Compostela Group of Universities

{{Infobox organization

| name = Compostela Group of Universities

| image = Compostela Group of Universities logo.png

| size = 200

| alt =

| caption =

| map =

| msize =

| malt =

| mcaption =

| abbreviation = CGU

| motto =

| formation = {{Start date and age|1994|09|03|df=y}}

| extinction =

| type = Non-profit

| status =

| purpose = Inter-university collaboration

| headquarters = Santiago de Compostela, Spain

| location =

| coords =

| region_served =

| membership =

| language =

| leader_title = President

| leader_name = Marek Kręglewski{{cite web |title=Executive Committee |url=https://web.gcompostela.org/executive-committee/ |publisher=CGU |access-date=29 March 2021}}

| main_organ = General Assembly

| parent_organization =

| affiliations =

| num_staff =

| num_volunteers =

| budget =

| website = {{official URL}}

}}

The Compostela Group of Universities (CGU) is an international non-profit association that promotes and executes collaboration projects between institutions of higher education.

It currently has 67 full members, 2 associate members and 9 mutual membership agreements with institutions from 27 different countries.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eurashe.eu/about/partners/cgu/|title=Compostela Group of Universities (CGU)|date=2015-10-08|work=EURASHE|access-date=2018-09-06|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|url=http://www2.usc.es/gcompostela/en/menu_superior/History.html|title=History|website=www2.usc.es|access-date=2018-09-06}}

History

File:Santiago_Pazo_de_Fonseca_5.jpg, the founding institution of the CGU. |alt=]]

In 1993, the University of Santiago de Compostela began initiating contact with other institutions in higher education situated along the Way of St. James, to establish a university network for collaboration and to help helped to preserve the cultural and historical heritage that emerged along the ancient pilgrim route.

Following these initial developments, 57 European universities met in Santiago from 2–4 September 1993. They established the guidelines and objectives of the group. These included the following three, which are still the objectives of today's CGU:

Strengthening the channels of communication between the member universities.
Organizing events to study and discuss subjects related to Europe.
Promoting mobility as the basis to increase the knowledge of European languages and cultures.{{Cite web|url=http://www2.usc.es/gcompostela/en/menu_superior/about_us/objectives.html|title=Objectives|website=www2.usc.es|access-date=2018-09-06}}

A commission consisting of representatives from the universities of Valladolid, Liège, Nantes, Göttingen, Minho, Jaume I and Santiago de Compostela drew up the Statutes of the Compostela Group of Universities. These were officially adopted at the first Constituent Assembly, held at the University of Santiago de Compostela from 2–3 September 1994.

Organization

= Structure =

The Compostela Group of Universities is headquartered in Santiago de Compostela, Spain and has a regional office in Brussels, Belgium.{{Cite web|url=http://www2.usc.es/gcompostela/en/menu_superior/contact_us/index.html|title=Contact Us|website=www2.usc.es|access-date=2018-09-06}}

The organizations current president is Marek Kręglewski.

= Activities =

== Compostela Prize ==

File:Muszla Jakuba.svg (represented on the gold medal, which is awarded to recipients of the International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia)]]

In 1996, the CGU and the Regional Ministry of Culture, Social Communication and Tourism signed an agreement to establish the Compostela Prize (International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia).

The prize is awarded annually and seeks to reward "[...] any individual or institution that have contributed to the promotion of the European dimension in education, either in teaching and research or in the cultural, social and political fields [...]." Nominations can be made by CGU member universities, members of the Xunta de Galicia and other official European institutions until the 1st of March each year.{{Cite web|url=http://www2.usc.es/gcompostela/en/modules/highlights/news_0234.html|title=International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia: Nominate before the 1st of March!|website=www2.usc.es|access-date=2018-09-06}}

The jury consists of the President of the Galician Government, who chairs the meetings, and the Regional Minister of Culture, the Regional Minister of Education and Universities and the Galician Director of Universities. The Compostela Group is represented by its president and three rectors of member universities, chosen annually by the General Council.

The prize is usually awarded at the end of the General Assembly of the Compostela Group of Universities, with the successful candidate receiving prize money and a commemorative gold medal in the shape of a shell (the centuries-old symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago).{{Cite web|url=http://www2.usc.es/gcompostela/en/activities/compostela_prize.html|title=Compostela Prize|website=www2.usc.es|access-date=2018-09-09}}

Recent recipients are:

2018: María Pilar Alonso Abad, Art history professor at the University of Burgos (UBU), for her academic work and unique research on the Jacobean cultural heritage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.burgosconecta.es/burgos/profesora-pilar-alonso-20180905181328-nt.html|title=La profesora Pilar Alonso Abad recibe mañana el Premio Internacional Grupo Compostela|date=2018-09-05|work=BURGOSconecta|access-date=2018-09-06|language=es}}
2017: Marcelino Oreja Aguirre, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his efforts in designating the Saint James Way as the Council of Europe's first cultural route.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/santiago/santiago/2017/06/22/marcelino-oreja-recibira-premio-grupo-compostela-xunta-galicia/0003_201706S22C6996.htm|title=Marcelino Oreja recibirá el premio Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia|date=2017-06-22|work=La Voz de Galicia|access-date=2018-09-06|language=es-ES}}{{Cite web|url=https://jubileum.pte.hu/hirek/award_prize_grupo_compostela_xunta_de_galicia_marcelino_oreja_aguirre_closes_xxiii_general_1|title=The award of the Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia to Marcelino Oreja Aguirre closes the XXIII General Assembly of the Compostela Group of Universities {{!}} Pécsi Tudományegyetem|website=jubileum.pte.hu|language=hu|access-date=2018-09-06}}
2016: CIRCOM Regional, European Association of Regional Television, for the networks support in promoting European diversity and regional development.{{Cite news|url=https://qswownews.com/compostela-group-of-universities-announces-winner-of-international-prize-grupo-compostela-xunta-de-galicia/|title=Compostela Group of Universities announces winner of International Prize Grupo Compostela – Xunta de Galicia - QS WOWNEWS|last=Editor|date=2016-10-20|work=QS WOWNEWS|access-date=2018-09-06|language=en-US}}

Members

The Compostela Group of Universities has the following members, as of 2021:{{Cite web|url=https://web.gcompostela.org/member-universities/|title=CGU Member Universities|publisher=Compostela Group of Universities|access-date=29 March 2021}}

;Belarus

Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno

;Brazil

São Paulo State University

;China

Zhejiang Wanli University

;Czech Republic

Masaryk University

;Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo Institute of Technology

;France

University of Nantes

;Georgia

;Germany

;Hungary

University of Pécs

;Indonesia

University of Surabaya

;Italy

;Lithuania

Kazimieras Simonavičius University

;Malta

University of Malta

;Mexico

;Panama

Columbus University

;Peru

;Poland

;Portugal

;Serbia

University Business Academy in Novi Sad

;Slovakia

Pan-European University

;Spain

;Sweden

Karlstad University

;Switzerland

University of Fribourg

;United Kingdom

University of Worcester

=Associate members=

;Greece

Metropolitan College (AMC){{Cite news|url=https://mitropolitiko.edu.gr/en/|title=Metropolitan College|location=Athens, Greece|access-date=30 March 2021}}