BALTIC SEA REGION UNIVERSITY NETWORK

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Minutes

Date: Monday,18January2016,13.00-16.00

Place: University of Latvia, Raina Bulvaris 19,the main building, room 240

Members:Substitutes:

Kari Hyppönen, President, Chairman
Anton Hlazeu, YankaKupalaStateUniversity of Grodno / Alexander Sviridov, GrodnoStateAgrarianUniversity
Kristi Kerge, University of Tartu / Paavo Kaimre,EstonianUniversity of Life Sciences
Riitta Pyykkö, University of Turku
Andris Kangro,University of Latvia / Jans Šlihte, RigaTechnicalUniversity
Raimonda Markeviciene, Vilnius University / Sigitas Stanys, KaunasUniversity of Technology
Alojzy Z. Nowak, University of Warsaw / Jerzy Jaroszewski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Dmitry Vasilenko, Vice-President, St. PetersburgStateUniversity of Economics / Anna Zaychenko, Yaroslav-the-WiseNovgorodStateUniversity

Chairman invites also:

Karolina Jędrzejkowska,Head of the International Relations Office, GdańskUniversityof Technology

Biruta Sloka,representative of University of Latvia

Iris Kempe, Senior Advisor on Culture and Education,the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)

Secretariat:
Maria Jaczek, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (UWM)

1. Opening of the meeting

Welcoming remarks by Chairman, Kari Hyppönen.

2. Adoption of the agenda

Agenda circulated to SC on 30 December 2015 was adopted

3. Minutes of the previous meeting

Minutes of the SC meeting held in Klaipedaon 24September 2015were approved.

4. Announcements

Chairman's information:

  1. International Seminar „University Real Estate Management” in St.Petersburg on 8 October 2015.
  2. Stakeholder meeting„The future of the CBSS Summer University” in Stockholm on 12 October 2015.

CBSS secretariat invited universities to inform the secretariat about their wishes to organise a CBSS Summer University by 15 December 2015 (Annex 3). Chairman has given CBSS the opportunity to send a representative to the meeting to discuss the SummerUniversity concept and its practical implementation (under item 11).

President informed SC that CBSS values current format of SummerUniversity a lot and wants to use BSRUN as key institution for its implementation. At the same time there is no funding for the program. Thus CBSS received only three applications during last call. One of applications was filed by UNECON with BSRUN as associate partner.

Vice-president explained why UNECON applied for SU «Baltic Energy in Changing Energy Landscape». Application was approved by CBSS. UNECON will distribute preliminary study plan to invite members to take part in teaching program. SU «Baltic Energy in Changing Energy Landscape» will be held on 18-27 July in St. Petersburg.

  1. The closing seminar of the CBSS „EuroFaculty, Towards a Modern University” in Pskov on 21-22 October 2015.

President informed SC that the EF-Pskov project is over. The CBSS Committee of Senior Officials will meet to decide about future CBSS projects in the area of Education. Summer University with sufficient funding can be one of such projects.

During closing seminar President met EU Ambassador to Russia Vygaudas Ušackaswho recently addressed Lithuanian universities to build up scientific and educational links contacts with Russia. The proposal was publicly rejected. In the current situation when 6 of 7 Lithuanian members announced their wish to leave network it is important to ensure that ALL rectors will come to Plenary Meeting in Warsaw to discuss the future of the Network. According to Rules and Regulations all members that now express their will to leave network have to pay membership fee for the current year.

  1. The 85th anniversary event of UNECON on 26-27 November 2015.
  2. Meetings with the Head of the International Office and the PR Director of the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad on 2 December 2015.
  3. Meetings of BSRUN President and Vice-President with Belarusian BSRUN members in Minsk on 3 December 2015.
  4. Meetings of BSRUN President and Vice-Presidentwith Minister Mihail A. Zhuravkovfrom the Ministry of Education, Professor Vladimir Nikolaievich Shimov, Rector of the Belarus State Economic University and Professor Sergey Maskevich, the Director of the International Sakharov Environmental Institute on 4 December 2015.
  5. Meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus on 4 December 2015.
  6. Invitation of Ambassador of the Republic of Belarusto the Embassy Annual Reception in Helsinki on 9 December 2015.

