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The Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), in collaboration with the University of Hamburg, organised the two-day conference “Opening up to the Wider World: The External Dimension of the Bologna Process”, which took place on 18 and 19 October 2004 at the University of Hamburg, in Germany.

Recommendations based on the results of the conference have been submitted to Bologna Follow-up Group. These recommendations are now available on the Bologna- Bergen website. The one page document is a synthesis of the outcomes of the conference, and a clear recommendation for inclusion in the Bergen Communiqué.

The paper presents two main recommendations:

- Ministers should encourage the provision of better and more comprehensive information about the Bologna Process to the relevant academic stakeholders outside Europe.

- Structural reforms alone will not suffice to make Europe a global higher education leader. Ministers should therefore ensure adequate resources and working conditions, in order to keep or attract high-quality teachers and researchers.

The Education Ministers summit will take place in Bergen (Norway) in May 2005.

Background and recommendations: http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Other_sem/041018-19Hamburg.HTM

CIMO contribution : Erasmus student and teacher flows from and to Finland reaching record numbers

After 5 years of stagnation in the number of outgoing Erasmus students from Finland, a new record was reached in 2003-04 with 3951 (+549 compared to 2002-03) Finnish students heading abroad within Erasmus. Concerning incoming Erasmus students, a new record was reached, too, with 5116 students (+539) coming to Finland. Thus Finnish HEIs received 1165 students more than they sent out which turned Finland into a predominantly importing country in student exchanges. The most popular host countries for outgoing students are Germany, the UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands. The most active countries sending students to Finland are Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland.

In Erasmus teacher exchanges Finland has become one of the most active countries in Europe. The number of outgoing teachers also reached a new record in 2003-04 with a total of 995 outgoing teachers (+142). The most attractive countries included Germany, the UK, Spain, France and Estonia.

NUFFIC: International Conference, Internationalisation at Home: A global perspective

In the framework of the challenges of globalisation and institutional development this conference is an opportunity for academics and policymakers in higher education to discuss divers approaches of structural internationalisation beyond mobility, to recommend improvements and to propose new strategies in preparing students to live and work in globalised conditions, abroad and at home.

With guest speakers and case studies from five continents.

The programme and more detailed information will be available by the end of January.

May 9-10 2005, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Info: Jacqueline Schuurmans, Nuffic (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education), tel. ++31(70)4260-231, i4@nuffic.nl

2. European Policy

Luxembourg takes over the Presidency of the Council

As of 1st January Luxembourg has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This will be the 11th time since the founding treaties were signed that the Grand Duchy is granted this honour and responsibility.

The next six months will be characterised by a series of interesting events for the new Presidency, since the European Union will continue its enlargement under this Presidency. The Treaty of Accession with Bulgaria and Romania will be finalised with a view to its signature at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) to be held in April 2005. This signature will mark the end of the current accession cycle.

A new cycle encompassing the Balkan countries is currently being established on the basis of the conclusions of the Thessalonica European Council. Accession negotiations with Croatia should begin on 17 March 2005. The FYROM (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) will forward its responses to the Commission questionnaire so that the latter’s opinion can be drawn up following the application for accession. Preparations for accession negotiations with Turkey are unlikely to begin before summer 2005.

The Presidency is also preparing to submit the mid-term review of the Lisbon process to the Council in March, based on a Commission orientation report due out in early February. This will mean relaunching the strategy, coordinated around its three pillars (economic, social and environmental), while identifying a restricted number of priorities.

In particular, the Luxembourg Presidency will use this mid-term review in order to:

take stock of the strategy;

refocus priorities;

improve the governance and implementation of the strategy;

implement a specific communication strategy by target groups.

Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn underlined that for his country's presidency the Lisbon reforms agenda is about more than just competitiveness. The final objective of the Lisbon agenda is the sustainable well-being of the EU's citizens. Therefore, the Luxemburg Presidency will focus on all three dimension of the Lisbon strategy: competitiveness and economic growth, social cohesion and sustainable development. The 2005 mid-term review of the EU's Lisbon agenda is likely to lead to a debate on the equality of these three dimensions.

The Presidency’s plans for the coming six months also include the organisation of events aimed at focusing on the importance of the youth within the Lisbon process. While this does not involve creating a new instrument, it should draw together under the strategy the specific existing measures taken for youth and for balancing the stress placed on solidarity between generations.

