On June 18-21, 2019, Bucharest (The Palace of the Parliament and The University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine) hosted the 4th edition of the Initiative for digital development in the francophone universities (IDNEUF4). The event consisted in three meetings: The Digital forum of the francophone universities, The Conference for digital funding in the francophone universities and The Conference of the ministers for higher education of the francophone countries.
IDNEUF4 was co-organised by the Ministry of National Education, the Francophone University Agency, the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
More that 200 guests – representatives of the line ministries in the francophone countries, members of the institutions representing La Francophonie and of academic world – had an exchange of views on higher education and research digitalisation programmes as well as on the strategic and instrumental alternatives that would secure funds for IDNEUF projects.
The Declaration of Bucharest was adopted in the framework of the Conference of the ministers for higher education of the francophone countries, which took place on Friday, June 21, at the Palace of the Parliament. The document sets out the main lines of action for the next period. The ministers and the ministerial delegations thus agreed on supporting the programme proposal on the 2030 strategic framework submitted by the Technical Committee and on setting up a working committee charged with developing the strategic plan, designing the working programme and coordinating the implementation of the plan.
They also approved the organisation of a technical meeting in January 2020, to be coordinated by the Francophone University Agency, and agreed with the proposal submitted by the Minister of Higher Education of Québec, Jean-François Roberge, to host IDNEUF5 in Québec (in June 2020). IDNEUF6 will take place in June 2021 in Tunis, according to the proposal made by Tunisia.
Additional information
On June 18 and 19, the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest hosted the first Digital forum of the francophone universities. The forum was attended by representatives of the universities that are affiliated to the Francophone University Agency as well as by partners and by digital educational solutions/content providers. The meeting was an opportunity to debate on digital higher education and on technical and didactical innovations and enabled a relevant exchange of best practices.
On Thursday, June 20, the Palace of the Parliament hosted the second edition of the Conference for digital funding in the francophone universities. The participants in the event were trans-national project initiators and funders that agreed to finance those projects. They agreed together on the selection and the monitoring of the selected projects.
The outcomes of the discussions sparked by this 4-day event will leave a mark both on the development of digital methods and tools in higher education and on strengthening cooperation across universities in the francophone countries.
Launched in 2015, the Initiative for digital development in the francophone universities is aimed at fostering the usage of digital methods and educational means in the francophone universities in order to increase the quality and attractiveness of the educational process. IDNEUF is also aimed at developing initial and continuous training programmes that would match the new labour market requirements in the context of the technological era.