Second Governance Meeting of CENTRAL at the University of Vienna

The annual meetings of the executive governance from the five CENTRAL universities (Charles University in Prague, the University of Warsaw, the ELTE in Budapest, the University of Vienna and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) give the participants the opportunity to exchange information on topics of particular interest to CENTRAL. They form a framework in which, for example, ideas on how to manage and administrate universities can be exchanged and the progress to date within CENTRAL can be discussed.

Through the foundation of CENTRAL at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in May 2014, the network partners are committed to maintaining a regular exchange of information at management level that aims to coordinate previous bilateral cooperation strategically and promote multilateral cooperation between the individual partners. For Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, CENTRAL is a key instrument in establishing a strategic core region of HU in Central Europe.

Outcome of the governance meeting

The agenda of the second governance meeting in Vienna was based around HU's successful fund application to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as part of its "Strategic Partnerships" programme. Over the next four years, the strategic partnership network will therefore receive roughly €1 million of funding for twelve interdisciplinary projects between scientists from the CENTRAL universities in the field of mathematics and interdisciplinary humanities as well as for measures to intensify networking between the CENTRAL universities. The twelve joint projects are a pillar of multilateral cooperation to promote young international students and researchers and to advance international cooperation in teaching and research throughout the strategic core region of Central Europe.

The aim of the meeting in Vienna was to provide the partner universities with information and to discuss and agree on the next steps after successful application. This included, for example, the commencement of the twelve projects beginning in April 2015 and the implementation of centrally managed measures, such as a pilot staff mobility programme. This programme provides administrative staff with the opportunity for international exchange within CENTRAL and integrates them even better in the internationalisation of the university in the future.