|
|
|
|
 |
ACA
Newsletter n° 34 Academic Cooperation Association Rue d'Egmontstraat 15, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium CONTENTS
1. News from the ACA Secretariat and ACA MembersACA meeting in a “New York state of mind” For the first time in the history of the Academic Cooperation Association, the ACA business meetings took place out of Europe: On 24 and 25 November, representatives of most ACA members and staff members of the ACA secretariat travelled over the Atlantic to take part in the ACA Administrative Council and General Assembly. The meetings were hosted by the Institute of International Education in New York. Following the ACA tradition, the business meetings were preceded by a one-day seminar, this time on the theme “Issues and Challenges in Global Academic Mobility”. For the seminar, ACA members were joined by representatives from the United States’ leading foundations active in the higher education sector, as for instance the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation and the Open Society Institute. IIE presented its “Atlas of Global Student mobility”. Key challenges to international education and mobility were addressed from the perspective of the different world regions, such as Asia, Latin America or Europe. Topics like intra-regional mobility within the ASEAN countries, brain drain and brain gain, highly skilled mobility and the need to review migration legislation were tackled. In the afternoon, different scholarship programmes were presented and discussed, as for instance the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowships Programme.
Swedish Institute: working group with higher education institutions on
joint marketing strategy
DAAD and HRK support setting up of central agency to deal with the admission of foreign students On the initiative of DAAD and the Association of Universities and other Higher Education Institutions in Germany (HRK), Germany's higher education institutions have founded a work and services centre for international study applications - ASSIST (Arbeits- und Servicestelle für internationale Studienbewerbungen). ASSIST will initially receive start-up funding via the DAAD from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), although it is intended that the organisation will be able to fund itself as from 2004 from fees paid by foreign applicants; ASSIST's team of three managers will shortly begin their work in Berlin. Foreigners interested in studying in Germany will now submit their applications either via the chosen university or directly to ASSIST. Once it receives the application, ASSIST first checks whether the formal admissions requirements have been met and that the supporting documents are trustworthy. This new office is intended to relieve the overburdened university admissions offices of the routine work of verifying foreign educational certificates, to prevent improper use of papers and procedures, and to release capacities for the quality-oriented selection of foreign students. Sources: DAAD; http://www.hrk.de/
2. European PolicyWestern Balkan countries might soon participate in Community programmes The European Commission proposed on 3 December to begin preparations for participation by Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro) in Community programmes and agencies from as early as 2005. The Community has some experience with the opening up Community programmes to associated European countries, having done so for instance with the accession countries, most of which had taken part in Socrates and Leonardo from 1997 onwards. The aim of the move is to familiarise the countries concerned and their people with the policies and working methods of the EU, thus anchoring them more firmly to the EU and encouraging them on the path to European integration. The Commission proposes a gradual and selective approach, because to get the most out of participation in Community programmes the Western Balkan countries must take into account their own needs and priorities. This implies also that a number of pre-conditions may be attached to participation in certain programmes, such as the appropriate administrative capacity (e.g. the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes are managed through the national agencies and certain preparatory measures have to be taken before these bodies can be set up. Access to the programmes is subject to checks on the institutional capacity for enforcing the programme rules and ensuring sound financial management). The proposals are set out in a Communication from the Commission intended to turn the resolutions made at the Thessaloniki European Council of June 2003 into action. The “Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans: moving towards European integration”, approved by the European Council on 20 June 2003, sent a political signal to the Western Balkan countries by inviting them to participate in Community programmes and agencies in line with the principles laid down for participation by the candidate countries for membership of the EU. It outlined a number of principles for implementing the decision to open up programmes and agencies to Western Balkan participation. The Commission was given the task of drafting specific proposals based on the experience gained from working with the candidate countries for membership. http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/see/news/ip03_1653.htm
More European education on the web The Directorate General for Education and Culture has included a web page on "Education & Training 2010" on the European Commission’s server “Europa”. The web site provides information on the contribution of education and training to the Lisbon strategy. At the European Council in Lisbon in March 2000, the heads of States and Government had stated that “the Union must become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”. To ensure their contribution to the Lisbon strategy, Ministers of Education adopted in 2001 a report on the future objectives of education and training systems to be achieved by 2010. A year later, the Education Council and the Commission endorsed a 10-year work programme to be implemented through the open method of coordination. The webpage informs on the progress made with regard to the mentioned objectives and work programme. There are links to the different working groups and their reports, as well as background documents, information on the key objectives, on Lifelong Learning, the Copenhagen Process and the Bologna Process. The information is currently only available in English. http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/2010/et_2010_en.html
EurActiv.com, one of the biggest private sector internet portals on EU affairs, has opened a new policy section on the EU's Education Policy. The new education section focuses on the developing role of the EU policies in the field of education, vocational training and youth. Major issues, such as the Bologna process, lifelong learning, e-learning, the Bruges process, the future of the European programmes and the White Paper on Youth, are explained. This section is supported by Commission DG Education & Culture. It is available at www.euractiv.com/en/education.
Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Education & Culture, stated: "The Commission's aim is to encourage real debates with the stakeholders about European cooperation in education and vocational training. Directorate-General for Education and Culture is therefore happy to support the opening of the education section of EurActiv." Michel Rocard, Parliament Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, said: "I welcome the opening of an Education section on EurActiv. Indeed, this topic, which affects every citizen, should be given a high priority on the European agenda, in particular for the parliamentary elections in 2004". New statistics draw a bleak picture of Europe’s progress towards a knowledge-based economy European Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin has presented two new publications on Europe's position in research and innovation. The "Key figures 2003-2004 for science, technology and innovation", and the "Brain drain study - Emigration flows for qualified scientists" both highlight an overall deterioration of Europe's scientific and technological performance. The first publication is the fourth edition of the EU ‘Key Figures on Science, Technology and Innovation’ report, which, for the first time, provides comprehensive data for the acceding and candidate countries. The second one is an in-depth study on the mobility of human resources in science and technology within Europe’s borders and beyond, entitled ‘The Brain Drain - Emigration Flows for Qualified Scientists’. The overall picture is bleak: The Lisbon objectives - e.g. increasing EU spending on R&D from 1,9 to 3% by 2010 - are far from being met. Progress is slow and in some areas Europe is even losing ground: The growth rate of investment in the knowledge-based economy is declining, the R&D investment gap between the EU-15 and the US is increasing in favour of the US and 'brain drain' is on the rise. The statistics show that Europe is even losing its leadership with regard to the number of scientific publications published – according to the Commissioner a “logical outcome of under-investment in basic research”. Growth in overall performance declined in almost every Member State between 2000 and 2001, although to a lesser degree than for investment. The current economic downturn is creating more divergence within the EU, and the R&D investment gap between the EU and the US has continued to grow in favour of the US. Around 80 per cent of the gap is the result of different levels of business R&D expenditure in Europe and the US. However, private R&D investment is not decreasing in the EU: it increased by 50 per cent between 1995 and 2001. But in the US, expenditure rose by 130 per cent over the same period. Also, the ‘brain drain’ of people born in Europe is increasing. Seventy one percent of EU-15-born US doctorate recipients who graduated between 1991 and 2000 had no specific plans to return to the EU-15, and more and more are choosing to stay in the US. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2003/pr2511en.html
Council adopts Erasmus Mundus and eLearning programmes and reaches political agreement on promoting "bodies active at European level" EU Education, Youth and Culture Ministers unanimously agreed on November 24 to set up the Erasmus Mundus programme with a budget of Euro 230 million. The programme will run for five years, from January 2004 to December 2008 and will aim to open up Europe's universities to students throughout the world. The Education Council adopted the amendments made by the European Parliament at its second reading on October 21 (see ACA Newsletter N° 33), not least to raise the programme's budget. For further information on Erasmus Mundus, see http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html. Furthermore, the Council adopted without further discussion the Decision to set up an eLearning programme for 2004-2006. Ministers agreed unanimously to adopt Parliament’s second-reading amendment, raising the budget for the programme to Euro 44 million from the 36 million originally proposed by the Commission. Ministers felt it was very important to push this legislation through, in view of the increased integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education systems. The programme will initially run for three years and will principally aim to set up virtual campuses, by integrating ‘learning on-line’ technologies in university teaching methods. It will also promote electronic twinning between universities, and training for teachers. The funding will be granted following calls for proposals. Finally, the Council reached a unanimous political agreement on promoting bodies active at European level and supporting specific measures in the field of education and training. The agreement was reached on the basis of a Presidency compromise which entails a change mainly in the duration of the programme -which is reduced to three years (2004-2006) instead of five (2004-2008)- and the budget, which is cut from Euro 129.620 to Euro 77 million. European Report Daily, 25 + 27/11/2003 for further information see:
Asia Link and Asia Urbs: more opportunities for higher education institutions The Asia-Link Programme, the European Commission’s initiative to promote regional and multilateral networking between higher education institutions in EU Member States and South Asia, South-East Asia and China, is doing well: Due to the past success of Asia Link, the European Commission has allocated an additional EUR 7 million to the programme, meaning that a total of EUR 15 million will be available for the co-financing of up to 54 projects under the third Call for Proposals (2004). Furthermore, two calls for proposals will soon be published: a third call for proposals for partnership projects (human resource development, curriculum development and institutional and systems development) is due to be launched over the coming weeks, with deadlines for the receipt of project proposals in April and September 2004. A call for proposals for information studies and support and capacity-building actions is also due to be launched in December 2003. The Asia Urbs Programme, designed by the European Commission to improve the mutual awareness and understanding between the European Union and Asia, currently co-funds urban development projects managed by EU-Asian local government partnerships. However, it is foreseen that non-local government organisations will be eligible for grant support in 2004, at which point higher education institutions and training institutions could provide training to local governments in various