Introduction: The Pink Elephant – Reflections on the Future to Transform the Present........... 4 PRE-CONFERENCE PROGRAMME ............................................................................................. 6 EASY Workshop ..................................................................................................................... 6 Pre-Conference Seminar I on the Internationalization of Curricula ................................................. 7 Pre-Conference Seminar II on Diversity in Internationalization..................................................... 10 Pre-Conference Seminar III on Joint and Double Degree Programmes ........................................... 13 PROGRAMME of the IRCs Meeting 2019 ................................................................................ 15 Information in the Networking Trip on Saturday ........................................................................ 18 Programme of the Music Performances ..................................................................................... 19 Higher Music Education in Czech Republic ............................................................................ 20 ABSTRACTS AND BIOGRAPHIES ........................................................................................... 22 Plenary Sessions .................................................................................................................. 22 AEC Talk 1: The impact of international mobility of students on employability – Dana Petrova and Uwe Brandenburg ........................................................................................................................ 22 Discussion Groups on the impact of international mobility of students ................................. 23 AEC Talk 2: Imagining the Future of Music Education - Peter Majanen ......................................... 24 AEC Talk 3: Erasmus 2021 – Mirko Varano ............................................................................... 25 Parallel Sessions I – Saturday 21st September 12:30 – 13:30 ............................................... 26 1) EOLAB – European Opera Academy: discussion on the future of opera education .................... 26 2) Perspectives on diversity in internationalisation – sharing experiences and practices ............... 27 3) Joint and Double Degree Programmes: a powerful tool for the internationalisation of higher education ............................................................................................................................ 27 4) MusiQuE – linking internationalisation and quality assurance ............................................... 28 5) Choosing and Maintaining International Partners: the INTERMUSIC example followed by group discussion on the topic .......................................................................................................... 28 6) Digital Tools to foster international Learning and Teaching: presentation and group discussion . 29 Parallel Sessions II – Sunday 22nd September 12:00 – 13:00 ............................................... 30 1) International cooperation to foster audience development for opera: the Creative Europe funded projects Opera Out of Opera and Opera InCanto and The Magic Flute Project by Run OpeRun........... 30 2) Students’ Perspective, Experiences and Expectations in Mobility: an open dialogue between IRCs and students ........................................................................................................................ 31 3) Entrepreneurship Projects – presentation of the Capacity Building Project “DEMUSIS” followed by group discussion on entrepreneurship ...................................................................................... 31 4) Finding a Sustainable Future for Mobility: group discussion ................................................. 32 5) Cooperation with partner countries. Presentation of “Listen to the World, Live Music” project in Palestine followed by group discussion ..................................................................................... 33 6) Distance Learning in Virtual and Blended Mobility: presentation of the SWING Project and discussion ............................................................................................................................ 33 PRACTICAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................. 35 Conference Venue ................................................................................................................. 35 Social Programme Venues ...................................................................................................... 35 Internet Access .................................................................................................................... 35 Transfer from the airport ....................................................................................................... 35 Weather .............................................................................................................................. 35 2 Currency ............................................................................................................................. 36 Safety ................................................................................................................................. 36 Insurance ............................................................................................................................ 36 Information about the city ...................................................................................................... 36 Food and drinks .................................................................................................................... 37 Useful numbers .................................................................................................................... 37 Conference contacts from HAMU and AEC ................................................................................. 37 Public transport .................................................................................................................... 37 Restaurants ......................................................................................................................... 38 Information in the Networking Trip on Saturday ........................................................................ 38 Information on Participation Fee Payment ........................................................................... 39 IRCs Working Group and EASY Task Force ........................................................................... 41 AEC Office Team .................................................................................................................. 41 Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague ................................ 41 The AEC would like to express special thanks to the IRCs Working group, the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, in particular Ingeborg Radok Žádná, Veronika Adamcová and Anna Poppová and all members of the staff, for their wonderful support in organizing the AEC Annual Meeting for IRCs 2019 in Prague. 3 Introduction: The Pink Elephant – Reflections on the Future to Transform the Present The “pink elephant in the room" is an expression used to indicate that something very visible and obvious is there, but nobody wants to point it out and talk about it[1]. How many “pink elephants” do the international relations coordinators have to deal with in their daily work? Starting from the points raised by the International Relations Coordinators Working group in their Reflection on the AEC Annual Meeting for International Coordinators 2018 – looking back at the past while imagining the future of internationalization of Higher Music Education (which we invite all of you to read before coming to Prague) the IRCs Meeting 2019 presents itself with the provocative title “The Pink Elephant” to trigger discussion about all constraints, contradictions, unsaid and unknowns that make the work of the IRCs more and more complex and multifaceted. Pink elephants generate contradictions: how can we stay flexible within the constraints of the institutional, national and European regulations? If we claim that all our work is for the good of the students, why is our work not entirely based on an accurate listening of their needs? If we claim that it is important to be in a network with common tools and procedures, why still many AEC members do not accept applications via EASY? If we claim that “being international” is a sign of quality, why don’t we compare each other internationally on regular basis? And if we claim that networking is the most important function of the IRCs meeting, while as the networking activity been presented as an optional feature of the event? The IRCs Meeting 2019 will talk openly about these “pink elephants” and will address in particular the centrality of networking by assigning a central place in the programme to the Networking Activity, which will take place for the first time on Saturday afternoon, as part of the main programme. Uncertainty is one of the biggest pink elephants in the IRC room. While in Birmingham the Brexit was for obvious reasons at the centre of the debate of last year, the approaching end of the current Erasmus+ Programme is bringing more questions than answers. Besides the news about the doubling of the budget, many other important details are still