The Santander Group held its annual General Assembly at the University of Le Havre, France between 10th and 11th June 2011. The central theme was 'The Social Responsibility of Universities'.

On this occasion, the General Assembly focused on the role that higher educational institutions are increasingly being requested to play and which is leading to a number of innovative actions. Themes ranged from the question of social inequality in accessing education, to ways in which universities can contribute to defining an original educational project for all ages.

The theme of this General Assembly also fell under the scope of the United Nations' Academic Impact Programme that the Santander Group endorses. The project seeks to implement the Millennium Development Goals in the field of education.

These issues were explored through a series of keynote speeches and contributions from Santander Group Universities as well as through a forum bringing together different regional stakeholders whol discussed their vision of the role of universities in society.

The General Assembly was also the occasion to discuss the Group’s ‘Strategy 2020’ project and to conduct our internal business, with a review the year’s activities and forthcoming events. In addition, the meeting provided an interesting opportunity to discover more about one of our founder members and its surrounding region.

Le Havre is situated near the sea. It is not only a large, dynamic commercial port, but also a seaside resort with a marina and a beautiful beach and bay. People can practice nautical activities such as kite surfing, wind surfing, sailing etc. Le Havre is also a rich historical and cultural town and was very inspirational to the Impressionists. Following World War II, it had to be almost totally rebuilt and today it boasts the peculiar architecture by Auguste Perret and is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.

For more information on the University of le Havre, please click here.
For more information on the city of Le Havre, please click here.

Registration form and deadline
All the participants are invited to fill out THIS REGISTRATION FORM and send it back to the following email: sgadmin@sgroup.be before 25th May 2011.

Accommodation
The accommodation will be at the Hotel Novotel
20 Rue Lafayette
Quai Colbert
76600 Le Havre, France

Map of Locations
Click here for a map of Le Havre with the University, Hotel and Train Station.

How to get to Le Havre?
Please click here for detailed information on how to get to Le Havre .