ALFA PUENTES: Building Capacity of University Associations in fostering Latin-American regional integration, which is co-funded by the European Commission ALFA programme, launches in May in Bogota, Colombia at the first meeting of the project partners.

The Colombian Minister of Education, María Fernanda Campo, will open the meeting together with leading project partners the European University Association (EUA), the Observatorio de las Relaciones Unión Europea - América Latina (OBREAL), and host ASCUN - the Asociación Colombiana de Universidades.

In Latin America (LA), there have been a number of initiatives in the last decade that have aimed at higher education integration, harmonisation, and enhancing cooperation and exchange with Europe. ALFA PUENTES differs in that it focuses on national and regional collective stakeholders and their role in the politically driven EU-LAC Common Higher Education and Knowledge Area (ALCUE), particularly as interlocutors between their member universities and governments.

The project will build upon existing sub-regional convergence processes in LA, articulated by the Andean Community, the Mercosur region, and Central America/Mexico. Mutual learning initiatives between LA and European associations and their members will target quality-assurance reform, enhancing recognition of degrees, building qualifications frameworks and increasing academic mobility.

The project will look to build wider regional convergence from the bottom up, utilising the sub-regional experience as a building block. It will simultaneously aim to generate stronger working relationships between European and LA associations.

The project management team of ALFA PUENTES consists of EUA, OBREAL, AGS, ASCUN, Montevideo Group (AGUM, Uruguay), CSUCA (Central America) and the OUI (Organización Universitaria Interamericana,represented by the University Veracruzana, Mexico).