Alan Smith

Alan Smith devoted his entire career to European cooperation in education, working initially for the German Rectors Conference and the European Institute of Education and Social Policy. As Operations manager of the European Commission’s ‘Joint Study Programmes’ scheme for higher education cooperation from 1978–1987, Alan participated actively in developing ‘Erasmus’ and was Director of the Erasmus Bureau during its first five years (1987–1992). He was then Education Director at the European Cultural Foundation and founding Director of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA). He completed his career with various positions at the European Commission, in particular developing the adult learning programme ‘Grundtvig’. A German studies graduate from the University of London, Alan was Secretary-General of various European associations, has received honourary doctorates from Belgian and British universities and life-membership of the European Prison Education Association. He has published widely on European and international cooperation in education.

Alan received the Constance Meldrum Award for Vision and Leadership in 2017 for his outstanding commitment to internationalising higher education, especially on assisting the European Commission in the early stages of the Erasmus Programme and further developing the project.