Thank you very much, Laura. I don't want to go into too much detail, I just want to
highlight some aspects of how OpenEU contributes to the EU's strategy in terms of education.
This is something that we have to keep in mind because
it is a reflection of what we have said before.
Not by chance, there are 64 alliances in Europe
and there are 54 or 55 Spanish universities.
This is something that is a bit of a time sign, it
is where things are going in education in Europe.
The EU is clearly promoting this strategy in an environment that is already complex, as we
can see here in the European space of education that has been created in the last decades,
the European space of research, in another context where there is the European agenda of innovation, which
is conceived as one of the main European shortcomings compared to other areas of the international community,
and that therefore needs to be strengthened. We have to highlight that the
European alliances of universities are, as Laura said, an element of integration.
An element of integration that seeks integration and has a permanent vocation. Again, this is not a
project that ends after four years. What has to end after four years is to leave the foundations of OpenEU,
that open pan-European university or pan-European vocation, if you want, so that this structure, this creature,
has a permanent life and is consolidated as something that is also part of the day-to-day of universities.
If you look at it, there is a revealing fact. The vice-rector has explained before that
all the Spanish universities that participate in European alliances have created a group,
a community of good practices, cooperation, consultations, etc. I remember
that when we were in that assembly in which this group was founded,
which is not too formal but has some minimal formal content, we were debating what the
name was. The most obvious name was the one of Spanish universities in European alliances,
which is what most of us who joined that meeting had as a starting point. But
throughout the debate, it was concluded that the reality, if you looked to the future,
was that it was better to talk about Spanish universities in European universities.
These alliances are now alliances, but what they consolidate is a higher level,
a more integrated level, if you want, if we don't want to call it superior
in the hierarchy sense, a more integrated level of European education.
This doesn't mean that it will become a section or a department of this, but that
universities will maintain their autonomy, they will continue to be what they are,
but also, and permanently, they will have that other level, more integrated, European, in which
these 10 universities participate, or some of them, so that they can join the European Union.
Although the universities at a distance are more relevant, even with the United
Kingdom as an associated partner, and these two presential universities of the East,
there is no distance education, as we understand it, there is
obviously room for more, there is a vocation to integrate more.
Well, in addition to the European space of higher education and the European space
of research, etc., this is also linked to other initiatives of the European Union,
such as the European Digital Decade, interoperability, which is a concept and a very
important fact, this idea that different systems can share data and work together.
Let's think about the different platforms that universities use, there has to be interoperability
between them, so that there is that possibility of integration, or the Digital Education Plan, etc.
The alliance we are in perfectly links with that European strategy in education,
which is also based on the need that has been underlined in these new times,
although we are also talking about defence, another
thing that is being talked about is competitiveness.
There is a need for general competitiveness in Europe,
in all sectors, and that obviously affects education,
which means a permanent education, a more flexible, innovative,
adapted education to the needs not only of the labour market,
but also to the new needs in research or in cultivating new fields.
So, all this, talking about the European strategy, the contribution of the European
National Union is based on, first, integrating in this project the remote universities,
which until now were the big absent ones, not because
of the lack of initiative of our universities,
because, as we said, we had invented it in previous years, but because, obviously, every
year, when we have not managed to get the project embraced by the European Commission.
and that it was considered worthy of financing, until then, there has
been also to explain in Brussels the importance of remote education,
how much it can contribute, and to change, so that
many people who analyse projects and make decisions,
realize that remote education is not only something valuable,
but also very consolidated in some countries, it is not new,
but in the new context it has things to offer that we have been offering for a while,
and that we are able to offer better or at the same level as any other university.
All this, within those three axes that have been outlined
before, the studies on climate issues and sustainability,
the digital transformation, which is also affecting education, and the
necessary promotion, in the context we are in, of European values and democracy.
