News
Youth
Youth on the Move opens its doors in Bordeaux
15/10/2010
Commissioner Vassiliou opened the two-and-a-half day event
dedicated to the Youth on the Move campaign in Bordeaux on 14 October. Visitors had the chance to take part in debates and exchanges about the challenges facing young people in Europe in education and employment and the responses proposed by the EU, including opportunities to study and work abroad.
In her opening speech Commissioner Vassiliou acknowledged that young people are among those most seriously affected by the economic crisis, which has made the transition from the world of education and training to employment more difficult for them and that we must now give back hope to the generations on whom our future depends.
Youth on the Move event to be opened by Commissioner Vassiliou
13/10/2010
Commissioner Vassiliou opens the Youth on the Move event in Bordeaux this Thursday, October 14, launching two and half days of debates and exchanges about the challenges facing young people in Europe in education and employment and the responses proposed by the EU, including opportunities to study and work abroad.
The activity is based on discussions around projects by schools and NGOs and personal accounts from young people who've benefited from EU grants, rounded out with cultural and entertainment events.
Ms Vassiliou will launch the event, accompanied by the current world longboard surf champion Antoine Delpero, who is the Youth on the Move ambassador for France, and Alain Juppé, former French Prime Minister and mayor of Bordeaux.
Culture
Commissioner Vassiliou at the "we are more" campaign launch
08/10/2010
Commissioner Vassiliou lent her support to the 7 October launch of the "we are more"campaign. The campaign, led by Culture Action Europe, seeks to mobilise everyone who cares about culture, calling on decision-makers to strengthen the recognition of the role of arts and culture in the development of our societies, by explicitly supporting culture in the upcoming negotiations on the next EU budget. The aim is to increase support for cultural activities that will affect all those living in Europe and stimulate their participation in and enjoyment of the arts in the next ten years, whether at local, regional, national or European level.
Commissioner Vassiliou takes part in opening of first EU-China High-Level Cultural Forum
06/10/2010
The first EU-China High-Level Cultural Forum will bring together renowned European and Chinese intellectuals and artists on 6-7 October in Brussels. The event will be opened by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wen Jiabao. Chinese Minister for Culture, Cai Wu, and the Minister for Culture of the French Community of Belgium, Fadila Laanan will also participate in the opening ceremony.
The forum, which is organised jointly by the European Commission and the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China as part of the 13th EU-China Summit, will be chaired by Italian author Umberto Eco and Chinese researcher Qiu Xigui. The event's main objective is to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and to foster mutual understanding between the EU and China.
Education
Commissioner Vassiliou at the European University Association conference
25/10/2010
The Commissioner delivered the keynote speech at the conference's closing session in Palermo, Italy on 23 October. She spoke about the growing diversity of Europe's higher education and about the future role of universities. She said: "Europeans everywhere should have access to higher education; but not all institutions should deliver the same programmes and appeal to the same students. (…) We need excellence in every corner of higher education: we need high performing teacher training institutions, professional and vocational schools, lifelong learning centres, etc."
Commissioner Vassiliou addresses teachers on the occasion of World Teachers' Day
05/10/2010
Teachers' Day will be celebrated worldwide on October 5th. It is a day that is meant to pay special tribute to the daily work of millions of teachers around the globe.
Teaching is a profession that we can all relate to, as children and adults. Apart from midwifery, it is perhaps the only profession in life that we all have an experience of before entering the job market. Being a teacher means something for the whole of our lives, the way we live, the way we behave, the way we learn, the way we communicate, the way we collaborate. A good teacher is for a lifetime.
Make a difference: Don't miss out on the EIT
01/10/2010
Commissioner Vassiliou wants more of Europe's brightest students, researchers and entrepreneurs to join forces with the new European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
In a new video message, the Commissioner encourages young people "who want to make a difference" to apply for places on Masters' and PhD courses approved by the EIT.
"If you want to make a difference with your creativity, enthusiasm and knowledge, watch this space, there may be an opportunity for you: don't miss out on the EIT," she declares.
