The Autonomous Region of the Azores will host the Summer University of the Assembly of European Regions in August 2012, following the decision of the respective selection committee that was convened in the Netherlands on June 1.
With this victory, the Azores reinforce their role in the Assembly of European Regions, asserting themselves as a privileged place for the organisation of major European events.
Established 15 years ago, the Summer University of the Assembly of European Regions is an annual forum dedicated to topics that are relevant to the development of regions, which has been extended to young people since 2001, when the Youth Summer University. This event aims to provide all participants with the opportunity to exchange experiences with regional politicians and officials of the areas under discussion as well as to involve them in the regional policies and enhance their knowledge on diverse European issues.
The Azores edition will be under the central theme Global Challenges and Regional Opportunities - The Regions of Europe as Platforms of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation; it expects the presence of nearly 200 participants from various European regions.
With the proposed theme, the Azores believes that a Europe of Regions, with its variety of cultures, languages and ethnicities, may play a key role as a potentiality for creativity and innovation in the era of globalization, thus ensuring, European competitiveness that will be able to meet the challenges of today, through innovative approaches that contribute to sustainable development.
If the Azores learn to transform their difficulties into opportunities, nowadays, they will be able to renew their centrality by promoting knowledge, innovation and creativity in important areas such as Information and Communication Technologies, Earth and Sea Sciences, and, mainly, in the areas of renewable energy, climatology, seismology, volcanology, oceanography and space science; through the establishment of a series of partnerships to develop infrastructure and qualifying projects in those areas. Hence, in a context of major challenges, the organisation of the Summer University of the Assembly of European Regions in Azores will not only be an opportunity to debate, but also a creative space to find new ways and innovative solutions that will encourage other European regions to transform their current difficulties into opportunities.
The Assembly of European Regions is the largest independent network of regions in Europe, bringing together over 270 regions in 33 countries and 16 inter-regional organisations.