Transcript [Nome progetto] Relazione finale

PRO-EAST Workshop
Rome, 09-11.05.07
“Global Perspectives of Engineering
Education”
Claudio Borri, Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs
Outline of the Talk
1. Present Challenges: the difficulties Europe is facing, the
impact of the Reform of European Universities, major
actions
2. Bologna Process: keeping the track …
3. Future Challenges
4. Universities and the dialogue between civilizations
1. Present Challenges
The European Growth Strategies
1985: Single Market Programme (removing all barriers to
the free movements of goods, services, persons and
capital to stimulate change);
… but it failed to boost growth! (A. Sapir)
2000: Lisbon Agenda :
“to make Europe the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010”
More investment in knowledge
i. Higher spending for research & HE
ii. Better spending for research & HE
iii. … this requires reforms at both EU & member states
levels
The Future
• A more dynamic, competitive & single market
• More investment in knowledge and education
European Commission Policies: catalysts for change
• ERC
• EIT
A European Institute of Technology
Public consultation on the possible missions, objectives,
added-value and structure of an EIT (Nov. 2005)
“The search for knowledge has always been at the heart of the European
adventure. It has helped to define our identity and our values, and it is
the driving force behind our future competitiveness. In order to
reinforce our committment to knowledge as a key to growth, the
Commission proposes the creation of a “European Institute of
Technology” to act as a pole of attraction for the very best minds,
ideas and companies from around the world. The Commission will
actively explore with the member states and public and private
stakeholders on how best to take this idea foreword”
Source: Commission mid term review of the Lisbon Process (COM (2005)24)
2. Bologna Process
(i.e. the Bologna Declaration
and European Engineering Education)
The Bologna Declaration
an (unexpected) agreement of the national
Education Ministers deciding a general
common policy in the field of HE around
2010, in order to achieve a
“European Higher Education Area”
The steps of the process … (1)
• May 25°, 1998: the start with the Sorbonne Declaration (4
countries)
•
and then, June 19, 1999 the Bologna Declaration signed by 31
Ministers of Education (31 countries) at the «ALMA MATER
UNIVERSITATUM » (est. A.D. 1088)
• March 2001, the Salamanca Conference
representatives of European Universities
participation
of
•
May 2001, the 1st follow-up Ministers’ Meeting in Prague.
Convergence of the various HE national systems by 2010 towards a
“European Higher Education Area“
•
new Ministers’ Conferences in Berlin (2003): Albania, SerbiaMontenegro, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, The City of Vatican
State, FYROM and the Russian Federation joined the Bologna
process and signed the declaration
The steps of the process … (2)
• Bergen (2005): joining of Armenia, Azerbejan,
Georgia, Moldowa, Ucraine, so that presently the
« EHEA » counts as many as 45 countries
• .... and forthcoming: London (2007)
The great challenge …
« We must in particular look at the objective of increasing
the international competitiveness of the European
system of higher education. The vitality and efficiency of
any civilisation can be measured by the appeal that its
culture has for other countries. We need to ensure that
European higher education system acquires a world-wide
degree of attraction equal to our extra-ordinary cultural
and scientific traditions. »
Signed by 31 European Education Ministers
Bologna, June 19th , 1999
The “European Higher Education Area”
• Keywords: “Mobility”, “transparency”,
“compatibility” and “comparability”
• Words like “harmonisation” and “convergence”
are not used in the declaration itself but they
appear in background documents.
• A special emphasis is put on the international
competitiveness of European higher education.
The Bologna Declaration
First goal:
… as simple as “the adoption of a system of easily
readable and comparable degrees, also through
the implementation of the Diploma Supplement,
in order to promote European citizens’
employability and the international
competitiveness of the European higher
education system”
The Bologna Declaration (cont’d)
Additional goals:
• Establishment of the system of credits – such as
ECTS system – as a proper means of promoting
the most widespread student mobility.
• Credits could also be acquired in non-higher
education contexts, including lifelong learning,
provided they are recognised by the receiving
Universities.
The Bologna Declaration (cont’d)
• Promotion of European co-operation in quality
assurance with a view to develop comparable
criteria and methodologies
• Promotion of the necessary European
dimension in higher education, particularly with
regards to curricular development for interinstitutional cooperation, mobility schemes and
integrated programmes of study, training and
research
The Crucial Point
• Adoption of a system essentially based on two
main cycles, undergraduate and graduate.
• Access to the second cycle shall require successful
completion of first cycle studies, lasting at least three
years.
• The degree awarded after the first cycle shall be
“relevant to the labour market”
• The second cycle should lead to the master (and to the
3rd cycle: doctoral degree)
Central Question
How shall we best educate engineers for a career marked by
•
globalisation
•
international competition
•
life-long learning
•
new demands
•
changing roles for engineers,
………..
???
3. Challenges for the Future
Introduction
The EHEA in Engineering & Technology: what’s special ?
- Implementation of Bologna agreement: very discussed
- Quality issues & accreditation: burning issue (quite advanced)
The ERA:
- Natural sciences & engineering is highly internationalised
(since decades)
- European reserch funding in E&T: the FPs, ESF/COST,
EURAB, and in the future: EIT ???)
- Attractiveness: how « attractive » is Europe to non-European
young researchers ?
Introduction (2)
The European associations dealing with HEE & R:
- SEFI
- CESAEER
in the future: IFEES ?
- IGIP
The European Federation of National Associations of
professional engineers:
- FEANI (CLAIU)
The students:
- BEST (Board of European Students in S & T)
Other stake holders of HE in E & T:
- EC, DG EaC; Industrial associations,
What is SEFI?
European Society for Engineering Education
Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs
Europäische Gesellschaft für Ingenieurausbildung
Founded in 1973
SEFI is nothing but its members
• About 400 (250 institutions, assocıatıons, individuals)
• in 38 countries
... and the contributions from its members
SEFI’s mission
To support and promote European
Engineering Education
• by linking Engineering Education institutions and
educators,
• by providing services to its members,
• by serving as an international forum and,
• by representing the European Engineering Education
Community
Objectives
• to contribute to the development and to the improvement of EE;
• to provide appropriate services and information about EEE;
• to improve communication and exchanges between teachers,
researchers and students;
• to promote cooperation between industry and those engaged in EE;
• to act as a link between its members and other societies or
international organisations;
• to promote the European Dimension in EE;
• to contribute to the recruitment of good students in EE;
• to promote the position of EE and engineering professionals in
society.
4. Universities and the Dialogue
Between Civilizations
The Role of Universities
The role that Universities may play in the dialogue
between civilisations at first:
“it is one of the mutual understanding between
nations, and in favour of the preservation of an
asset, without which nothing really makes sense:
peace”
(F. Seabra Santos
Ways in which dialogue may be achieved:
1. Through scientific and education co-operation
2. Through the horizontal and international cooperation allowed by the universities’ network
3. Through the participation of universities in the
community to which they belong and which is
represented in the spelling of the word “univer
[s] [c] ity, written with both an “s” for sapience
and a “c” for citizenship.
… and again: the role of Universities
What may Universities do, to help nations and individuals
socialise, whilst respecting their differences?
“UNIVERSALISM OF VALUES WITHIN
THE DIVERSITY OF CULTURES”
(J. Daniel, Ed. of L’ Express Magazine)
Universities should work towards the materialisation of that
model and use their specific means of mediation …
I thank you warmly for
the kind attention !
Prof. Claudio Borri
SEFI President
119, rue de Stassart
B-1050 Brussels
Tel.: (+32) 2 502 36 09
Fax: (+32) 2 502 96 11
[email protected]
www.sefi.be