ACADEMIC INITIATIVES IN THE DANUBE
REGION FOR PROMOTION OF ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Prof. dr. Ludvik Toplak, president of AME – ECM,
Vice-Rector of Alma Mater Europaea
DAC conference, Bucarest, April 2013
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Key facts
• The Danube region is a natural, geographical and ecologic area,
connected through culture and politics, displaying a large diversity
of small nations with long cultural identity which requires a
specific approach toward promotion of academic excellence and
economic competitiveness in the global world.
• The Danube region as a geographic area is connected by water, the
environment and respectively energy issues.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Key facts
• As a political space we are talking about some 15 – 20 countries
with long cultural and political identity, which for this reason
requires specific approaches of inter-cultural communication,
inter-religious communication. One therefore has to develop
instruments of transnational cooperation.
• Due to a specific historical and political development of smaller
nations, as well as interests of the large nations to manage and
influence the territory, today we have to develop political and
cultural instruments for recovery with the vision of European
identity and in Europe; it is therefore imperative that instruments
of transition and European integration are being developed.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Key facts
• Due to the demographic trends in the region, as well as migrations,
one needs to develop social and health systems.
• Regarding formation of new world centres of power with a
population of billion people, and the larger nations in vicinity; the
Danube region needs to develop specific instruments to enable
the smaller nations to follow the needs of modern technologies
and the global market, as well as developing academic excellence
and competitiveness. Therefore, new educational approaches and
public administration and business management are needed as
well.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Key facts
• The strategic problem of this area has also been recognised by the
European Union that during the Hungarian presidency in 2011
approved the so called Danubian Strategy.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Key facts
• The strategic problem of this area has also been recognised by the
European Union that during the Hungarian presidency in 2011
approved the so called Danubian Strategy.
The EU Danube Region Strategy (DRS) is the macro-regional development strategy and
action plan for the regions and countries located in the catchment area of the Danube river.
It targets the sustainable development of the Danube macro-region as well as the protection
of its natural areas, landscapes and cultural heritage. Acting on the request of the
European Council in June 2009, the European Commission submitted a proposal
for the DRS in December 2010, which was adopted during Hungarian Presidency
in 2011.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Academic sphere
Initiatives we talked about already at the past two conferences in Budapest
and Smolenice:
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Danubian rectors conference
Alpe Adria rectors conference
European Academy of Sciences and Arts Salzburg
Danubian Academic Conference
Alma Mater Europaea, founded by the Euroepan Academy of Sciences and Arts
Alpbach club (as the oldest civil initiative that addresses many Danube-related issues)
Institute Donauraum Mitteleuropa (Institute for the Danube Region and Central
Europe)
– CEEUN – Central and Eastern European University Network
– ALADIN (ALpe ADria Innovation Network)
– CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies),…
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Academic sphere
Other, predominantly political actions of networking in the region
at governmental level:
- Central European Initiative Trieste,
- UNESCO center in Bucarest and
- others.
Academic connectedness in the area:
- Forms of partial economic and technological networking (related to
waterways, traffic infrastructure, energy, culture, information systems,
academic e-network, libraries e-network and others.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Academic sphere
Especially interesting form of cooperation and a large contribution
to the development of the academic European identity is given in
the form of scientific conferences, such as CONFERENCE ON INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, organised by the European Academy of
Sciences and Arts together with the Austrian institute for religion
and peace in 2006 in Maribor.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
ALADIN and the EU
• European Parliament’s resolution of 21 January 2010
on a European Strategy for the Danube Region
stressed the need to involve the relevant regional and
local stakeholders in the Danube region.
• A message of ALADIN members was sent to members
of the EU Parliament declaring interest in actively
contributing to the strategy formation process.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Science and Technology
International conference:
Science and Technology - DIT dr. Juraj Plenković 2013
Opatija, Croatia (28 – 30 June 2013)
• It is the 20th, jubilee conference, in honour of its founder, the late prof. dr.
Juraj Plenković,
• Initiative started in the first years of transition and war in the Balkans
• In the last twenty years, over 100 scientists and professors from 30 – 40
Danube region universities would meet in one of the Croatian coastal
towns.
• The conference is organised by the Croation Communication Association,
the World Communication Association and Alma Mater Europaea.
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Science and Technology
Opatija Conference
Sections
1/ Society, Science and Technology
7/ Culture, Religion and Media
2/ E-education and school of the future
8/ Technology and the new world tourism
trends
3/ Applied Science and Technology
development
9/ Technology of solving social problems
4/ New ICT Technologies
10/ Society, Technology and Ecology
5/ Society and Intergenerational dialogue
11/ Holistic view on Health and Education
6/ Communication management
12/ Archives in intercultural connection
the Danubian Region and EU
ALMA MATER EUROPAEA – EUROPEAN CENTRE, MARIBOR
Conclusion
• It is very gratifying and encouraging to see the Danubian Academic
Conference getting so actively involved in the development of academic
excellence and consequently economic competitiveness, tolerance, peace
and education in the Danubian region. All these forms are complementary,
contributing to individual segments in the colourful mosaic of the Danube
region.
• Institutions and projects, related to the Danube issues, have created a
large bibliography. Needed now is a joint information system, enabling
the smaller cultural identities to preserve their identity and help them
develop within Europe and in the global world – connecting the
Academies into an information network.
• Today’s contradictions during the times of crisis are asking the academic
sphere to contribute; in addition to political and economic recovery, we
need especially moral and professional recovery.
Thank you.
Prof. dr. Ludvik Toplak, president of AME – ECM,
Vice-Rector of Alma Mater Europaea
DAC conference, Bucarest, April 2013