(Source: www.euractiv.com , www.eu2005.lu )

COUNCIL, EDUCATION: Debate on the role of the EU in the world (Jean Monnet project)

On 30 November and 1 December 2004, the Jean Monnet Project organised in Brussels, in collaboration with ECSA (European Community Studies Association), the 7th international ECSA-World conference on the theme of “The European Union and emerging world orders: perceptions and strategies”. Some 500 participants, welcomed by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and Ján Figel, Commissioner responsible for education, training, culture and multilingualism, debated with prestigious speakers the place of the European Union on the international scene.

(source: Europe press releases)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/ajm/ecsa_world/index_en.html

COUNCIL, RESEARCH: Council gives its view of the future European research

The Competitiveness Council has thoroughly discussed the priorities of the 7th Framework Programme, put forward by the Commission in its communication in June 2004. The issues debated include: transnational collaborative research, European technology initiatives, basic research, making Europe more attractive to researchers, developing European level research infrastructures, co-ordination of national research programmes, and security and space research.

The Council invited the Commission to develop, as part of its proposal for FP7, a mechanism by which a European Research Council could be set up. It would fund basic research on the basis of excellence in a wide range of sectors and disciplines.

In addition, the Council welcomed the development of a roadmap describing the scientific needs for research infrastructures for the next ten to 20 years. It also invited the Commission to develop a strategy on international scientific co-operation to ensure the openness of the framework programme to the rest of the world.

The Commission is expected to present its proposal for FP7 in April 2005. The Council stressed that the proposal needs to be coherent with the major European research policy objectives and user-friendly in terms of its administrative and financial procedures.

(Source: Euractiv)

Communication june 2004:

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2004/com2004_0353en01.pdf

COMMISSION, RESEARCH: Strong support for Commission's future R&D policy objectives

Analysis of the stakeholder consultation shows that Commission's plans for future science and research policy are on the right track.

The objective of 'Making Europe more attractive to the best researchers' clearly ranks as the highest with nearly 100 per cent of stakeholders considering this priority very important.

This is a striking result from the open consultation held on the Commission's 16 June 2004 communication on future European Union policy to support research which gathered reactions from over 1700 organisations and individuals.

Each of the five other priorities set out in the June Communication received an equally strong, broad support. However, space and security related research, the two additional, specific priorities identified in the Commission's communication, received substantially lower support from the stakeholders, who stressed that such research "must strike the right balance with fundamental liberties, human rights and social values".

One third of the responses was received from individuals and one fourth from academic world. Most of the answers were received from Germany (14,9 per cent), the UK, Italy, Belgium, France and Spain - new member states being clearly under represented in the overall statistics.

(Source: Euractiv)

RESEARCH, MOBILITY: New deal allows money to move with mobile researchers

Top research organisation from across Europe have struck an agreement to allow researchers moving to a new institute in another country during the course of an ongoing project to take the rest of their grant money along to enable them to continue their research.

a new deal concluded between 12 leading research bodies from ten European countries – Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland was sealed at a gathering of the European Union Research Organisation’s Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORC) during their last meeting.

By signing up to this ‘money follow researchers’ principle, partner research bodies agree to permit researchers to take along grant money when they move to take up a new position in another of the participating countries.

“The aim is to facilitate the mobility of researchers within the European Research Area (ERA), to preserve existing research opportunities, and to bridge the period until an application for funds in the new country has been successful,” the statement explained.

“Each organisation may decided when and to what extent a transfer is funding is appropriate,” the partners point out. “The possibility of transferring equipment and larger investments needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

This effort is designed to complement existing EU mobility initiatives. Under the Marie Curie umbrella, the Union already has numerous career and mobility initiatives in place to make the most of the European research pool and bolster the ERA. These include ERACAREERS (the Researcher’s Mobility Portal) and ERA-MORE (the European network of mobility centres), as well as the Marie Curie grants and fellowships.

(Source: Research Headlines on Europa)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_04_12_01_en.html

RESEARCH: EraSME project

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial economic and technological role as generators of innovation. Many successful technologies have been built from the ideas of individuals or small groups of people working in SMEs.

