SwissCore welcomed the Swiss school education community during its Education Seminar, sharing knowledge about opportunities for deeper European collaboration.
Gearing up for the potential association of Switzerland to the Erasmus+ programme, we were happy to host the annual Education Seminar at SwissCore on 3 and 4 November. During two intense days, we welcomed 40 guests across the Swiss school education sector, including representatives from schools, cantonal education departments, teacher education universities and inter-cantonal associations including student and pupil representatives. The seminar aimed to promote active exchange with European partners and to identify opportunities for joint learning and cooperation.
Through practical contributions from experienced partners, networking opportunities and high-level meetings, participants explored the benefits of mobility and cooperation in Europe. Among many esteemed speakers, we had the privilege to discuss the future of Erasmus+ with CULT Committee Chairperson MEP Nela Riehl at the European Parliament and to receive an overview of current funding within the Erasmus+ programme by European Commission staff. During an interactive world café, our guests had the opportunity to engage with organisations such as the Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE), the Jugendbüro, which serves as one of several national agencies for Erasmus+ in Belgium, the Greater Copenhagen Regional Office, as well as to explore current funding schemes for schools already existing in Switzerland with colleagues from Movetia. As part of the networking activities, the Swiss Mission to the EU held a reception for the Swiss delegation hosted by Conradin Rasi, the Deputy Head of Mission, welcoming also local key stakeholders in the education policy domain.
Seminar participants further had the opportunity to dive deeper into regional representation in Brussels or into Belgian teacher education, as we offered a parallel programme visiting either the Representation of Baden-Württemberg or the Erasmushogeschool in Brussels.
Throughout the two-day seminar, the curiosity and motivation for more Swiss-European engagement in the area of school education was palpable. The seminar therefore served as a timely opportunity to disseminate knowledge about avenues for deeper collaboration and provide information about European programmes straight from the source.
SwissCore would like to sincerely thank all participants for joining us in Brussels, and all speakers for their time and support in welcoming our guests.