• 31 January 2014 - 01 February 2014
  • Madrid

  • Venue:
    Residencia de Estudiantes – CSIC
    Calle del Pinar 21-23

    Languages: Spanish – English

  • European Conference

  • “University, Science and Research: European Resistances and Alternatives”

  • At the eve of the forthcoming European elections, it is of crucial importance for the Left to tackle the disastrous consequences of the neoliberal management of research and university policies in the EU, as well as to raise awareness about the national resistances throughout the continent and to push for alternatives and proposals at the European level.

    The first day will be dedicated to the consequences of the implementation of the Bologna reforms with reports from numerous EU countries and to a discussion on what another university should look like and which alternative process we can propose.

    The second day will focus on the effects of the Lisbon and EU 2020 strategies on the national research policies and the resistances to this process. Alternatives in favour of science, society and democracy that could be supported by the Left will also be at the core of the discussions.

    This workshop is organized by transform! AKADEMIA Network in cooperation with Espaces Marx, Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos, Fundación de Investigaciones Marxistas and Fundacio l’Alternativa. Support: Group of the European United Left (GUE/NGL) and Party of the European Left (EL).

    The AKADEMIA Network is a trans-European platform bringing together European left-wing academics whose common aim is to build a counter hegemonic thinking against neoliberalism. AKADEMIA Network is an initiative of transform! europe.

    In the aftermath of the conference, transform! will coordinate the publication of a working paper based on the collective work and contributions.

    Preparatory Group:

    - Elisabeth Gauthier: transform! europe Managing Board
    - Sigfrido Ramirez: University of Copenhagen, Facilitator of AKADEMIA
    - Maxime Benatouil: Project officer

    Contact: benatouil@transform-network.net

    For the pdf of the iniviation and the access map please refer to "Documentation" on the right.

Programme

Friday, 31 January

11.00-12.00 Presentation and Welcoming Remarks

  • Marie-Christine Vergiat (Member of the European Parliament, Front de Gauche, GUE/NGL)
  • Walter Baier (Coordinator of transform! europe)
  • José María González (FEC)
  • Eddy Sánchez (FIM)
  • Antoni Barbará (Fundacio l’Alternativa)

12.00-14.00 University and Research: After Bologna and Lisbon

  • Keynote: Marco Antonio Rodrigues Dias (Former Director of the Higher Education Department of the UNESCO)
  • Presentation: Jaime Aja (FEC)
  • Marie-Christine Vergiat (MEP, Front de Gauche, GUE/NGL)
  • Marc Delepouve (Professor of Mathematics at the University of Lille I, Head of SNESUP-FSU, France)
  • Vincento Pavone (Spanish National Research Council – CSIC)
  • Alessandro Arienzo (Federation of Knowledge Workers – FLC-CGIL, Italy)
  • Moderator: Sigfrido Ramírez (transform! europe)

14.00-16.00 Lunch

16.00-18.00 Neoliberal Reforms of University in Time of Crisis 

  • The French Case: Louis Weber (Journal Savoir/Agir, Copernic Foundation)
  • The Spanish Case: Rafael Plá (Izquierda Unida Working Group on Education, University of Valencia)
  • The Greek Case: Sissy Velissariou (University of Athens, SYRIZA, EL Working Group on Education)
  • The Italian Case: Alessandro Arienzo (Federation of Knowledge Workers – FLC-CGIL, Italy)
  • The Model of the European University Association, a Critical Insight: Dominique Drouin
  • Moderator: Adoración Guamán (FEC/FIM)

18.30-20.30 Another University is Possible? Left Alternatives 

  • Enrique Diez (Coordinator – Izquierda Unida Working Group on Education)
  • Sonja Crivelli (Head of the EL Working Group on Education)
  • Joan Mena (Member of the Parliament of Catalonia, EUiA)
  • Caridad García Álvarez (Member of the Parliament of Spain, Izquierda Unida)
  • José Pinel (University of Lyon, French Communist Party)
  • Juan Pirola Lorenzo (Spanish Communist Youth – UJCE)
  • Moderator: Marga Ferré (Secretary for Political Elaboration of Izquierda Unida)

  

Saturday, 1 February

10.00-11.00 A Political History of La Residencia de Estudiantes

11.00-11.30 Presentation of the AKADEMIA Working Group “Science, Society and Democracy”

  • Janine Guespin (Espaces Marx)

11.30-12.15 The Lisbon Strategy and Horizon 2020: Research and Innovation in the Service of Competitiveness?

  • Marc Delepouve (SNESUP)

12.30-14.00 Situation of Resistances in European Countries

  • Jean-Paul Lainé (France)
  • Alicia Durán (Spain)
  • Irina Castro (Portugal)
  • Rainer Zimmermann (Germany)
  • Peter Fleissner (Austria)
  • Lena Hulden (Finland)
  • Moderator: Manuel Monleon (UPV)

14.00-16.00 Lunch

16.00-17.30 Towards a Democratization of Science and Research in Europe

  • Introduction: Janine Guespin (Espaces Marx)
  • Science, Democracy and Feminism: Josette Rome-Chastanet
  • Europe and the Young Researchers: Vincent Talbo, Irina Castro, Lena Hulden and Lara Manyes
  • Equality and Subsidiarity: José Mariá Diaz Nafria

18.00-19.00 Long Term Prospective for the AKADEMIA Working Group “Science, Society and Democracy”

  • Introduction by Marc Delepouve
  • Discussant: Carmen Domínguez (FIM)                                                  

19.00-19.30 Closing Remarks

  • Eddy Sánchez (FIM)
  • Jaime Aja (FEC)
  • Author Pictogram

  • Documents