The first meeting of the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (NUSCT) was on the initiative of the Universitat d’Andorra. The meeting was held at the Universitat d’Andorra (Sant Julià de Lòria, Principat d’Andorra) on Friday, March 2, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The main purpose of the meeting was to create the Network of Small Countries and Territories and to formalise an agreement for the constitution of the network.
The academic institutions represented at the meeting share common characteristics and specificities, and work in similar sociopolitical and economic contexts. It is for this reason taht they want to face common international higher education forums, exchange good practices, deepen into collaboration opportunities and share strategies to improve the professional insertion of graduates.
The universities of Andorra, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Malta and San Marino participated in the first meeting and have signed the Constitutive agreement. The universities of Iceland and Monaco have shown their interest in joining the network.
The purpose of the NUSCT is to facilitate collaboration and benchmarking in areas such as, but not limited to:
- academic programs
- research
- integration of new technologies in education
- student and staff mobility and exchanges
- student internships
- internationalisation
- governance models
- education/research-private sector partnerships
- financing models
- fundraising
- encouragement of brain circulation
- social responsibility
- contribution to economic development
- accountability and transparency
- new professional skills
To this effect the NUSCT will pursue, encourage and promote, amongst others, the following activities:
- multilateral and bilateral agreements amongst members of the NUSCT Network
- coordination of the ideas and actions of its members through regular exchange of information on issues of common interest
- promotion of cooperation in the organization of periodic thematic conferences, seminars or workshops
- design of common educational programs (e.g. joint or double degree projects, summer universities, internships…)
- collaboration in research projects
- encouraging and supporting mobility and exchanges of students and staff
- academic journals