Josep Maria Garrell, new EUA President-elect

Gdańsk (Poland), 20 April 2023. Crue's candidate Josep Maria Garrell has been elected new President of the European University Association (EUA) for the next four years (2023-2027) during the association's General Assemblymeeting held in Gdańsk (Poland) on Thursday, April 20. Garrell, who ran for this election with the British candidate, Janet Beer (University of Liverpool), and the Serbian candidate, Ivanka Popović (University of Belgrade), has obtained over 70% of the votes.

During the General Assembly, 5 new members of the Board were also elected: Vincent Blondel (University of Louvain), Marcin Palys (University of Warsaw), Astrid Söderbergh Widding (Stockholm University), Maurizio Tira (University of Brescia) and Wim van de Donk (Tilburg University). The new team led by Garrell will begin his term at the beginning of July.

The candidate put forward by Crue Spanish Universities and Rector of the Universidad Ramon Llull (2012-2022), who has been EUA Board member since 2019, will succeed Michael Murphy (Ireland) as President of EUA, which is formed by over 850 Higher Education institutions and university associations from 49 European countries, including 35 National Rectors' Conferences.

After announcing the results, Garrell addressed the General Assembly and expressed his gratitude for the support received from his university, Universitat Ramon Llull, and from Crue Spanish Universities, that put forward his candidacy with the support of Spanish rectors. He also thanked representatives of EUA member institutions present in Gdańsk, for their trust and for electing him to lead this association. Furthermore, he underlined the value continued institutional engagement and collaboration of all EUA members, calling for active dialogue and coordinated work with the aim of guaranteeing that EUA continues being "the voice of universities in Europe".

For the new EUA president, this association has undergone a "profound and very constructive" transformation in recent years as a result of the engagement with National Rectors' Conferences, a proactive approach from its Secretariat, and the allocation of portfolios to different Board members. In his view, all these initiatives have contributed to improving EUA's overall operations and its impact in European higher education and research policies.

Among other initiatives, Garrell considers a that a mid-term priority is to review the EUA Strategic Planand assess current initiatives and their implementation, making any adjustments deemed necessary for the proper implementation of the plan. Furthermore, it will be key to strengthen the political framework in which the new Board will work. This review, according to the new President of the EUA, will lay the foundations for the new strategic plan that will enter into force beyond 2025 and that must be drawn up during the new Presidency.

Likewise, he recalled his commitment to sustaining the EUA as the "main interlocutor" for higher education, research and innovation in Europe and highlighted programs such as Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, European Strategy for Universities, or European Universities, as flagship EU policy initiatives where universities 'must be heard'.

The future president has pointed out to the much-needed reflection on academic assessment, both individual and institutional, as a "complex" subject with important consequences for universities at all levels. He has also asserted that it is necessary to lead a "profound" change in teaching and learning to respond to students' needs, promote inclusion and digital transformation, as well as implement innovative practices, personalised learning approaches or lifelong learning.