Meeting of the UniGR Council at the University of Liège
The seven partners of the Université de la Grande Région met at the Château de Colonster (ULiege campus) to take stock of current collaborations and outline the future of the consortium.
As a public university open to the world and is anchored in the scientific, cultural and economic development of its region, the University of Liège relies on its three pillars: teaching, research and civic engagement.
ULiège trains responsible citizens who are provided with cutting-edge knowledge and critical thinking, are able to share knowledge and can push forward an increasingly complex world.
ULiège develops and promotes excellence in research, multidisciplinary and direct engagement with its instruction.
Global exposure is a top priority at the University of Liège. The institution offers a wide range of international mobility opportunities to students, researchers and staff, enabling them to enhance their cross-disciplinary skills and language knowledge.
ULiège: an experience of daily living. Located in 3 cities and 4 campuses, the university is a key player in terms of the environment and mobility.
The Russian Union of Rectors (RUR) has issued a strong statement supporting the Russian army and President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. In reaction to this position, which is contrary to our democratic values, the Belgian rectors have announced the suspension of relations with the Russian universities that have signed the statement.
On 4th March, the Russian Union of Rectors published a declaration of support for Russia's war in Ukraine, taking up Vladimir Putin's position that the invasion of Ukraine is a "special military operation" necessary to "achieve demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine", to end the conflict in the Donbass and to protect Russia from "growing military threats".
On Thursday 10th March, the Belgian councils of Rectors therefore decided to formally suspend academic relations with universities that had signed this declaration.
However, not wanting to penalise students currently on mobility, any students who wish to complete their academic year in Belgium or Russia may do so. Future student exchanges will not be organised as long as these universities support flagrant violations of democratic values.
Institutional exchange agreements with universities that support the invasion will be suspended. However, we will continue to welcome individual Russian degree-seeking students who choose to study at a Belgian university. This welcome policy is important because we do not want to make individual Russian students victims of the choices made by their regime.
Aware that the statement of the Russian rectors does not reflect the position of many Russian academics, and that research collaborations are also, and above all, the result of individual exchanges, the Belgian rectors leave it to the researchers of their universities to decide whether or not to maintain the individual cooperative relationships they have with their Russian colleagues. The support of the academic authorities in Wallonia and Flanders (CRef and VLIR) for researchers in danger also remains unchanged.
The Belgian rectors hope that their Russian counterparts can quickly return to supporting the democratic values and fundamental human rights that are essential for international academic cooperation.
The seven partners of the Université de la Grande Région met at the Château de Colonster (ULiege campus) to take stock of current collaborations and outline the future of the consortium.
21 companies and ULiège are studying the possibility of setting up an energy community at the LIEGE science park, in a pioneering approach based on the willingness of players to work together.
ULiège and its partners FOREM and IDELUX are inaugurating a sustainable housing technology platform on the Arlon campus to meet the needs of the wood and construction sectors.