The Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy is going to launch the “National Strategy for the Social Dimension in Higher Education” at the beginning of 2017 as a direct result of commitment as expressed in the Yerevan Communiqué 2015. The draft of the strategy is based on a one-year process (most of 2016) during which over 800 higher education institutions representatives as well as stakeholders took part in 9 events and workshops in order to exchange experiences, chances and obstacles regarding the core idea of widening HE access and fostering guidance within the student life cycle.

How about national strategies on Social Dimension in other European Higher Education Area countries? The Ministry would like to provide an international platform, and invites to discuss experiences in designing, launching, implementing and adapting strategies. This peer learning activity discusses questions such as:

1. Which EHEA-countries are in the process of, or have prepared, a strategy on the Social Dimension?
2. How do we gather information on national initiatives already existing?
3. Approaches: the search for target groups, student life cycle and/ or mainstreaming Social Dimension?
4. Which benchmarks and tools on Social Dimension and diversity of the student body exist?
5. How do we support raising awareness on the relevance of Social Dimension?
6. How do we involve stakeholders and the labour market?
7. Follow-up of a national Strategy on Social Dimension: practical models of sustainability and evaluation.

This seminar targets members of the European BFUG, ministerial officials dedicated to a national Strategy on Social Dimension, Experts on Access and Social Mobility, and national HE as well as student representatives. Next to our attendees from Austria, we also warmly welcome participants from other countries of the European Higher Education Area who have developed, or are in the process of setting up, a national Strategy on Social Dimension.

This seminar is free of charge, but participants must cover their travel and accommodation cost. It will be co-funded by the Austrian Ministry for Science, Research, and Economy, as well as by the Project „Pro.Mo.Austria – Promoting Mobility. Addressing the Challenges in Austria“-a KA3-activity of the European Commission. We thank the University of Linz for their friendly support.

The whole event will be held in English. Please note that places are limited.
Please register under the official website until 23rd of February 2017.
Download the programme from the official website