The number of meetings with Belarusian members and institutions show the interest in the country towards BSRUN activities.

  1. Meeting with ProfessorBernard Lammek, Rector of the University of Gdańskon 14 December 2015.

President informed SC that rector of the University of Gdansk expressed his wish that secretariat should work more effectively during next cadence.

  1. Meeting with Professor Jacek Mąkinia, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Innovation and Karolina Jędrzejkowska, Head of the International Relations Office at the Gdańsk University of Technology on 14 December 2015.Chairman has invited Karolina Jędrzejkowska to the meeting to discuss future event (under item 11).
  2. CBSS Consultations in Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in Helsinki on 16 December 2015.
  3. Meeting in Minsk on 13-15 January 2016.
  4. A festive celebration of the 25th anniversary of Klaipėda University, Lithuania on 29 January 2016.

President will meet Lithuanian members‘ rectors at the celebrations to discuss the drop out. Ambassador Ušackaswill join discussions as well.

The INTERREG project application has been aproved (Annex 2). BSRUN joins the project as an associate partner on the establishment of Baltic Science Network by the Ministry of Science and Research of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The project is currently in the phase of financial planning.

5. Membership situation and payment of 2016 membership fees

SC was informed at the Klaipeda SC meeting in September 2015 thatthe University of Eastern Finland will leave BSRUN at the turn of the year and that the membership of the University of Białystok is valid as of 1st January 2016. Thus BSRUN has 31 fee-paying members in 2016.

Lithuanian members that expressed their wish to leave network in 2016 informed SC after 1.6.2015 and thus have to pay their membership fees for 2016 according to Rules and Regulations. President has sent those institutions information about this.

Due to continuing difficulties in collecting the membership fees and the fluctuations in the Euro-Rouble exchange rate, the secretariats are preparing a new budget structure where all Russian members, with the exception of UNECON, would pay their membership fees to UNECON. St. Petersburg State University will pay fees for 2015 and 2016 to UNECON.

The Belarusian members should be informed about opportunity to pay in roubles to UNECON or in Euros to UWM.

Belarus State Economic University (BSEU) informed President and Vice-President at the meeting in Minsk on 4 December about their intention to join the Network. The Vice-President confirmed that representatives of BSEU contacted UNECON secretariat for application details.

6. BSRUN budget realization for 2015

Secretariat informed SC about the budget realization for 2015 (Annex 4). Realization was approved.

7. BSRUN budget for 2016

Secretariat informed SC about the budget for 2016 (Annex 5).Budget was approved.

8. BSRUN activities

President underlined that it is important to listen and hear members’ needs and wishes. The situation when President has to visit all the members to persuade them to stay is impossible. Belarusian members informed President and Vice-President about their wish to have seminar in project planning and management. Vice-President proposed to develop a new type of activities – training seminars for staff members. The SC preliminarily approved the proposal but requested Vice-President to propose more detailed project to the next SC meeting in Gdansk in June.

  1. BSRUN seminar on „University Real Estate Management” at Gdańsk University of Technology on 2-3 June 2016. Chairman hasinvited KarolinaJędrzejkowska,Head of the International Relations Office at the Gdańsk University of Technology to the SC meeting to discuss the programme and the practical details of the event (under item 11).
  1. 10th seminar on Cooperation between Russian and Finnish Institutions of Higher Education „Melting the Ice: Ten Years of Success" in St. Petersburg on 10-11 February 2016. BSRUN members will be invited to the event to learn more about concrete cross-border endeavours (Annex 6).

Vice-president informed SC about current state of the event planning.

  1. Agroforum Mare Balticum on Environmentally Smart Agriculture at Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu on 19-21 April 2016 (Annex 7).
  1. Belarusian State Pedagogical University has expressed preliminary interest in organising a BSRUN event „Competence development and universities curricula” in Minsk, possibly inMay 2016.
  1. Call for papers to International NordFo Conference „Make it NOW! Learning, Exploring, Understanding”in Rauma, Finland on 28-30 September 2016.

