Founded in 1985 and formally constituted by Charter in 1987, the Coimbra Group is an association of 38 long-established European comprehensive, multidisciplinary universities of high international standard, committed to create special academic and cultural ties in order to promote, for the benefit of its members, internationalization, academic collaboration, excellence in learning and research, and service to society. It is also the purpose of the Group to influence European education and research policy and to develop best practice through the mutual exchange of experience. The Coimbra Group Office has extensive experience in EU-funded projects both as co-ordinator and partner. Its most recent projects as a co-ordinating organization were: an Erasmus Mundus Action 3 project, TRANS-DOC (TRANS-Atlantic and TRANSferability aspects of DOCtoral training), 2010-2012, aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of doctoral candidates transferable skills to improve their employment prospects in and outside of academia; an Erasmus Mundus Action 4 project, BALANCE (Bologna - A long-term Approach to New Certification in Europe), 2006-2009, which sought to increase knowledge and awareness in North America of the higher education reforms taking place in Europe; a Tempus project, RE-FORM, a joint Moroccan-European initiative aimed at creating a forum for debate, mutual exchange of experience and good practice, as the foundation for future interuniversity co-operation with exchanges of students and academics.
