Dear Colleague, Welcome to our February newsletter, which outlines the busy and exciting work that is happening in AEC and within our membership. It has been a unique month, with two Executive Directors in post. Finn Schumacker began with us officially, and Stefan Gies stayed on to enable a smooth transition. Their joint appearance at the very successful Odense Pop and Jazz Platform was both a debut and a curtain call. I am delighted to say that Stefan will be involved in some of our activities going forward, so we will see him again. Next up is the EPARM conference in Ljubljana, which I hope will be equally successful and well attended by members, and registration is now open for that event. AEC remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine, and we are encouraging our members to organise any cultural initiatives and concerts in solidarity with them around the anniversary of the start of the Russian Invasion. Finally, I want to thank both Finn and Linda Messas for their leadership in writing up our next Creative Europe application, which is due to be submitted in early March. I also thank our Council members, working groups and office team members for their input. The application will cover many areas that we believe will support our members and enable us to continue to be the leading voice for higher music education in Europe and in the wider global community. Best wishes, Deborah Kelleher, AEC President This month we report on various advocacy events that the AEC participated in: discussions on how to ensure fair remuneration for authors' work, opportunities for the music sector within the New European Bauhaus and a dialogue between European Institutions’ representatives and actors from the music sector (in the frame of the Music Moves Europe Programme). Read about the AEC PJP 2024 at the Syddansk Musikkonservatorium in Odense, Denmark where music professionals and students from 21 countries explored sustainable practices and innovative teaching methods, fostering discussions on gender equity and the future of music education. This month we have a look at the AEC, ECSA and EJN Mentorship Programmes, co-funded by the European Union. While we read testimonies from the 2023 edition, we also see the start of the 2024 programme which got its kick-off at the AEC Pop & Jazz Platform. Over 30 students and 20 teachers came together for the sixth edition of the METRIC Intensive Programme (IP) at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp in Belgium, from February 20 to 25, 2024. Representatives from 20 institutions gathered in Vienna for the first time in person to discuss their curriculum changes, reflect, and learn from each other. AEC continues to stand with Ukraine. We particularly encourage the organisation of any cultural event, exchange or concert aimed to show solidarity with Ukraine, and its music community. This paper provides an analysis of the challenges and obstacles to cross-border quality assurance in higher education and suggests ways in which they could be overcome. Learn more about how young changemakers from all over Europe are taking the 2024 European Elections into their own hands. AEC Events 21 - 23 March 2024 AEC Vacancy Platform |