And most giant multinational companies have grown from much smaller enterprises with big ideas. Despite the central role SMEs play as the ‘seeds’ of innovation, life is often very difficult for these small players. Indeed, it may even become a battle for survival.

Frequently, the multitude of requirements to develop a new idea must be brought together through cooperation between different organisations. SMEs with great ideas often lack the equipment and ability to perform the necessary research to develop and test the ideas. On the other hand, research organisations such as universities have excellent resources and skills, but may lack the entrepreneurial drive and business knowledge found in SMEs. Most national governments recognise this situation and have established national and regional programmes to promote cooperation between SMEs and research organisations. What has been lacking until now, however, has been an integrated transnational approach. The EraSME project is designed to meet this challenge, and to act as a cross-border bridge linking the key programmes in this field.

Project description: http://www.era-sme.net/public

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/pdf/era-net_serie2_en.pdf (p.45 and 46)

(Source: RTD Info)

LISBON: Potocnik to strengthen knowledge dimension of Lisbon

Europe must develop a specific 'knowledge for growth pact' to reinforce the knowledge triangle: education, research and innovation, says Commissioner Potocnik.

Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik is calling for the development of a specific 'knowledge for growth pact' to complement the Stability and Growth Pact. Ensuring macro-economic stability and fiscal discipline is not enough to reach the objective of becoming the world's most competitive, knowledge-based society. Europe needs to encourage innovation at micro-economic level and to guarantee "relevant conditions and incentives" for private knowledge-related investment.

The 'knowledge for growth pact' would be organised around a limited number of quantitative objectives, which the EU and its member states would commit themselves to achieving within a specified timeframe. Actions taken should cut across policy areas (internal market, education, enterprise etc.) and make use of a mix of instruments (legislative action, funding and co-ordination).

Referring to the message of the Kok report on the review of the Lisbon agenda, Potocnik said that "the current delivery gap demands that we take new, decisive action if we are to get back on track". "Action must be taken immediately if we are to make up for lost time," he added. The next 'financial perspectives' may well see the EU budget for science and research doubled if the Commission's proposal is accepted.

The new pact will be discussed in the next Spring European council in March 2005.

(Source: Euractiv)

RESEARCH: Europe and India enter into strategic partnership

The EU and India recently concluded a ‘historic’ partnership agreement that will boost economic, political and scientific ties between the 25-member bloc and the world’s largest democracy.

The strategic partnership was sealed during the eighth EU-India summit which was held in the Hague (NL) last month. Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, signed on behalf of the Union, and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh represented India at a special ceremony in the Dutch administrative capital.

The Union already has comparable accords with the United States, Canada, China and Japan, and is negotiating a similar one with Russia.

Describing the EU and India as “poles of stability”, Balkenende added that: “There is a lot of instability in the region between us,” citing the Middle East, Iraq and the Balkans. “We want to develop our dialogue and co-operation with India in all of these areas.”

The pact paves the way for the Union and India to co-operate on a number of important political issues, including nuclear non-proliferation, promoting stability on the subcontinent – particularly in the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan – and United Nations reforms. “We recognise that our partnership has evolved over the years from economic and development co-operation to acquire higher political and strategic dimensions,” said a joint statement.

The two sides also signed an accord worth €43 million to extend European scholarships to 3 000 Indian masters degree students over the next three years – the largest EU programme of its kind.

Following the agreement, India indicated its desire to participate in the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system which is poised to rival the US Global Positioning System (GPS). China has already approved a €230-million participation commitment. India has still to negotiate its contribution with the Union.

The EU is one of India’s key trading partners. However, Union data shows that European investments in India represent only 0.2 percent of the EU's total foreign investments. India's economic potential in Europe is enormous, but is being held back by excessive bureaucracy, corporate inefficiency and poor public governance.

However, reforms have been set in motion and India is attracting increasing amounts of outsourced work from Europe and the USA. Many investors in Europe view India as a promising IT hub and a pool for highly trained scientific talent.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_04_12_09_en.html

EDUCATION, COMMISSION: EAC Staff working paper: New indicators on education and training

Reminding the main objectives and deadlines of the Lisbon agenda, the 24-pages paper, available on the web, stresses the importance of creating and making available new indicators on education and training in specific fields, such as Key competencies (particularly learning-to-learn); Investment efficiency; Information and; Communication Technology (ICT); Mobility; Adult education; Vocational education and training. Three other areas are considered of central importance to the Lisbon Srategy: Languages, professional development of teachers and trainers, social inclusion and active citizenship.

