how to build an european higher education area lessons learnt michael gaebel european university...
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How to build an European Higher Education Area
lessons learnt
Michael GaebelEuropean University Association (EUA)
ASAIHL Conference Penang, 14 Dec. 2008
European University Association (EUA)
•Independent membership organisation
•Secretariat in Brussels
•Goals: Strengthen the European universities
•Representing the European university sector:
•Shaping HE and Research policy at European level
•Institutional development (seminars, workshops, publications on policy development + institutional good practices)
EUA - « the Voice of European Universities« 34 national Rectors’
Conferences770 individual universitiesAffiliated university
networks + organisations in 46 European countries
EUA Membership - 2007
By the way: Is it Europe or Europes?
Learning outcome 1: Learn to distinguish: Council of Europe from European Council
Council of Europe
Strasbourg, France 194947 member statesMinisterial CouncilParliamentary Assemblylegal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation + EducationLisbon Recognition Convention (+UNESCO)
European Union (EU)
political and economic union of 27 member states1993 Treaty of Maastricht (before: European Economic Community) mix of intergovernmental and supranational structuressingle market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capitalcommon currency - EURO (15 Member States) common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy.role in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member states (Schengen)
European Commission
European Parliament (Brussels + Strasbourg)European Council - EU Heads of State + EU President (Brussels)
≠ Council of Europe, Strasbourg
European Commission (EC - Brussels) – legislative and executive powers a role in foreign policy, representing its members WTO, G8, UN a mandate for vocational education – but supporting measures
and policy development (Erasmus, European Qualification Framework etc.)
a mandate for research: FP7, European Institute of Technology
Learning outcome 2:How to build a supranational Education Area – no contracts, no central administration, no imposition
of standards and no diminishing of cultural traditions
…9…
/ : : Lisbon Strategy European Research Area Bologna Process 27+ 46 Member States of European Union BolognaCountries+ international associate countries
2010 – Completion of two complementary
European reform processes
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/ The Lisbon Strategy European Research Area
1998/99 46 European countries have signed up• + European Union + Council of Europe• Governmental push for system convergence, • stakeholder supported implementation in universities
across Europe
2000 European Union – currently 27+ countries• to make Europe the most competitive knowledge based society• but also « capable of sustainable economic growth, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion »
• multi-national co-operation among all the actors & in all scientific fields - EU Member States and international partners
Universities are central actors in both processes
: The Bologna Process Building the European Higher Education
Area
…11…
Bologna : a pan-European HE Reform Process
Bologna – a voluntary process; 46 countries signed upwith no legal obligationsa tiny ‘Bologna’ Secretariat (2-4 people)Website http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/
Joint Ministerial Meeting & Communiqué – every 2 yearsA shared responsibility: governments, universities, staff & students = members of the Bologna Follow-Up GroupIncreasingly stakeholder driven now that implementation is the priorityAgreement on 10 Bologna Action lines
10 Bologna Actionlines
Bologna Declaration of 1999: 1. Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees2. Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles3. Establishment of a system of credits4. Promotion of mobility5. Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance6. Promotion of the European dimension in higher education
Prague Ministerial summit of 2001:7. Focus on lifelong learning8. Inclusion of higher education institutions and students9. Promotion of the attractiveness of the European Higher Education
Area
Berlin Ministerial summit of 2003:10. Doctoral studies and the synergy between the European Higher Education
Area and the European Research Area
from Reykjavik
to NicosiaFrom Lisbon
to Moscow
A congruent higher education system all over Europefacilitating mobility of students and scholars
Bologna Achievement: Overall assessment
Enormous progress since 1999: 83% of HEIs have the 3 cycle structure in place (Trends V, 2007) > 53% in 2003ECTS for credit transfer + accummulationDiploma supplement – in use in most countriesJoint diplomaEuropean Dimension of QA Global DimensionJoint European discourse on higher education 17 new countries have joined since 199974% of institutions: « it is essential to make rapid progress towards the EHEA » (Trends V)
Employability of the Bachelor?What is a European Master?Joint diploma: sustainable? Socially exclusive? Feasible and useful?50% of the institutions: Transfer credit recognition in some cases problematicECTS: workload or learning outcomes?Diploma supplement: issued on demandMobility – obstacles in and beyond HESocial dimension, LLLIncentives for the Global DimensionCountries at different paceEurope or EU? Relation with the European Research AreaBeyond 2010?
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Key challenges for the European Higher Education Area post 2010
2010 - less a deadline and more the start of a new phase?some reforms are accomplished, others not yetindividual Bologna countries implement reform at a different pacegrowing links between the EHEA, & the EU Lisbon Agenda goals/the European Research Area Increasing awareness of the role of universities in building a knowledge society in EuropeThe economic and social environment is changing e. g. demographic situation of Europe
Globalisation & the emergence of international education
EUA Slide 15
Successful?
“So you have academic friends in Toulouse or Fribourg or Évora who think Bologna is a disaster; therefore, you think it’s a disaster?
