THE Research Excellence Summit 2018 heads to the Czech Republic

Register for the THE Research Excellence: New Europe Summit in 2018. There is an exclusive early bird discount for university delegates who book by 12 March 2018.

Times Higher Education’s second event dedicated to research excellence will be held in partnership with the Czech Republic’s Palacký University in Olomouc next year.

The THE Research Excellence: New Europe Summit will take place from 24 to 26 April 2018 and explore the current centres of excellence and rising higher education stars in central and southern Europe.

On the theme of “building a hub for world-class research”, the summit will also explore how the expansion of the European Union to include 13 additional member states since 2004 has accelerated the transformation of the region in terms of research and development.

Robert-Jan Smits, director-general of research and innovation at the European Commission, and Pavel Telička, vice-president of the European Parliament, will both deliver keynote speeches at the event, which will also hear from Rianne Letschert, rector magnificus of Maastricht University; Mikuláš Bek, rector of Masaryk University; Tomáš Zima, rector of Charles University in Prague; Sonia Ortega, head of the Europe and Eurasia Office at the National Science Foundation; and Yuko Harayama, executive member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation in the Policy Cabinet Office of Japan.

University leaders will debate the future of central Europe, addressing issues such as how national governments can support regional research excellence; how universities can be at the forefront of redefining the international reputation of central Europe; how to find a balance between political protectionism and sensible regulation; and how central European universities must reform to justify investment and create a regional rival to the powerhouse research areas of Western Europe, Australia, East Asia and North America. 

The summit will also host the exclusive launch of the first THE New Europe ranking of research-intensive universities in the 13 latest EU member states.

The event follows the success of THE’s inaugural Research Excellence Summit in 2017, which focused on the Asia-Pacific region.

Jaroslav Miller, rector of Palacký University, said: “Since 1989, central Europe has undergone revolutionary changes in terms of research, science and the quality of academic training. The Czech Republic itself, invested heavily in advanced research infrastructure, which has the potential to boost science and international cooperation with universities across Europe.

“During the THE Research Excellence: New Europe Summit, the attention of the academic world will be focused on the still rather underrated central Europe – the territory that has the immodest ambition to compete, in long-term horizons, with the best ones in research and science.”

Tim Sowula, head of content and engagement at the THE World Summit Series, said: “We are so pleased to be producing this Research Excellence: New Europe Summit with Palacký University; it enables us to explore in-depth some crucial questions about European research capacity, we can examine and critique our data on where the future leading institutions may be from the EU13, and we hope that this summit will really support the efforts of central Europe’s ambitious rectors to raise their international profile and establish stronger partnerships.”

He added: “In the past, the region’s institutions may have been somewhat shadowed by their counterparts in Western Europe, but there can be so much future opportunity in central and southern Europe if policymakers and universities can produce the right strategies now. We’re welcoming leaders from Japan, Hong Kong and Israel to get their perspective on how the region can be a new hub for world-class research, and I hope that the summit will be a landmark gathering that will inspire and yield a fresh impetus for the historic and new institutions in the EU13.”

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com

Register for the THE Research Excellence: New Europe Summit in 2018. There is an exclusive early bird discount for university delegates who book by 12 March 2018.