The paper presents a clear overview of proposed activities, among them the EuroData project, run by ACA and co-financed by the Commission.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/2010/doc/indicators_en.pdf

ACA EuroData project: http://www.aca-secretariat.be/02projects/Eurodata.htm

European fund to provide mobility boost

A conference on ‘Designing policies for mobile students’ organized by the Dutch Ministry of Education concluded that a European fund should be set up to help improve mobility amongst students in Europe.

The European education ministers met at the North Sea resort of Noordwijk to discuss the portability of student grants within Europe. The conference examined the benefits and the drawbacks of both the ‘home-based’ system and the ‘host-based’ system of supporting students who choose to study abroad. In the home-based system, which enjoys the support of all countries, the student’s home country is responsible for the student funding.

In the host-based system, the student’s destination country is responsible. The European Court of Justice seems to have a preference for the second system. The main advantage of this system is that the grant received by students would be in line with the cost of living in the host country. So a student going to France, for example, would receive more funding than a student going to study in Poland. The European education ministers are afraid, though, that a host-based system would be counter-productive for mobility. They argue that countries with generous funding arrangements would be more popular destinations than countries with more basic arrangements. The spiralling costs would eventually spell the end of such a system, ultimately resulting in a reduction in mobility. The proposed European fund would therefore have to be built on the principles of the home-based system, to support students who receive insufficient funding from their home country to study in the country of their choosing.

(Source: Nuffic website)

ECTS for sport

Under a Portuguese-backed plan explained at the Education Council on 15 November, students would earn credits from other EU universities towards their education. A resolution on volunteering was also adopted.

The Education Council has been briefed on a proposed strategy which will allow students to earn credits from taking part in sports activities in other member states.

The idea is for the International University Sport Federation FISU to co-ordinate the development of a system for accreditation and life long learning through university sport. It follows a declaration signed during the FISU forum in Lisbon in July 2004. The forum, on sport in higher education, was organised by FADU (the Academic Federation for University Sport) as part of the European Year of Education through Sport but did not receive any funding.

The diploma and credit point system is expected to be developed along the lines of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The system allows students to transfer credits between universities. ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the wokload of a full-time student during one academic year.

FISU's main role is to supervise university sports competition - both Summer and Winter Universidades plus the World University Championships. In 2002, FISU organised 24 World University Championships that attracted 4,228 participants from 83 countries. This year, FISU has scheduled 28 World University Championships and for 2006 already 20 championships are attributed.

During the Education, Youth and Culture Council, ministers for youth also adopted two resolutions on common objectives, one on voluntary activities and the other on better knowledge of youth.

(Source: Euractiv)

BOLOGNA: EU Commission supports Chemistry Eurobachelor Label Project

The Bologna process is gathering momentum, and more and more chemistry departments throughout Europe are setting up new Bachelor and Master programmes .

Important aims of the Bologna process are that degrees be comparable and compatible, so that their acceptance will be high (not only in Europe) and the new graduates will be able to make full use of the mobility promised them.

As part of the Bologna process, the European Chemistry Thematic Network (www.ectn.net) has devised the "Eurobachelor" framework for a first cycle degree; details can be found under www.eurobachelor.net. This framework is very open, so that institutions still retain their independence in devising degree programmes. The Bologna Seminar "Chemistry Studies in the European Higher Education Area" held in Dresden, Germany in June 2004 recommended the use of the framework.

International recognition of degrees is likely to be one of the greatest problems which the Bologna process needs to solve. As a step towards this, the ECTN Association invites institutions to apply for the "Eurobachelor Label" in chemistry. This label will document that the degree awarded by the institution is set up and delivered according to the Eurobachelor framework.

At the same time, the institution awarded the Label commits itself to treat graduates coming from other institutions with the Label just as if they are its own graduates.

The Eurobachelor Label project will be supported in 2004-2005 by the European Commission, so that the costs to the institution will be greatly reduced (costs for site visits and for some aspects of the administration of the Label will be borne by the Commission).

