3rd Information Bulletin

Dear Reader,

La MANCHE stands for leadership and change management in higher education and through the current 3rd Information Bulletin we would like to invite you to become a member of the extended La MANCHE family and to contribute directly to the processes of leading and managing change in higher education in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

One of the chief goals of this Tempus IV project is to create a large and sustainable La MANCHE community which goes beyond the consortium boundaries and involves an extensive number of academics, students, higher education managers, policy makers, representatives of the civil society and business leaders in the La MANCHE countries. These key stakeholders will search together for critical answers, diverse opinions and efficient solutions. We firmly believe that in times of economic turmoil, growing social discontent and political crisis, all of which seriously affecting the higher education sector, the voice of all interest groups in higher education should be better heard. This was made possible through the establishment of the La MANCHE Virtual Think Tank (La MANCHE VTT) which was officially launched during the 4th La MANCHE partner meeting in Yerevan in June 2014.

The La MANCHE VTT is a user-friendly online platform accessible through the project website at www.lamanche-tempus.eu. It facilitates open discussions and dialogue and promotes joint problem solving and interaction among key stakeholders in higher education. The La MANCHE VTT gives voice to a new generation of higher education leaders who think modernly, speak openly and act transparently. They shall become opinion formers and main contributors to the Strategy for Leading and Managing Change in Higher Education (La MANCHE Strategy). The La MANCHE Strategy is a major outcome of the activities in Work Package 7 and will be the result of bottom-up initiatives and ideas coming from all interest groups in higher education in the La MANCHE countries.

As you see, time sure flies fast for La MANCHE and we are already planning the final stage project activities. This Information Bulletin will help you follow the project results achieved since the publication of the 2nd Information Bulletin in December 2013. In addition, you will learn how to register and become a member of the La MANCHE VTT and how to contribute to the joint development of the La MANCHE Strategy. This could happen both through the online platform of the La MANCHE VTT and in the framework of numerous networking events to take place in the Partner Countries over the next months.

We look forward to working with you! Join our La MANCHE community to make your voice better heard and to initiate real changes in the higher education system in your country!

Yours faithfully,

La MANCHE project consortium