Hywel Ceri Jones

Hywel Ceri Jones was Head of the Commission’s first-ever department for education and youth policies in 1973, as well as the Commission’s Director for education, training and youth. He played the leading role in the design, negotiation and management of several EU flagship programmes, notably Erasmus, Comett, Tempus and Petra. Following the launch of these programmes, he was designated as Director of the Commission’s Task Force for human resources, education, training and youth, with responsibility for the oversight of all EU education programmes. From 1993–1998, Hywel was appointed as Director General of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Policy and Industrial Relations. He played a special role in the promotion of equal opportunities and social inclusion, and in the development of the EU’s policy on behalf of disabled persons. He served as a member of the group of senior officials which prepared the EU Agenda 2000, the EU’s first multi-annual programmatic and financial framework for the period until 2006. Hywel has been awarded Doctorates by many European universities and holds Fellowships from universities worldwide, among many other awards for his contributions to international educational exchange.

Hywel Ceri 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.