Details can be obtained from the chairman of the Label Committee, Prof. T. N. Mitchell (e-mail: mitchell@eurobachelor.net).

INFORMATION, EUROSTAT: More than 300 million data and publications are now accessible for free

Since 1 October 2004, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, has made all its data and publications available free of charge on the Internet. This important change enables Eurostat to fully play its role as a public service institution, by giving free access to economic and social information on the euro-zone, the EU and the 25 Member States. More than 300 million data, from many different domains, are now available online, varying from consumer prices, through poverty or environmental indicators, to detailed external trade data by product.

Initiated by the Commission in July 2003, this project was one of the largest projects ever undertaken by Eurostat, involving around 200 people and requiring extensive cooperation between all services.

The use of Eurostat’s site and data has already increased significantly. During November there were three times as many visitors to the website, over 400 000, than in earlier months this year. Furthermore, there has been a threefold increase in the number of extractions of data, to over 135 000.

According to the needs of the user, there are two ways to access the data through Eurostat’s site at http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat.

From the homepage, the “data” link takes general users to the “Key indicators on EU policy”. These are predefined tables, which include “short -term indicators”, “long-term indicators” and “structural indicators”. For specialist users, “database” contains more detailed data, which can be extracted online. There are links to the methodology, which follows the IMF’s common “Special Data Dissemination Standard

(SDDS)”. The database is updated daily.

Electronic versions of all Eurostat publications are also available free of charge online, and can be downloaded in PDF format.

To provide help and guidance to Internet users of European statistical data, a new user support facility has been in operation since 1 October 2004, with a central support function in Eurostat and, at the moment, 17 national support centres based in National Statistical Institutes. Contact details of all national and central support centres can be found through the “contact” link on every page of the Eurostat site.

Source: Eurostat press release: http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/1-13122004-AP/EN/1-13122004-AP-EN.PDF

http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,1137397&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

GOOGLE University Libraries online

Another Brief new concerning the availability of materials: As has been reported quite widely, Google has begun a massive digitization project with five libraries (Stanford University, University of Michigan, Harvard University, New York Public Library, Oxford's Bodleian Library).

The total covered by existing agreements is said to be 15 million. Each is estimated to cost $10 to scan. The Universities say the project will take five or six years.

BOLOGNA Brief news: Bologna growing up

Five European countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, have submitted applications for membership in the Bologna Process, complete with National reports, within the deadline 31 December 2004.

EP next Committee for Culture and Education: 17-18 January 2005

The next meeting of the EP Committee for Education and Culture of the European Parliament will take place in January 17th and 18th.

http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/cult_home.htm

3. Public Tenders and Calls for Proposals in the EU

ASIA-LINK PROGRAMME: 2005 CALL LAUNCHED

The contracting authority: European Commission (EuropeAid Co-operation Office)

Deadline: 10 February 2005 and 19 May 2005

Reference: EuropeAid/120571/C/G

Note: Calls for Proposal are no longer published in the Official Journal

Further information:

The Commission on December 6th in Brussels has held an information session about Asia Link calls for 2005. Bringing together representatives of Universities, consortiums of universities, this event was a good way to learn more about the Asia Link projects, and a good occasion for the interested people to ask for clarifications about how to apply. The Asia Link Webpage has been updated. The FAQ includes now some relevant questions raised during the meeting, and the good practice section has been completed.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/asia-link/apply_en.htm

Erasmus Mundus

The contracting authority: European Commission (Education and Culture)

Deadline: 31 March 2005

Addendum: http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/call/addendum_en.pdf (November 8):

Further information: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/call_en.html

4. Other Sources

GERMANY: Federal reform fails because of education

14 months after its has been launched, the special commission appointed to right the relationship between the federal and state governments has collapsed under the weight of the task, the biggest constitutional reform in German history.

The commission's work fell apart as a result of a dispute over education, a responsibility that traditionally belongs to the states and that has become a priority of the national government in the wake of poor scores by German students on international evaluation tests. But the failure also reflected the tangled relationship between the states and the national government that led to the commission's creation in the first place.

The basic problem focuses on the lines of authority laid down by the German constitution. Under this structure, two legislative bodies shape the country's laws: the national parliament, or the Bundestag, that is formed after nationwide elections, and the Bundesrat that is formed by the leaders of Germany's 16 states. The Bundesrat has a voice in 60 percent of the issues addressed by the parliament.

