The 6th NUSCT Annual Rectors’ Meeting held at the University of Gibraltar

8 Rectors from the 12 university members of the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories gathered, onsite and online, on 22. April 2024, at the University of Gibraltar, to celebrate the network’s 6th rectors’ annual meeting.

The participants were welcomed by Dr Catherine Bachleda, Vice- Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar and also by the President of NUSCT Dr Eyjólfur Guðmundsson from the University of Akureyri.

Amongst the most important decisions unanimously taken at the meeting, the following deserve special mention:

• NUSCT president Eyjólfur Guðmundsson proposed that NUSCT should prioritize the support on having all members join the Erasmus+ program which would enable better flow of staff and students between all members. This would also help with connecting members on a research level and applying for joint funding.
• The University of the Faroe Island will be hosting a seminar for NUSCT members in June of 2025 with the proposal of also hosting the 7th Annual rectors meeting along site the seminar. The topic of the seminar is “the Role of Universities in Small Scale Societies in an historical context”.
• Student representatives from member universities will be appointed by each member where the new aim is to have a representative that would be focusing on student interest. The aim is that the secretariat would host online meetings to discuss topics like online and hybrid teaching versus onsite and why students are working so much alongside their studies. Results will be reported on the next annual meeting.
• University of Liechtenstein will be drafting a new policy proposal for the network on Generative Artificial Intelligence that will be shared among members and confirmed on the next annual meeting.
• NUSCT secretariat has the members permission to draft a MoU with the UN- University for Peace which has sown interest in working together with NUSCT and it’s members.
• Majority of NUSCT have already declared that they will be applying for membership of CoARA and will share their experience on the process of advancing their research assessment.

The complete list of the decision taken at the meeting can be found at the NUSCT website