Compostela Group of Universities
The Compostela Group of Universities (CGU) is an international non-profit association that promotes and executes collaboration projects between institutions of higher education. It currently has 67 full members, 2 associate members and 9 mutual membership agreements with institutions from 27 different countries.[1][2]
![]() | |
Abbreviation | CGU |
---|---|
Formation | September 3, 1994 |
Type | Non-profit |
Purpose | Intra-university collaboration |
Headquarters | Santiago de Compostela, Spain |
President | Maurits van Rooijen |
Main organ | General Council |
Website | gcompostela.org |
History

In 1993, the University of Santiago de Compostela began initiating contact with other institutions in higher education situated along the Way of St. James, to establish a university- network for collaboration and to help helped to preserve the cultural and historical heritage that emerged along the ancient pilgrim route.
Following these initial developments, 57 European universities met in Santiago from 2–4 September 1993.[2] They established the guidelines and objectives of the group. These included the following three, which are still the objectives of today's CGU:
- Strengthening the channels of communication between the member universities.
- Organizing events to study and discuss subjects related to Europe.
- Promoting mobility as the basis to increase the knowledge of European languages and cultures.[3]
A commission consisting of representatives from the universities of Valladolid, Liège, Nantes, Göttingen, Minho, Jaume I and Santiago de Compostela drew up the Statutes of the Compostela Group of Universities. These were officially adopted at the first Constituent Assembly, held at the University of Santiago de Compostela from 2–3 September 1994.
Organization
Structure
The Compostela Group of Universities is headquartered in Santiago de Compostela, Spain and has a regional office in Brussels, Belgium.[4]
The organizations current president is Marek Kręglewski.[5]
Compostela Prize (International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia)

In 1996, the CGU and the Regional Ministry of Culture, Social Communication and Tourism signed an agreement to establish the Compostela Prize (International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia).
The prize is awarded annually and seeks to reward "[...] any individual or institution that have contributed to the promotion of the European dimension in education, either in teaching and research or in the cultural, social and political fields [...] ." Nominations can be made by CGU member universities, members of the Xunta de Galicia and other official European institutions until the 1st of March each year.[6]
The jury consists of the President of the Galician Government, who chairs the meetings, and the Regional Minister of Culture, the Regional Minister of Education and Universities and the Galician Director of Universities. The Compostela Group is represented by its President and three rectors of member universities, chosen annually by the General Council.
The prize is usually awarded at the end of the General Assembly of the Compostela Group of Universities, with the successful candidate receiving prize money and a commemorative gold medal in the shape of a shell (the centuries-old symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago).[7]
Recent recipients are:
- 2018: María Pilar Alonso Abad, Art history professor at the University of Burgos (UBU), for her academic work and unique research on the Jacobean cultural heritage[8]
- 2017: Marcelino Oreja Aguirre, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his efforts in designating the Saint James Way as the Council of Europe's first cultural route.[9][10]
- 2016: CIRCOM Regional, European Association of Regional Television, for the networks support in promoting European diversity and regional development.[11]
Members
The Compostela Group of Universities has the following members:[12]
Associated members:
- Uniplaces
- AMC Metropolitan College[13]
- CHE Consult-Centre for Higher Education Development Consult, Going Global
Mutual members:
- CONAHEC - Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (USA)
- FAUBAI - Brazilian Association for International Education (Brazil)
- ANUIES - National Association of Universities and HEIs (Mexico)
- QS Asia Quacquarelly Symonds Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
- HACU - Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
- Erasmus Compostela (Spain)
- EEUA - Eastern European University Association
- Scholars at Risk (USA)
- EMUNI
See also
- University of Santiago de Compostela
- National Institutes of Technology, 31 leading public engineering universities in India
References
- "Compostela Group of Universities (CGU)". EURASHE. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "History". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "Objectives". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "Contact Us". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "President's welcome". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia: Nominate before the 1st of March!". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "Compostela Prize". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
- "La profesora Pilar Alonso Abad recibe mañana el Premio Internacional Grupo Compostela". BURGOSconecta (in Spanish). 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "Marcelino Oreja recibirá el premio Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "The award of the Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia to Marcelino Oreja Aguirre closes the XXIII General Assembly of the Compostela Group of Universities | Pécsi Tudományegyetem". jubileum.pte.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- Editor (2016-10-20). "Compostela Group of Universities announces winner of International Prize Grupo Compostela – Xunta de Galicia - QS WOWNEWS". QS WOWNEWS. Retrieved 2018-09-06.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- "CGU Members". www2.usc.es. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- "2016". Retrieved 2018-09-06.