The Social Democrats and the Greens are in power in the capital of Berlin. But the Christian Democrats and their political allies control the Bundesrat. As a result of this division of power, the two sides needed roughly four years to create Germany's first immigration law. The aim of the commission's work was to end the Bundesrat's right of veto.

The commission launched its work in January with the aim of creating a good balance between federalism and necessary. But it took until May before the commission could reach any major concessions. The states agreed to cut the number of laws that require approval by the Bundesrat in half - from 60 percent to 30 percent. In exchange, they demanded more power over education.

In the months that followed, the states and national government could not mend this split. The states insisted that they should have final authority over such things as university admission standards and quality assurance.

Finally in mid-December, it seemed that an overall settlement was agreed. But these assurances fell apart by the end if December as a result of further disagreements over education.

(Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung www.faz.net)

UK’s New Education Minister

Following the resignation of David Blunkett and the consequent restructuring, the role of education minister has now been taken by Ruth Kelly.

At 36, the new education secretary is the youngest Cabinet minister by 10 years and has only been in Parliament since 1997.

Ruth was educated at Queen’s College, Oxford, and the LSE, where she gained an MSc in Economics. She worked on The Guardian as an economics writer in the early 90s before joining the Bank of England.

It is difficult to say what is to be expected from the new education minister. Whilst doing some research in order to find out the reactions over her appointment from the main British media, there appears to be a fair deal of skepticism over Ruth Kelly’s role as the new education minister.

The Times Education Correspondent, who attended the North of England Education Conference last week, where Ruth Kelly delivered her first speech, said that “the minister appeared to have done her homework well, and was word perfect in Labour education policy over the last seven years, but there was no sense of her striking out in her own direction”.

“This annual conference has been used by previous education secretaries as a platform for major announcements. But Ms Kelly did not launch any new policies or announce changes” writes BBC News.

The scientific world has expressed some concern over the new appointment, and fears that Mrs Kelly’s faith (Catholicism) is likely to clash with the government’s policy on stem cell research. Medical Research Council Professor Nancy Rothwell said Ms Kelly's views mattered as she was responsible for training future scientists: “You can't have a higher education policy that is at odds with the government's science policy”.

British law is open to the cloning of human embryos to create stem cells, master cells that can develop into all the body's tissue types.

This cloning activity is not permitted for reproductive purposes - only for research into new disease treatments. However, it is controversial because it involves the destruction of embryos.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk , www.timesonline.co.uk/

NETHERLANDS: ‘Bama’ reform in the Netherlands : a success?

The Netherlands has been one of the first European country to understand and accept the British and American model for higher education. Since 1998, Utrecht University College, and later Nyenrode University, have implemented a system which has been extended to the others with a general reform in 2002.

Through the ‘bachelor-masterstructuur’, called ‘Bama’ reform, the country appears to be one of the best examples of Europe for education. This was also the occasion to harmonize the system internally, and to link quality of education and funding.

Among the main changes, the creation of the national accreditation organisation, following the model of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in the US, or the Quality Agency for Higher Education in the UK.

The status of Universities and ‘Hogescholen’ become more similar too.

After two years, politics and enterprises satisfied of the results: the new system increases the quality of education, encourages mobility and improves the recognition of diplomas abroad. . The students argue that the costs increased for them.

Even if there are still some doubt about the quality of the reform itself, the authorities are decided to go further on, to make the students be more attractive for employers.

(Source: Le Monde)

US slips in Attracting the World's Best Students

American universities, which for half a century have attracted the world's best and brightest students with little effort, are suddenly facing intense competition as higher education undergoes rapid globalization.

The European Union, moving methodically to compete with American universities, is streamlining the continent's higher education system and offering American-style degree programs taught in English. Britain, Australia and New Zealand are aggressively recruiting foreign students, as are Asian centers like Taiwan and Hong Kong. And China, which has declared that transforming 100 universities into world-class research institutions is a national priority, is persuading top Chinese scholars to return home from American universities.(…)

Some of the American decline, experts agree, is due to post-Sept. 11 delays in processing student visas, which have discouraged thousands of students, not only from the Middle East but also from dozens of other nations, from enrolling in the United States. American educators and even some foreign ones say the visa difficulties are helping foreign schools increase their share of the market.

