Fundación Universidad.es

In october 2008, the Spanish government announced the creation of Fundación Universidad.es, a public sector foundation aimed at promoting the Spanish higher education abroad. The parameters of this agency are currently being defined and the first steps towards the creation of a competitive instrument similar to those in operation in other countries, especially within Europe, have been taken.

The new agency is a component and one of the key actions outlined in the government’s “University Strategy 2015”, as a strategic action-oriented policy recently launched in an effort to propel the country’s most competitive institutions into the best universities in Europe. While this policy focuses on the internationalization of the Spanish university system, it simultaneously highlights the need to modernize it.

Universidad.es main objectives at this early moment will be to enhance the international visibility of Spanish universities and improve the attractiveness of Spain as a destination for international students and researchers. The support of the internationalisation strategies of the Spanish Universities and the promotion of transnational education of high quality leaded by Spanish Institutions are also among its lines of action.

 Both the Spanish government and the universities are represented in the Foundation’s governing bodies. The public entities with the highest participation are the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of External Affairs and Cooperation and the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Other institutions such as the Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Rector’s Conference (CRUE) are also present.

 In an effort to make the Foundation’s structure both highly participatory and representative of higher education across the entire country, all the universities are being invited to become involved and collaborating with regional governments (the so-called autonomous communities) to develop it.

 For further information, please see www.universidad.es