Madrid, 1 February 2024.
The President of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) and Rector of the Universitat Jaume I, Eva Alcón, and the President of Crue-Internationalisation and Cooperation and Rector of the UNED, Ricardo Mairal, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, this Thursday. During the meeting, Alcón proposed that the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation should become a strategic partner for the internationalisation of the Spanish University System.
The delegation of CRUE offered the Minister of Foreign Affairs its cooperatation in the definition of a new Strategy for the Internationalisation of Universities, since the last one finalised in 2020, as well as in the development of the next External Action Strategy of the Spanish Government and in the promotion of bilateral agreements.
Alcón and Mairal highlighted the importance of the international dimension for the Conference of Rectors, as reflected in its internationalisation strategy approved in 2020, and explained CRUE’s position at an international level, especially in Europe, which is already considered national policy. They also underlined the potential of universities as ambassadors and creators of academic alliances and explained to Albares the importance that scientific diplomacy has for CRUE, understood as the application of scientific cooperation to build bridges or improve relations between countries.
