Category: English

  • Launch of Comenius Regio Partnerships: new opportunitiesfor regional cooperation in school education

    Launch of Comenius Regio Partnerships: new opportunitiesfor regional cooperation in school education

    Committee of the RegionBrussels, 3. November 2008 Introduction Ladies and gentlemen, Let me first thank you all for coming: I am very pleased to see so many peoplehere. Let me also thank the Committee of the Regions for hosting this event.Today, this Committee, which is a vital link with citizens, their regions andlocalities, is the…

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  • Lifelong learning for all: how long to get there?

    UNESCO 21st Century Talks29 October 2008, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris Monsieur le Sous-Directeur general,Excellences,Ladies and Gentlemen, I very much appreciate your initiative, and its focus on an issue which concernsour entire world – setting our societies on a stable path to peace and prosperity,by ensuring that learning is within the grasp of everyone, and throughout theirlives.…

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  • Integration of adolescents with a migration background into European society

    Integration of adolescents with a migration background into European society

    Konrad Adenauer StiftungBrussels, 14. October 2008 Sehr geehrter Herr Vize-Präsident, Eccelenza Arcievescovo, lieber PeterWeilemann,Distinguished Members of Parliament,Representatives of the European Institutions, Ladies and Gentlemen,The topic of migration brings first of all an invitation to cooperate, to sharethe best practices, open minds and hearts and look for the ways ahead. To speakabout the responsibility of Christians…

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  • Human dignity as a non–negotiable public value

    Human dignity as a non–negotiable public value

    12th Forum 2000 Conference: Openness and Fundamentalism in the21st CenturyPrague, October 12, 2008 Honourable President Havel, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,It is an honour and a pleasure for me to speak at the opening of this12th edition of Forum 2000. I would like to thank the organisers for theirkind invitation, especially President Havel and Professor Sasakawa.…

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  • EuroSkills 2008: Official opening Ceremony in presence of PrincessMaxima of the Dutch Royal Family

    Rotterdam, 18 September 2008 at 09.30 Your Royal Highness, the Princess of Holland,Distinguished guests,Ladies and gentlemen,It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be in Rotterdam to open EuroSkills2008, the first ever Europe-wide skills competition.I want to first of all thank and congratulate all those who have been involved[EuroSkills 2008, our Dutch partners,…

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  • Israel and Europe’s Higher Education

    Israel and Europe’s Higher Education

    Higher Education Conference hosted by the Council of Higher EducationJerusalem, 16 July 2008 Minister Tamir,Profesor Grossman, Mr Gal,Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Introduction I am happy to speak at this conference of the Council for Higher Education andto share with you my thoughts on the role of higher education in modern society.Modern societies need a…

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  • Cooperation between universities and business through sport

    Cooperation between universities and business through sport

    Presentacíon de las políticas de colaboración entre universidad y empresaa través del deporte en EspañaMadrid, 26 June 2008 Dear President Cerezo, President Campano,Magnifico Rector, My Friend Jose-Maria Gil Robles,Distinguished Guests, Friends of Sport and Friends of Europe,Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to be here with you in this beautiful Vicente Calderónstadium and to…

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  • Vision for Mobility beyond 2010

    Vision for Mobility beyond 2010

    Slovenian presidency conference: Quality in Mobility in the Lifelong LearningProgramme TalksLjubljana, 13 June 2008 Dear Minister,Dear Mrs Rodrigues,Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank the Slovenian Presidency for organising this largeconference and for choosing a topic that will certainly be one of our toppriorities in the coming months and years. Mobility should…

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  • Quality assurance for creativity and innovation

    EQAR Founding Assembly Dear Presidents of the E4 Associations,Dear Vice–President of the Bologna Follow–Up Group,Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations for the establishment of a new association that will governthe European Register. Today’s signature is a really important step forward forEurope’s higher education, the full meaning of which will only be appreciated intime. I am…

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  • Morality and public values

    Morality and public values

    Seminar “Religion and Politics in the EU—New Challenges,New Responsibilities”Brussels, 3 March 2008 1 Introduction Many thanks for your kind invitation.I would like to congratulate the Centre for European Studies and theKonrad–Adenauer–Stiftung for their initiative to provide this opportunity ofdebate on the relationship between religion and politics.It is very symbolic, that the newly established CES opens…

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