European higher education is in the process of change - the commitment of governments, universities and students to move towards a European Higher Education Area, as formulated in the Bologna Declaration, was reconfirmed in Prague.

This development raises the question about the ways and means to achieve this objective. On the one hand, it has become evident that the universities must take the lead in this process. On the other hand, the emergence of the European Higher Education Area, unthinkable and unacceptable in the form of a pan-European top-down process, crucially depends on cooperation between the universities themselves. Regional cooperation has proved to be an efficient and effective mechanism to achieving the necessary internal coherence and external visibility. For instance, Nordic cooperation, while being successful in creating a globally visible quality trademark, has at the same time managed to preserve and even enhance the national differences of its participants, thus serving as a good example of mutually beneficial cooperation.

I am hereby inviting the members of CBUR to reflect on future academic cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and offer the floor of the Tartu Meeting for these discussions.
Here are some thoughts to spark off your reflections:
- We could attempt to flesh out the existing CBUR structure by making quality assurance the core of its identity and activities;
- It might be worth considering developing a joint academic brand name to enhance our academic efforts in the global competition. It is in cooperation with the national Rectors' Conferences that CBUR could attain this. To do so, we may envision for the CBUR a joint secretariat, consisting of the Secretaries-General of the Baltic Sea Rectors' Conferences.

Dear colleagues, in furtherance of my earlier invitation to meet in Tartu, I am looking forward to being able to welcome you at our City and the University, as well as to contributing together with you to our common cause - a better future for the Baltic Sea Universities and their stakeholders.

Faithfully yours

Prof Jaak Aaviksoo
Rector of the University of Tartu
President of the CBUR

Tartu,
May 20, 2001