The Spanish Presidency will organise a conference in the context of the the need to further develop links and synergies between the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA) in the shift towards a knowledge-based economy with a new model of sustainable economic growth.The next decade is going to be important to shape the Europeans models of higher education and research based on the results of the Bologna and Lisbon 2010 processes and on the aspiration to develop a European Knowledge Area (EKA), as the conceptual framework facilitating the achievement of economic and social objectives of growth, jobs and social cohesion.The objectives of the conference will be:• Explore the interfaces between the EHEA and the ERA.• Reform of doctoral programmes• Modernisation Agenda for Universities:o Connections between higher education and innovation.o University contribution to socio-economic development in the knowledge societyThe conference is aimed to promote a strengthened dialogue between policy makers and representatives of the university world together with other knowledge-related stakeholders such as research institutions, civil society organisations and businesses.A maximum of 200 participants is foreseen.