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  1. University of Latvia has expressed a preliminary interest to organise an event of joint PhD programmes in the Baltic Sea Region.Chairman has invited professor Biruta Sloka of UL to the SC meeting to discuss the event (under Item 11).
  1. Possible joint and BSRUN events during the Polish Presidency of CBSS in 2015-2016.

Polish Ministries of Science and Higher Education and Foreign Affairs negotiate about opportunity to hold event on education within Polish Presidency of CBSS in Gdansk probably back to back with BSRUN seminar on „University Real Estate Management”. It will be a good opportunity to present BSRUN-CBSS recent activities i.e. PSF projects, Summer University, etc.

President invited SC members to discuss the events listed above and to propose additional events to be organized in 2016 and beyond.

9. Plenary Meeting (PM) and the Annual BSRUN Forum

The president's letter to the members before the previous PM in Riga was circulated for information. If institutions wish to make changes in the Rules and Regulations the SC needs to be informed in writing at least three months before the following PM for decision-making and SC is also expected to meet to discuss possible proposals about changes to the Rules and Regulations. There is a need for better cooperation between secretariats or maybe not shared but joint secretariat. There is a need for certain flexibility for the SC members changes due to drop out or application of members. There is an opportunity to approve new membership system which will allow Universities of Applied Sciences to become members but at the same time will be more choosy and strict. It was agreed that all the proposals should be discussed by the SC during next meeting case by case in Gdansk in June.

SC agreed to organize the PM and the Forum between 24 and 28 October 2016 in Warsaw. Vice-rector Alojzy Nowak has confirmed that the University of Warsaw will organise the events.CBSS has expressed a preliminary wish to organise a meeting of CBSS Summer Universities back to back with the BSRUN PM.

SC was invited to discuss and agree the arrangements for the PM and Forum in 2016 and to discuss BSRUN marketing and strategy.

10.Date of the next meeting

Date of the next meeting should be back to back with the BSRUN event in Gdansk on 2-3 June 2016. The exact date depends on the Gdańsk Universityof Technology planning of the event.

11. Any other business

  1. BSRUN seminar on „University Real Estate Management” at Gdańsk University of Technology on 2-3 June 2016.

It was agreed that the focus of the seminar „University Campus: between Old and New” will be on the strategic planning rather than on technical details. It will cover the whole Thursday, 2.06 and half Friday 3.06 with opportunity to visit UWM in Olsztyn on 4.06. It was agreed to present two historic cities cases by Gdansk universities and Riga universities as well as brand new campuses in the countryside. The panel discussion also should be integrated for better communication between participants.

KarolinaJędrzejkowska,Head of the International Relations Office at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Dmitry Vasilenko, St. Petersburg State University of Economics were authorised to continue planning of the event.

  1. CBSS was given the opportunity to discuss the Summer University concept and its practical implementation

Iris Kempe, Senior Advisor on Culture and Education of the CBSS informed about history and current state of the Summer university project. Mrs. Kempe addressed few questions to the SC:

  • Is BSRUN willing to co-coordinate Summer University project together with CBSS?
  • Is BSRUN able to co-work with the CBSS in fundraising for the project?
  • Is BSRUN ready to co-organize the SU stakeholders seminar back to back with PM in Warsaw?

President agreed that SU is interesting project for the network though it is lacking any financial support. BSRUN will support UNECON by teaching staff and all three projects by spreading information among members. It was agreed to hold CBSS SU stakeholders seminar back to back with the PM in Warsaw.

  1. University of Latvia has expressed a preliminary interest to organise an event of joint PhD programmes in the Baltic Sea Region.

Prof.Biruta Sloka underlined importance of joint conferences as a source of information and opportunity for experience exchange. The Doctoral schools conference will be held in University of Latvia on 2-4 June 2016. All the members are invited. Information will be send by secretariat to all members.

12. Closing of the meeting