I will not go through this list of benefits that we
can offer, but they are, on the one hand, for society,
making the educational offer richer, more plural, more flexible, not
only for students, but for the needs that are arising in society,
but also for that dimension that is always
highlighted in Europe, this has to be inclusive,
and in terms of inclusivity, remote universities have a lot to offer,
both for the types of students, for taking higher education to any
place, for providing higher education and mobility in rural environments,
I will not go into detail, but this is something that remote
universities do not do so much, or do with more difficulty.
And then, also for our own institutions, participating in these
alliances is an element, or implies the need for transformation.
For many, digital transformation, of course, but not only.
Also, to continue advancing in an educational offer of higher quality,
the contact with other universities of the first level, at a higher
level of education, has to be useful, so that we all improve,
so that the tide goes up, and we all go up with it.
To have an offer of higher quality, more flexible, more competitive,
that offers educational and development possibilities
to people and professionals from all over Europe,
or also from other areas that are not present so far.
To offer mobility at an unknown scale.
Now, mobility is very important in Europe, we all
know it, we have all the Erasmus programs, etc.
, but this implies that among us, among these 10 universities,
mobility can make a quantitative leap, and if we want, qualitative.
And, therefore, we are convinced that OpenEU and UNED within OpenEU
can contribute an important added value to education in Europe,
giving a digital dimension, of course, solid, inclusive,
ecological, to continue deepening in the permanent learning,
and to enhance it with the use of technologies. That great challenge in
Brussels, but which is actually a challenge that we can all consider,
which is that interoperable framework, European of Higher Education.
We have very different systems, but we have to make,
maybe not change them all, but find ways to work
together, to share data and to be more efficient.
To continue expanding the diversity of students, I mean,
it is already very broad in UNED, by origin, age, etc.
, by minorities, etc., our social function, but now, all of this
will be enriched with those profiles of other 9 member states.
Well, even some that are not member states, like Iceland. And, well,
to take education, things we are already doing, to rural areas,
and, as I said before, internationalization for all. Here,
internationalization is not only mobility, but it implies mobility,
and the idea of OpenEU is to offer a wide range of
mobility, without neglecting physical mobility, of course,
giving importance to virtual mobility, and then to other
forms of mobility, mixed mobility or hybrid mobility,
that, of course, fit with... well, to make that kind of
mobility fit with the profile of the student of UNED and OpenEU,
that have a similar profile, I think OpenEU's was
around 36 years old, but, well, people with jobs,
family responsibilities, but that can have shorter
mobility experiences, but that are still valuable,
in mixed or hybrid formats, also physical, complete, of course.
And, well, finally, I don't want to extend myself and insist on what I have
already said, I just wanted to underline the issues of internationalization,
nothing more, because it's the area I deal with the most.
Part of the appeal of this alliance is to have a joint academic offer,
joint degrees, joint master's, at the moment,
what is being thought is an open master's,
that wouldn't be an official master's, but a
master's with a credit number of more than 60,
I mean, joint degrees, besides, of course, sharing a wide pool
of micro-credentials or other courses of permanent training.
Then, offering that wide and diverse mobility framework,
with virtual or in-line, hybrid, mixed or physical mobility,
and also, I should have insisted a bit more, on multilingualism.
To put it simply, we are starting, both in our way of
working and in the courses that are being proposed,
English is working as a "francophone"
language, but it's not something that is...
Open E1 is restricted to English.
It's about the other languages of the universities, that, depending
on the member state and the officiality of those languages,
the languages they use in their education, also have a role
and can be part of the courses, of the daily education,
through the new technology of multilingualism.
And, well, now there are many advances in artificial intelligence and
other techniques that allow to bring the different
languages closer, and that allow, if I want to...
Maybe I'm in a course that is taught in English,
but, well, it turns out that there is a world-class
expert that is going to make an intervention in Greek,
and that is accessible in a much easier way than now,
thanks to these new technologies of multilingualism.
I think it's better if I stop here, and so
I give way to Ángeles H. Zelvira. Thank you.