internationalization of Universities” and in the DAAD-project “Dialogue on Innovative Higher

Education Strategies” to set up and international relations office at Hawassa University, in Ethiopia.

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Bárbara Costa, Head of International Relations Office, University of Porto

Bárbara Costa graduated, in 2000, in International Relations, Cultural and

Political Strand by the University of Minho. She is currently (March 2014)

Director of the International Office of the U.Porto, Erasmus+ Institutional

Coordinator and she was also appointed as a member of the Executive

Committee of the Santander Group of European Higher Education

Institutions.

Bárbara Costa has previous extensive experience as project manager of all

48 Erasmus Mundus Projects coordinated by U.Porto and in which the

University is involved as partner institution as technical partner of 5 Intra-

ACP Mobility Schemes. Additionally, she has comprehensive experience as

International Officer since 2000, particularly as Liaison Officer of the SGroup of European HEIs; in

international cooperation with HEIs in Europe and in the USA, and as responsible for the establishment

of several-type institutional agreements, namely Socrates/Erasmus Programme, double and multiple

degrees, co-tutelle, Title of European PhD.

Until 2014 she was also responsible for the Fulbright Regional Information Centre located at U.Porto.

She has received several distinctions, awarded by the Fulbright Commission and the SGroup. Recently

the University of Porto also received multiple Institutional Awards, at national and international level,

in recognition of its strategic innovation and active engagement in internationalization.

Arnim Heinemann, Head of International Relations Office, University of Bayreuth

Arnim Heinemann studies Middle Eastern Studies, German Language

and Literature, Media and Communication at the Martin-Luther

University- Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), the University of Göttingen

(Germany), the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), the Cairo

University (Egypt) and the Damascus University (Syria). In 1995, he

completed his master in Arts, and, from 1996 to 2000, he did a PhD at

the Martin-Luther University- Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), the

University of Göttingen (Germany) and the German Orient-Institute

Beirut (Lebanon), as well as, in 2001, a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies;

From 2001 to 2004 he was the Managing Director of “Playground

Production” (Agency for Intercultural and Academic Management and Event Marketing); and from

2004 – 2008 he did the Diplomatic Service as Research Fellow and Academic Manager for the "Max

Weber Foundation” in the Eastern Mediterranean. From 2008 to 2009 he was the Managing Director

of the “Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies” as part of the German Excellence

Initiative at the Free University of Berlin. Since 2009 he is the Director of the International Office at the

University of Bayreuth. He won several awards by his contributions in the field of the

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internationalization of academic services in the German HE sphere, e.g. A. v. Humboldt and Gate

Germany “Welcome and Alumni Services” as part of the EURAXESS Network and awarded projects,

e.g. ‘Strategic Partnerships and Thematic Networks’ by DAAD.

Didier Vrancken, Vice-Rector for Citizenship, Institutional and International Relations, University of Liège

Doctor of the Institute of Political Studies of Paris, Didier Vrancken is

Professor of Sociology at the University of Liège and Vice Rector for

Citizenship, Institutional and International Relations. He chaired and

set up the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (May 2005-

September 2014), now the current Faculty of Social Sciences of the

University of Liège. He developed the project to create a House of

Human Sciences, the first in French-speaking Belgium, with the support

of Rector Bernard Rentier and First Vice-Rector Albert Corhay. The MSH

was born in 2013.

Didier Vrancken was appointed member of the Board of Directors of

the University of Liège (2014-2018) and subsequently member of the Board of Directors of the

Academic Pole Liège-Luxembourg (2014). Co-founder of the Center for Research and Sociological

Interventions that he still chairs, he is the author of numerous books and scientific articles. His work

on contemporary reconfigurations of social policies (The Twilight of the Social, Work on Self, The New

Protection Order, Barbarian Social) earned him the award of a Francqui Chair to the Belgian title (2012-

2013) by the University. The Vice Presidency (2008-2012) then the Presidency (2012-2016) of the

International Association of French Language Sociologists (AISLF) led him to carry out numerous

scientific missions abroad. He became Honorary President of the same association on the occasion of

the XXth International Congress he chaired in Montreal in July 2016.

