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TAM Report / Lebanon - university alliances

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Petya Mitova • 16 December 2025
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GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: European University Alliances: An inspiring strategic initiative

Type of Event: Seminar

Modality: Presential

Location: Ministry of Education and Higher Education

Country: Lebanon

Dates: 23-24 October 2025

Participants: The seminar brought together 42 participants over two days, out of 50 registered, representing more than 21 Lebanese HEIs. Participants included the Director General for Higher Education, presidents, provosts, vice-presidents, senior academics, researchers, and representatives from university international offices. Participation was nomination-based, and 53% of attendees were women.

              

THEMES COVERED

  • The European University Alliances initiative: purpose, structure, drivers and challenges
  • Motives behind forming university alliances
  • The process of establishing alliances and criteria for participation
  • Opportunities for non-EU universities to collaborate with or join alliances
  • How alliances support strategic positioning, global engagement, and system transformation
  • Cooperation trends within the Lebanese higher education sector
  • Insights from a pre-event cooperation survey among Lebanese HEIs
  • The Bologna Process: achievements, influence on Lebanese HE, and future directions

 

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

  • Strengthened their understanding of how European University Alliances function and what makes them successful.
  • Recognised the need to empower the Universities Association of Lebanon (UAOLB) to assume a stronger coordinating role.
  • Discussed findings from the pre-event survey, which showed high motivation for national and international cooperation but also highlighted policy barriers.
  • Identified research collaboration as a high-potential area for deeper inter-university cooperation.
  • Gained clearer insight into how Lebanon could position itself in relation to global higher education developments, including the Bologna Process and European alliances.

OVERVIEW

The seminar “University Alliances: Positioning and Inspiration” took place on 23–24 October 2025 at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, forming part of a three-day programme that also addressed the Bologna Process. The event offered Lebanese higher education leaders a structured introduction to the European University Alliances initiative, its origins, goals, governance models, and its role within the EU’s broader higher education transformation agenda.

Through keynote lectures, national expert presentations, panel discussions, and a synthesis roundtable, the seminar explored how European alliances operate, what motivates their formation, and how non-EU systems like Lebanon might engage with or draw inspiration from them. Participants also reflected on Lebanon’s current level of cooperation—both domestic and international—and identified the structural and policy adjustments needed to strengthen collaboration across the higher education system. The event fostered active participation through live dialogue, interactive tools such as Mentimeter, and opportunities for Lebanese HEIs to share challenges and ambitions related to internationalisation and transnational partnership development.

 

THE FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY

Title: First Step Towards Inter-University Cooperation (University Alliances – Lebanon)

Dates: November – December 2025

Audience: The follow-up activities engaged policy makers and institutional leaders, including the Directorate General of Higher Education, the NEO and HERE teams, and representatives of the Universities Association of Lebanon (UAOLB), alongside interested Lebanese HEIs.

Description: The follow-up activities built directly on the TAM on European University Alliances and focused on strengthening dialogue and cooperation on inter-university alliances in Lebanon. They included a series of meetings with key stakeholders—namely the Directorate General of Higher Education, the Universities Association of Lebanon, HEREs, the NEO, and interested universities—to discuss the role of Lebanese HEIs in structured inter-university cooperation, reflect on findings from a pre-TAM national survey, and take forward the TAM recommendations.

In parallel, a consolidated Conclusions and Recommendations document was prepared and disseminated to policymakers and higher education institutions. Drawing on survey results, expert input, and stakeholder discussions, the document outlines the main benefits, challenges, and strategic directions for initiating and sustaining inter-university alliances in Lebanon, inspired by the European Universities Initiative, and lays the groundwork for future actions.

 

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

  • Strengthen and empower the Universities Association of Lebanon (UAOLB) to play a leading coordinating role in advancing inter-university cooperation and alliance-building at national level.
  • Address policy, legal, and regulatory gaps that hinder national and transnational cooperation, drawing on evidence from the pre-TAM survey and stakeholder discussions.
  • Move from ad-hoc cooperation to structured, strategic alliances, using clear governance models and shared objectives inspired by the European Universities Initiative.
  • Prioritise research collaboration as a core and feasible entry point for deeper inter-university cooperation among Lebanese HEIs.
  • Leverage existing cooperation frameworks and platforms, particularly through coordination with UAOLB and ongoing initiatives, to avoid duplication and ensure sustainability.
  • Disseminate the conclusions and recommendations widely across higher education institutions and relevant ministries to build a shared understanding and coordinated momentum.
  • Maintain system-wide dialogue and stakeholder engagement, ensuring continued awareness-raising and policy discussion on inter-university cooperation.
  • Establish a dedicated focus or working group to follow up on alliance-related initiatives and support the transition from dialogue to concrete collaborative actions.

 

RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

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