UCA Strengthens Its Role in the European Debate on Higher Education Through SEA-EU and FOREU4ALL 25 May 2026
The University of Cádiz reinforces its international positioning by actively participating in the main European forums on university innovation and cooperation
The University of Cádiz continues to consolidate its position within the European higher education ecosystem through its active involvement in strategic forums linked to the future of universities, international cooperation and the development of the European Universities Initiative promoted by the European Commission.
This week, UCA was represented at the European Meeting of Directors-General for Higher Education held in Nicosia (Cyprus) by Fernando Pérez, Director General of the SEA-EU Alliance and Vice-President of FOREU4ALL. The event brought together institutional leaders, European policymakers and representatives of university alliances to discuss the transformation of higher education in Europe, the future of Erasmus+ and the strengthening of transnational cooperation models.
Through its leadership role within the European University of the Seas alliance, SEA-EU, the University of Cádiz has become one of the Spanish institutions with the strongest presence in the main decision-making and reflection spaces related to European university policy. This positioning has also been reinforced by the recent appointment of Fernando Pérez as Vice-President of FOREU4ALL, the forum that connects the 73 European university alliances funded by the European Commission through Erasmus+.
FOREU4ALL acts as a permanent platform for dialogue between the alliances and the European institutions. It coordinates working groups focused on governance, student participation, territorial impact, funding and innovation in higher education, among other areas. UCA’s presence in its leadership structure allows the institution to participate directly in the debate on the future configuration of the European Higher Education Area.
The University of Cádiz has significantly strengthened its international profile in recent years thanks to SEA-EU, an alliance coordinated by UCA since its creation in 2019. Initially launched with six partner universities, the consortium now brings together nine coastal European universities and has become one of the most consolidated projects within the European Universities Initiative.
Beyond mobility and internationalisation, SEA-EU has evolved into a structural cooperation model involving joint degrees, shared governance systems, collaborative research initiatives and coordinated educational innovation strategies. The alliance also promotes strong links with territorial stakeholders, institutions, ports, companies and research centres connected to the maritime and coastal environment.
In recent months, the University of Cádiz has participated in several high-level European meetings related to the future of higher education, including conferences organised in Brussels, Istanbul and Wrocław, where topics such as sustainability, governance, digital transformation, research evaluation and the future of Erasmus+ after 2028 were discussed.
The university’s institutional presence in these forums reflects UCA’s strategic commitment to internationalisation and to the construction of a more integrated, innovative and inclusive European university model. Through SEA-EU and FOREU4ALL, the University of Cádiz continues to strengthen its role as an active contributor to the transformation of higher education in Europe.