Madrid Conference ‘The University between tradition and progress’ 22-24.10.1986:

The CRE mid-term conference in Madrid is a slightly enlarged bi-annual meeting approximately half-way through the quinquennium, to enable more CRE members than usual to take part in the discussions. The structure of this meeting resembles that of a General Assembly and is open to all members wishing to take part. The aim was to enlarge this Bi-annual conferences to more university participants and to invite, as special guests, representatives from the world of industry and commerce as well as non-European heads of universities who are interested in contacts with the European academic community. Discussions were carried out in four discussion groups, in the fields of research, teaching, new information technologies, and international cooperation respectively.

The file contains the programme and list of participants to the mid-term conference, the list of the four working groups, the minutes of the 60th meeting of the Permanent Committee (24.10), working documents (including financial reports), a recommendation passed by the Committee concerning the ERASMUS programme, as well as transcripts of speeches, photographs of participants and press cuttings.

Working documents include: ‘The European University between tradition and progress’ by Prof. Theodor Berchem; ‘La CRE, primera institucion universitaria europea’; Documents related to a meeting of the CRE with the IAU.

Working documents relative to the Group I ‘University research between tradition and progress’ include: ‘Research demands arising from the world of industry’ by Dr. Bernard Langley; ‘The university as the State’s research partner’ by Hubert Curien; ‘European advanced institutes of science and their collaboration with national universities’ by Prof. Lennart Philipson; ‘The university’s response to outside research challenges’ by Olli Lehto; ‘Research at the University: The essentiality of excellence’ by Alberto Sols; Comments on the contributions of Profs. O. Lehto and A. Sols by Eugen Seibold and by Prof. Vossers.

Working documents relative to the Group II ‘University teaching between tradition and progress’ include: ‘University courses and the changing needs of society’ by Prof. Bernard Argent, commented by Prof. Dr. P. J. D. Drenth; by Stefan Bjorklund, by Prof. Mariano Penalver Simo; ‘Teaching today: new methods and challenges’ by Jean Charlent, commented by Prof. Jean Guinand, by Dr. Colm O’hEocha.

Working documents relative to the Group III ‘The challenge of new information technologies’ include: ‘New information technologies: an opportunity for university-industry cooperation’ by Tage E. Frisk; ‘University-Industry relations: What are the driving forces? Where do they lead us?’ by Dr. Zvonko Fazarinc; ‘The application of new information technologies to teaching and research: the creation of software, a common effort by academic and/or industrial partners’ by Prof. Yves le Corre; Background paper for the panel discussion ‘The future of academic networks in Europe’.

Working documents relative to the Group IV ‘The European University and other regions of the world’ include: ‘Tradition and progress: the expectations of universities in developing countries vis-à-vis the European university’ by Prof. Fernando Hinestrosa; ‘Tradition and progress: the European universities’ response to academic expectations in the developing countries’ by Prof. Manuel Gala Munoz; ‘Methods of improving inter-university co-operation’ by Prof. Justin Thorens; ‘Tradition and progress: the expectations of universities in highly industrialised countries’ by H. Keith Brodie; ‘The European Universities’ response to the expectations of universities in the United States of America’ by Dr. Peter Fischer-Appelt; ‘Tradition and progress: the European universities’ response to the expectations of European policy makers’ by Prof. Carl F. Wandel.

English, French

Photograph, Textual