"International education is big business for all of the Anglophone countries, and the U.S. traditionally has dominated the market without having to try very hard," said Tim O'Brien, international development director at Nottingham Trent University in England. "Now Australia, the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand and Canada are competing for that dollar, and our lives have been made easier because of the difficulties that students are having getting into the U.S.(…)

During 2002, the most recent year for which comparable figures are available, some 586,000 foreign students were enrolled in United States universities, compared with about 270,000 in Britain, the world's second-largest higher education destination, and 227,000 in Germany, the third-largest. Foreign enrollments increased by 15 percent that year in Britain, and in Germany by 10 percent.

The countries exporting the most students were China, South Korea and India, but the annual global migration to overseas universities involves two million students from many countries traveling in many directions. That number is exploding - by some estimates it will quadruple by 2025 - as economic growth produces millions of new middle-class students across Asia. (…)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/21/national/21global.html

(Sources: NY Times; IIE Interactive)

5. Publications

IIE Publications available online

The new editions of IIE’s annual publications, as well as a new IIENetwork Membership Directory, are now available for pre-order on IIE's Online Bookstore:

NEW: IIENETWORK MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY 2005

For the first time in ten years, IIE will publish an annual IIENetwork Membership Directory. This directory serves as a vital global education resource to IIENetwork member institutions and others. This directory lists over 3,000 professionals at higher education institutions (study abroad directors, international student advisers, university presidents, and more) who are active participants in international educational exchange. The IIENetwork Membership Directory 2005 also serves as reference for planning international programs and includes a comprehensive overview of IIENetwork member services, and information about the fellowships, scholarships and hosting opportunities for students, scholars, educators and campuses that can be accessed through IIE (Networking, Information, Resources and More)

January 2005. $35 (IIENetwork Members) or $75 (Non-Members)

Open Doors Report 2004

The authoritative reference on international students and scholars in the United States and U.S. study abroad. 96 pages of data and graphics. January 2005. $42.95

IIEPassport: Academic Year Abroad 2005

Updated reference with over 3,100 updated listings -- the ultimate resource for academic year programs.

January 2005. $46.95

IIEPassport: Short-Term Study Abroad 2005

Updated reference on short term programs ranging from summer and January study to two week study tour and language immersion courses, with over 2,900 programs for students, teachers and adult learners.

January 2005. $46.95

Intensive English USA 2005

The first new edition in 5 years. The standard IEP resource featuring over 500 programs offered by accredited US higher education institutions and language schools. Includes complementary CD-Rom. January 2005. $59.95

www.iiebooks.org

The Affordability of Higher Education Institutions in US and Canada

The Educational Policy Institute released a report today that looks at the relative affordability of public university education in the United States and Canada. Prepared under contract to the Montreal-based Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the report compares all 50 US states and 10 Canadian provinces on postsecondary access, student financial aid, tuition and fee charges, and overall net cost of attendance for the years 1999-01.

December 1, 2004 (Washington, DC).

http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/Affordability.pdf

EUROPEAN ECONOMY: Investment in education: the implications for economic growth and public finances

Andrea Montanino, Bartosz Przywara and David Young (Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs)

(EUROPEAN ECONOMY. ECONOMIC PAPERS. No. 217. November 2004. European Commission. Brussels.53pp. Tab. Free.) KC-AI-04-217-EN-C; ISBN ISBN 92-894-8127-7; ISSN 1725-3187

This paper analyses the demographic and institutional influences underlying public spending on education, as well as the consequences for average educational attainment and economic growth.

The issues are topical given, on one hand, EU objectives for increased investment in human resources and, on the other, increasing concerns about the sustainability of public finances, particularly in view of ageing populations.

The paper presents methodologies for projecting educational attainment and public expenditure on education. Tentative numerical results suggest that the growth of average educational attainment is likely to slow slightly, compared to recent decades. Nevertheless, education is set to continue making a substantial contribution to economic growth in the EU as a whole, though the impact varies widely among Member States. As regards public expenditure, although demographic trends mean a reduction in the potential number of students, this is offset by two factors: increasing enrolment rates at upper-secondary and tertiary level (projected taking into consideration either past developments in enrolment or the expected future evolution of labour force); and increasing expenditure per student (projected on the basis of recent trends).

