Current Projects

AEC – Empowering Artists as Makers in Society (2022-2025) – Creative Europe Network

Higher Music Education (HME) graduates are the makers of tomorrow's musical life. Facing new challenges, such as dealing with the digital shift, climate change, the growing diversity of cultural and societal needs and a labour market under constant dynamic change, they will be tasked with promoting the resilience of artists, musicians and other cultural professionals.

Meet the AEC International Relations Coordinators (IRC) Working Group

Members

Jan-Gerd KRÜGER, Prince Claus Conservatoire, Groningen, The Netherlands (WG Chair)
Frauke VELGHE, KASK & Koninklijk Conservatorium, Ghent, Belgium
Dimitrios MARINOS, Athens Conservatoire, College of Music, Athens, Greece
Oana BALAN-BUDOIU, The National Academy of Music Gheorghe Dima, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Melissa MERCADAL, Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC), Barcelona, Spain
Iveri KEKENADZE, Malmö Academy of Music, Malmö, Sweden
Wei Boon TAN, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore, Singapore
Sara PRIMITERRA, AEC Office Team (WG Coordinator). Contact here

Goals

Organising events addressing specific target groups within art HEIs
Strengthening collaboration with non-European partners and networks

Updates

Through a diverse range of activities, the International Relation Coordinators (IRC) Working Group (WG) aims to function as intellectual, emotional, and social capital, playing a significant role in forging relationships within the multifaceted ecosystem of HMEIs. To accomplish this, we maintain regular engagement with other Working Groups of the AEC and are directly or indirectly involved in various meeting platforms, including the AEC Annual Congress, to support the endeavours of the AEC and its member institutions.

A pivotal point for the WG is the annual IRC meetings held every September. These meetings are crucial events that keep IRCs updated with the latest sector developments, facilitate learning and sharing of best practices, and enhance interactions with international partners in both formal and informal settings.

Within the framework of their annual meetings, the IRC WG offers to the IRC community of the AEC the possibility to attend workshops and sessions aimed at their continuing professional development as international coordinators, helping colleagues discover innovative approaches related to the day-to-day management of mobility actions as well as how to better support international students, international project writing and management, implementation of the international strategy, internationalisation of the curricula, digitalisation of mobility procedures, how to get involved with partners outside Europe, how to implement internationalisation at home and how to deal with topics such as diversity and inclusion and power relations.

On a yearly basis, the IRC WG launches surveys within the IRC community of the AEC to understand trends to better prepare for the annual gatherings. In 2023 the IRC survey was about issues and best practices in student and teacher mobility, BIPs and internships; in 2024, the survey focused on challenges and opportunities of Erasmus BIPs.