For some real evidence, let’s look at the March 2007 Eurobarometer survey of 5,800 faculty and administrators in 31 European countries. Here’s what it found: Thirty-two percent said the old degree system was better, with considerable variation by country (53 percent of the German faculty versus 11 percent of the French, for example) and by field (42 percent of engineering faculty preferred the old system). So, disregarding the 9 percent who hadn’t made up their minds, roughly 35 percent of the European academic workforce preferred the pre-Bologna degree system—while 65 percent disagreed. In an election, we would call that a landslide”.
Chris Adelman, 2008, IHEP Policy Brief “Learning Accountability from Bologna: A Higher Education Policy Primer, A message to US academic policy makers who have friends in Europe who don’t like Bologna”
…17…
European Higher Education and Research Area
- increasingly intertwined in a global setting
European higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Research Area (ERA) cannot function in a vacuumcommunicating and sharing the ‘processes’ is crucialDifferent institutions and countries across the EHEA are at different phases of their ‘internationalisation’ process & have different prioritiesMobility is an international, & not simply an intra-European questionAttracting global talent: the changing role of the university as a service provider and an ‘exporter’Demographic developments will play an increasingly important role EUA
Slide 17
Learning outcome 3:How to involve stakeholders into an intergovernmental
reform process – because top-down only would not work
The Role of Stakeholder organisations
Bologna Ministerial Meetings: each national delegation comprises 1 Rector and 1 Student representative
Consultative members - key actors in the Bologna reforms
European University Association
European Student Union
European Colleges (EURASHE)
European Association for QA (ENQA)
Participate in Ministers Meetings, Senior Stakeholder Meetings, all working groups
Ministerial Communiqué: discussed with stakeholders
Bologna Achievement – thanks to stakeholders
Active contribution of stakeholder organisations:
European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance http://www.eqar.eu/index.php?id=41
European Register for Quality Assurance Agencies EQAR www.eqar.eu
Inclusion of 3rd cycle (doctorates)
Strategy of Bologna Process in a Global Setting http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/WGR2007/Strategy-for-EHEA-in-global-setting.pdf
European Lifelong Learning Charter http://www.eua.be/fileadmin/user_upload/files/Publications/European_Universities__Charter_on_Lifelong_learning.pdf
Why Rectors/ University Associations?Change and change demands accelerated
Universities have to react – and to act
Autonomy: need buffer organisation between Gov. +university
Autonomy: building solidarity between universities
University associations: indentify trends Inform, mobilise universities (solidarity) Facilitate discussions – with universities + stakeholders Develop and disseminate best practices Formulate universities’ position Advocate and lobby (governments, media etc) International “HE diplomacy”
EUA’s Mandate
Core task: Strengthen the European universities
Policy development at European Level
institutional development and dissemination of good practices
Informed dialogue – creation of knowledge and information on HE
European Mission: European Higher Education Area (Bologna/ Lisbon)
Internationalisation
EUA Activities
Thematic priorities – institutional perspective
Institutional development Quality assurance Research management and funding Developing and disseminating good practices International cooperation and exchange
Membership services
Surveys, projects – building knowledge -informed dialogue
Publications
Policy dialogue (universities, partners, governments);
EUA Flagships
Trends Report – biannual report on the implementation of Bologna Reforms (800-900 Universities, 34 National Rectors Associations)
Joint Master programme Guidelines
Quality Culture + Creativity Project
Institutional Evaluation Programme Recognised QA Agency Voluntary evaluation Fit for purpose: to strengthen university, support senior management Pool of 80 rectors More than 200 evaluations Higher education systems report: Ireland, Portugal, Turkey, Slovakia
EUA + AutonomyPolicy level: advocate Autonomy in Bologna Process Key condition for institutional development Responsiveness and responsiblity Higher education as a public good Diversity of institutional mission
Information: surveys on autonomy in EuropeConferences, workshops, seminars, projects Governance: sound governance and management On QA – to ensure good accountability Industry cooperation Funding
• institutions have to be sufficiently funded – full costing• diversity of funding sources • Tuition fees?
Good for Europe. What about the rest of the world?
Learning outcome 5: Higher education is international
EUA’s position: Internationalisation imperative
Global challenges – global responsesGlobal problems: environment, energy, economy, demographicsResearch is international increased international mobility of people and programmesTrends towards supranational coordination in HE-Regional integration?Bologna Process internationally recognised Enhanced international cooperation
Autonomy – implications for international exchange and cooperation Government to Government University to University University organisation to university organisation:
• E.g: Joint statement of ACE, AUCC and EUA on GATS• Dialogue processes with partner organisations around the world
EUA’s International Goals
dialogue, exchange and cooperation with partners based on the principle of equal partnership
Dialogue and solidarity with partner organisations
Internationalisation of « European » achievements
Promotion of European Higher Education Area, and the Bologna Process
Strenghten the European Universities
Complementary to activities of members
To promote partnerships in higher education and research within Europe and with the rest of the world
EUA’s International Partners
Conclusion/ Assumptions
Autonomy, internationalisation and crossborder on the rise
Autonomy: diversity of missions how to ensure self-reflection and advocacy of
universities at national/regional level how to ensure international representation and
exchange at system level (previously role of gov.)
Internationalisation+crossborder: Partnership and cooperation Corporisation - Commercialisation
Situation of small(er) countries: Europe - larger entity Competitiveness Critical mass: Recognition / mobility