Hans Abelius, Head of International Relations Office, University of Gothenburg

Hans Abelius took his PhD in history in 2007. After that, he worked as a

university lecturer for a brief period of time, while doing some research

work in different projects.

In 2008, he joined the Faculty Office for Social Sciences as a Faculty

Programme Director, with responsibility for questions concering research

and Phd-education.

Dr. Abelius has his current position as the Head of the Gothembur

University International Office, international director, since 2013. He was

elected to the EC of the SGroup last year.

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Cristóbal Miralles Insa, Coordinator of CEDAT, Polytechnic University of Valencia

Cristóbal Miralles is PhD. and Full Professor at the Industrial

Engineering Faculty of Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in

Spain, where he also lectures at the Master on Corporate Social

Responsibility. His main research line is devoted to socio-labor

inclusion of people with disabilities through the

application/adaptation of Industrial Engineering tools, with multiple

works published at international conferences and journals. His

approach is also applied to other stakeholders within the CSR

framework, always translating the responsible policies & strategies

into operative best practices.

During five years (2011-2015) has been the Chair and coordinator of the Working Group on “Ethics and

OR” a research network with more than 90 members inside EURO (European Association of

Operational Research). Since 2013 Area Manager on Disability issues at UPV Vice Chancelor of

University Social Responsibility.

Cecilia Christersson, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement and Challenge Based Learning, Malmö University

Cecilia Christersson is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global

Engagement and Challenge Based Learning at Malmö University,

after two terms and six years assignment as Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

A dentist by profession, specialised and holding a PhD in prosthetic

dentistry, Cecilia is an associate professor in Prosthetic Dentistry

and Dental Material Science. She was the head of the department

of Technology and Dental Material Science at the Faculty of

Odontology at Malmö University.

After completing her research education in the US /State University

of New York at Buffalo, NY) she returned to the Dental Faculty in

Malmö and was part of the team developing a successful new problem based learning curriculum.

Through 2001 to 2010, Cecilia was the Director of Admission to Dental Education at the Faculty and

developed an alternative admission procedure to widen access to dental education. In January of

2012 through 2013 Cecilia held the position as the second female president for the Association of

Dental Education in Europe (ADEE).

Currently she holds a Swedish Government Assignment in evaluating how to increase collaboration

between teacher education and schools in practice based research for promoting enhanced learning

and development of education.

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Alexandra Hughes, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, University of Westminster

As Deputy Vice–Chancellor for Global Engagement, Prof. Hughes’ role

is to lead, develop and coordinate the University of Westminster's

internationalization.

Previously, she was Pro Vice–Chancellor External at the University of

Kent, where her portfolio included leading the university's

internationalisation strategy. Her commitment to championing a

culture of global engagement has been fuelled not only by that earlier

role but also by her academic career. As a professor of French, her

research interests centre on questions of identity and have included

20th-century French prose fiction, life writing, women's writing, visual

culture, gender studies and issues of culture-contact. Hughes’ research has more recently focused on

French perceptions of China. Her last book was France/China: Intercultural Imaginings.

She also worked with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Quality Assurance Agency for

Higher Education and the Universities UK National Outward Student Mobility Strategy Board.

Frederik De Decker, Head of International Relations Office, Ghent University

Frederik De Decker is currently the Head of the International Relations

Office at Ghent University, the institution he graduated from. He was

active in international relations offices in various higher education

institutions before being appointed the Head of the Office for educational

development and internationalisation at University College

Arteveldehogeschool in Ghent, Belgium, in 2003. From this post he has

been seconded from 2006 to 2014 to the umbrella organisation Ghent

University Association as senior education advisor, advising the board in

various educational policy matters.

He has been co-chairing the pilot project "Internationalisation as a

distinctive quality feature" of the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation organization and was also involved in

setting up the European (ECA) Certificate for Quality in Internationalisation. His special interest is the

concept of learning outcomes/competences: how can these be defined, how to measure these, what

is the impact of it on internationalisation etc.

At Flemish level, he is an acknowledged expert on topics such as internationalisation, diversity, lifelong

learning and sustainability in higher education, and he chairs and participates in various advisory

boards. Frederik is a frequent speaker at conferences, publishes regularly about a variety of

educational topics and is a reviewer for the Journal of Studies in International Education.