Thus, few savings – if any – are expected from reductions in expenditure on education due to changes in the demographic structure.

(Source: Europa)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/publications/economic_papers/2004/ecp217en.pdf

Council of Europe: All-European Study on Education for Democratic Citizenship Policies

The All-European Study gives a systematic description of Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) policies in the Council of Europe member states. Research was conducted in 2002 at national level, involving national EDC co-ordinators, practitioners and other stakeholders. In 2003 a group of experts produced five regional studies that were submitted for consultation to national authorities in member states with a final feedback given at the EDC Policy Seminar held in Strasbourg in September of the same year. The study contains recommendations and examples of good practice in EDC policy implementation. The recommendations could be particularly useful as providing ground for bridging the gap between policy and practice.

César Bîrzéa, David Kerr, Rolf Mikkelsen, Isak Froumin, Bruno Losito, Milan Pol, Mitja Sardoc

ISBN 92-871-5608-5, 130 pages, 13 Euros (20 $)

Council of Europe Publishing

Palais de l'Europe, 67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France

E-mail : publishing@coe.int

http://book.coe.int

Tel. : +33 (0)3 88 41 25 81

Fax : +33 (0)3 88 41 39 10

To place an order directly http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_page/admin/redirect.php?id=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=1844

6. Upcoming Conferences

January 13-14

Bologna Seminar "The Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area"

Copenhagen, Denmark

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Seminars/050113-14_Copenhagen.HTM

January 24

"Seminar on Higher Education: Short Cycle", organised by Eurashe

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Other_sem/050124_Amsterdam.HTM

January 27-28

Bologna-seminar: "The social dimension of higher education facing world-wide competition."

La Sorbonne, Paris, France

Organised by ESIB-The National Unions of Students in Europe- and the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research.

The Berlin Communiqué refers both to the social dimension of the European Higher Education Area and to the attractiveness and competitiveness of such an area based on the EU Lisbon strategy. This seminar will focus on these 2 guidelines of the Bologna Process and will try to evaluate potential links between them: can they possibly coexist, are they contradictory to each other or do they depend on one another?

The outcome of the seminar is expected to include recommendations to the ministerial meeting in Bergen in May regarding the social dimension within the European Higher Education Area.

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Seminars/050127-28_France/050127-28_Draft.pdf

January 27-29

"Governance and Education for Sustainable Development and European Integration"

Graz, Austria

http://www.see-educoop.net/graz%5Fconference2005/

February 3-5

Bologna-seminar: " Doctoral Programmes for the European Knowledge Society"

Salzburg, Austria

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Seminars/050203-05Salzburg/050203-05draft.pdf

February 14-16

Bologna Seminar "Cooperation between accreditation committees/agencies"

Warsaw, Poland

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Seminars/050214-16Warsaw.HTM

February 16-18

"Innovation, Education, Technology, and You"

3rd Annual Illinois Online Conference for Teaching and Learning

OC 2005 takes place in a LearningTimes Online Conference Community - an online environment in which groups of participants, both small and large, gather electronically to learn, collaborate and network.

http://www.ilonlineconf.org/

March 16-18

International Education Conference, a "Meeting of Minds"

HES Amsterdam School of Business

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

http://www.congrex.nl/hes/

March 17-18

Bologna Conference "Student Mobility in the European Higher Education Area 2010"

Bonn, Germany

http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/EN/Bol_sem/Other_sem/050317-18Bonn/050317-18_Bonn_Germany.pdf

March 31-April 2

3rd EUA Convention of European Higher Education Institutions “Strong Universities for Europe”

Glasgow, Hosted by the University of Strathclyde, the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University Supported by the Scottish Executive, the UK Department for Education and Skills and the European Commission

www.EUAconvention.org

April 28-30

"-from Bologna ... to Bergen ... and beyond ...", 29th EUCEN Conference

Bergen, Norway

http://www.eucen-conf29.uib.no/index.html

· May 09-10

Internationalisation at Home: A global perspective

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Info: Jacqueline Schuurmans, Nuffic (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education), tel. ++31(70)4260-231, i4@nuffic.nl.