fields. For further information see: 3. Public Tenders and Calls for Proposals in the EUThe aim of the study is to provide insight into the current situation, reforms, trends and best practice as regards vocational education and training systems in Europe (EUR25, EEA3), and to compare findings with the performance of our main competitors world wide. In order to prepare the follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration on enhanced cooperation in vocational educational and training (VET), the study will assess where VET systems stand on meeting the Lisbon and Barcelona goals, i.e. that the EU should become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world" and a "world reference for quality" by 2010. It will highlight more radical policy approaches being introduced in some countries, raise questions and provoke debate on the most appropriate and urgent strategic policy implications. A wide range of experts, including academics and practitioners, should be actively involved in contributing to the study. The contracting
authority: European Commission, DG Education and Culture
In a perspective of Lifelong Learning, this call for proposals concerns the organisation of events (seminars and conferences) in the following fields:
The contracting
authority: European Commission, DG Education and Culture 4. Other SourcesFrance pledges to minimise the effect of brain drain on developing countries France has announced that it is to give official support to the development of 'scientific diasporas' - self-organised communities of expatriate scientists and engineers - so as to curtail the impact of brain drain on developing countries. The move comes in response to a report by the Research Institute for Development (IRD), which recommended that government backing could establish scientific diasporas as 'partners in development'. The recommendations are based on an analysis of existing scientific diasporas and their potential for growth. African countries traditionally close to France, particularly Senegal, Mali and Benin, are likely to be the first to benefit from the French government's support. The principle behind diasporas is that scientists can contribute to scientific capacity in their home countries without having to return there permanently. The formation of such communities has been facilitated by the Internet, which has improved networking. Scientific diasporas are growing in popularity in the US, particularly among immigrant Chinese and Indian scientists. The communities have built up strong links with institutions in their home country. It is recognised, however, that this may not be as easy for African researchers, as many African countries do not have a solid scientific infrastructure and as the creation of scientific diasporas is also less successful if backing from the home country government is not forthcoming. Spain: New research plan improves research job prospects 3 000 new posts for scientists and researchers – this is the promising message of the new four-year national research scheme for Spain. Also in terms of the overall budget the National Research and Development Plan (NRDP) that was approved last month will significantly boost the nation's science spending for the period 2004-2007. The move brings the state closer to the average in other EU Member States, but still short of the Barcelona target. Under the new Plan, Spain would increase its R&D spending from the current under 1% of the GDP to 1.7% by the end of 2007. Following the Barcelona timetable, this gives Spain three years to reach the ambitious target set by EU leaders in 2002 calling for Member States to increase average research investment to 3% of gross national income by 2010. To achieve this goal, the government has said it will increase spending in the first two years of the Plan to €9.6 billion, up from €4 billion in 2003. A major part of the NRDP will be a scheme aimed at generating some 3 000 new posts for scientists at public research centres. According to sources at Spain’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the aim is to reach a level of five scientists per 1 000 workers, closer to EU averages. Spain has also set its sights on improving scientific careers with the emphasis on attracting researchers back from laboratories abroad and to fight the brain drain particularly to the US. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_03_12_01_en.html EIB Loans for Finnish Regional Education The European Investment Bank has signed a loan for an amount of EUR 20 million to improve education facilities in Turku (Finland). The project involves the building, upgrading and refurbishment of comprehensive, upper secondary and vocational schools throughout the city of Turku. The project, with its human capital and education focus, is fully compatible with the EIB’s support for the EU’s Lisbon Strategy that aims at developing the Union in a leading area for research and innovation. The EIB loan improves the access of the city to education facilities, which is an essential tool to provide a foundation of basic skills to enable individuals to play a full role in civil society. Appropriate investment in equipment, including that relating to information technology, will provide a basis for continuing, lifelong learning, one of the priority areas of the Lisbon Strategy and EIB’s Innovation 2010 programme. http://www.eib.org/news/press/press.asp?Press=2715
Numbers of Czech researchers stagnating According to a recent government report, Czech scientific development is stagnating, hindered by an ageing research population, lack of funding and poor career prospects. The Czech deputy prime minister responsible for science, research and human resources Peter Mares said progress had practically ground to a halt over the past four years. Last year, the Czechs spent 1.3 per cent of gross domestic product on research and development, compared with the European Union average of 1.93 per cent. As a proportion of the workforce, the number of scientists is almost half that of the EU average, at 2.9 per 1,000. In the US, more than nine out of every thousand workers was engaged in research. Most Czech teams are headed by scientists aged between 56 and 60, and the report found that just five projects were run by men or women under 25. "The evidence shows that our research base is growing older, with the numbers at the most productive age for research far fewer than in other countries," Marek Blazek, one of the report's authors, said. He added that low salaries and poor public perception of a career in research were to blame for the lack of younger recruits.
UK Government welcomes Business-University collaboration review Increased collaboration between business and university research departments will bring significant economic benefits to the UK, according to an independent report published by the Government on 4 December. But concerted action by business, universities, and government will be required in order to grasp the opportunities for the UK economy. The Lambert Review, commissioned by HM Treasury, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Trade and Industry in November 2002, makes a series of recommendations aimed at smoothing out the path between Britain’s strong science base and the business community. They include:
Richard Lambert, who is a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, concludes that the biggest single challenge lies in boosting the demand for research from business, rather in increasing the supply of ideas and services from universities. However, he suggests that there are reasons for hoping that business investment in research will strengthen in the future, and the Review cites examples of a wide range of companies that have profited from working alongside academic researchers.
Sweden on the way to
Bologna structures As of January 1, 2003, Swedish HEIs are required to provide students with a diploma supplement. HEIs are free to use different types of grading systems but the review proposes that the ECTS grading system be defined as the standard. A credit system has long been in use in Sweden, and Swedish credits are easily translated into ECTS credits (1 Swedish credit = 1.5 ECTS credits). Source: Swedish Institute 5. PublicationsFocus on the Structure of Higher Education in Europe (2003/04). National Trends in the Bologna Process, Eurydice, 2003, 92 pp. ISBN 2-87116-361-8. Available in English, German and French. Prepared to coincide with the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Higher Education, which was held in Berlin in September 2003, this publication examines trends in the structure of higher education that have stemmed from the Bologna Process, with a view to establishing a European Higher Education Area by 2010. The publication offers a comparative overview of progress in achieving the main aims of the Process, namely the structuring of courses into 2 cycles, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the issue of a Diploma Supplement, and measures to support quality evaluation and lifelong learning. This is followed by descriptions of the current situation in 29 countries, each consisting of a survey of reforms undertaken as part of the Bologna Process and a diagram illustrating the various paths through the main fields of study in 2003/04. Each diagram indicates whether or not there is selection at the point of entry to courses, the length of individual cycles, the qualifications obtained and the names of the types of institution offering those courses. Terms used in the diagram are in the language of the country concerned. Disability in Higher Education, OECD 2003, 120 pp., print paperback, ISBN 9264105050 Access to institutions of higher education is as important for disabled people as it is for non-disabled students, since it can offer them the same opportunities for employment, social inclusion and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, inclusive practices in schools also encourage the need for greater access in higher education. Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are now attending universities and there is growing interest in knowing more about how they can be given full access to a high quality academic provision and social life. This book offers a detailed account of practices in Canada (Ontario), France and the United Kingdom, and provides additional information on the situation in Germany and Switzerland. The report also shows that although a great deal of progress has been made, there is still a long way to go before universities will be able to respond fully to the needs of disabled students. Education Policy Analysis -- 2003 Edition, OECD 2003, 116 pp., print paperback, ISBN 9264104550, available in English and French Responding to questions raised by civil society on education effectiveness, this 2003 edition reviews the policy options adopted by various countries and the economic growth of nations. Education quality improvement is a key policy objective in OECD countries with major reforms underway worldwide to meet growing demands for lifelong learning opportunities. Education Policy Analysis provides an opportunity to reflect on and learn from this rich international experience with state-of-the-art reviews of policy issues, international developments, and, for the first time, major education policy changes in OECD countries. Besides a succinct overview of the latest international thinking and findings on major policy challenges and initiatives, new chapters focus on cutting-edge issues like strategies for sustainable investment in lifelong learning.
Thirteen years of cooperation and reforms in vocational education and training in the acceding and candidate countries, ETF 2003, 192 pp., download at http://www.etf.eu.int/ This recent publication of the European Training Foundation looks at thirteen years of cooperation and reforms in vocational education and training in the acceding and candidate countries, providing a synthesis of a series of country monographs on lifelong learning and employment services systems. A cross-country synthesis, prepared by Jean-Raymond Masson, that draws a global picture of the analyses made in the country reports, and also enables a comparison with respective developments in EU countries, particularly the so called cohesion countries of Greece, Portugal and Spain. It provides insights into the relationships between employment and unemployment and education and training policies.
6. Upcoming ConferencesJanuary 3-6 January 8-9 January 8-10 January 22- February 2 January 26-28 February 1-5
February 2-6
February 6
February 6-7 February 18-19 February 20-22 February 27-28
March 01-06
March 04-06
March 17-20
April 01-03 2004
Internet: www.aca-secretariat.be, Phone +32 2 513 2241, Fax +32 2 513 1776 Questions and replies to info@aca-secretariat.be
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, please send a message to
|
|
|