Transcript No Slide Title

TEMPUS SCM Form N. C032B06
West Balkan Bologna Promoters Network
Bratislava, 22-23 February 2008
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
About Macedonia
About the University
Current situation in the HE in R. Macedonia
Bologna declaration
Education system
ECTS
ECTS key features
Tools of ECTS
Expected outcomes
ECTS Challenges
7 steps to credit transfer
International mobility
Conclusion - ECTS added value for students
ABOUT MACEDONIA
“There, where sun shines forever-there is Macedonia”,
says an old popular song. And Macedonia is exactly that – a
small country settled on the Balkan Peninsula.
Official name: Republic of
Macedonia
Total area: 25 713 sq km
Population: 2 000 000
(Macedonians, Albanians, Turks,
Serbs, Vlachs and others
Official Language: Macedonian –
written using Cyrillic alphabet
Capital City: Skopje
ABOUT the UNIVERSITY
St. Kliment Ohridski
University
Bul. 1. Maj bb
7000 Bitola
Tel.: +389(0)47 223788,
223 192
Fax: +389(0)47 223 594
Web page:
www.uklo.edu.mk
ABOUT the UNIVERSITY
 Was founded in 1979 with its seat in Bitola and
institutions located in Bitola, Ohrid, Prilep and
Skopje. It represents an association of 8 Higher
education institutions and 3 Research Institutes
 13000 students are enrolled in the education
process
 38 study programs, 26 post-graduate study
programs
 349 academic staff; 53 research staff,
CURRENT SITUATION
IN THE HE IN R. MACEDONIA
4 state universities
1 private university
Many private colleges and faculties sprouting
everyday
Europe and globalization knocked at our door,
and we have to face with the new challenges in the
education process of the 21 century.
BOLOGNA DECLARATION
 Bologna
Declaration signed by Macedonian
authorities in Berlin in September 2003
Objectives of the Bologna declaration accepted
- System of easily comparable degrees
- System based on three cycles
- Common system of credits
- Mobility
- Cooperation in quality assurance
- European dimension in Higher Education
(HE)
EDUCATION SYSTEM
3+2+3 (4+1+3)
Starting from 2003, new curricula have been prepared. A good
course description in Macedonian and in English (for few courses)
version has been prepared and credits allocated. The proposed
curriculum changes for increasing efficiency were:
- decreasing the number of semesters from 10 or 9 to 8 or 6
- all the courses last one semester
- decreasing the number of lectures and exercises/week(25)
- continuous engagement of students
- 60 credits per study year, total 240 (180) credits to
get a diploma
- 4 to 8 credits per course
- introducing optional subjects
- introducing more than one foreign languages
- no entrance exam
EUROPEAN CREDIT
TRANSFER SYSTEM
A process of implementation of ECTS has already started in the
framework of a Tempus project (UM_JEP-15058-2000), as a pilot
project at the Traffic and Transport engineering department at the
Faculty of Technical Sciences in Bitola.
To implement the ECTS Key features
Conceptually easy, Difficult in practice
- Change education paradigm from teaching to learning
centered
- Not only contact hours taken into account
ECTS is supposed to be extended to all high institutions in
Macedonia up to the end of 2010
ECTS KEY FEATURES
Credits express the volume of the students workquestionnaire among the students about the time
needed for individual learning for each subject
Credits are awarded when the course is successfully
assessed
Credits are always linked to a study program
A degree is only awarded after completion of the
minimum number of credits foreseen in the degree
program
All the tools of ECTS are used
TOOLS OF ECTS
The ECTS system is based on three core elements:
- information (on study programmes and student
achievements),
- mutual agreement (between the partner institutions and
the student) and
- use of ECTS credits (to indicate student workload).
These three core elements are being operationalized
through the use of three key documents: the information
package, (annex 1), the application form/learning agreement
and the transcript of records. (annex 2,3,4)
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
ECTS to be used in a coherent way in Europe:
 To allow for the diversity in European
education systems
 To build mutual understanding
 To create the European Education Space
ECTS - CHALLENGES
How well understood is the concept of the students
workload?
Have Institutions fully accepted the change in
education paradigm (Teacher centered
 student
centered)?
How well does our credit allocation stand when
subjected to quality assurance processes?
How well explained are our degrees (ECTS is a tool,
not a goal on itself)?
7 STEPS to CREDIT
TRANSFER
Institutional commitment
Credit allocation to course units
Information Package
Learning Agreement
Award of credits to students
Transcript of Records
Academic recognition
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
 University Center for International Mobility
 International programmes
- TEMPUS Program (28 projects realized)
- DAAD – Germany (mobility of students and staff)
- Fullbright Program (mobility of staff)
- Fund Institute “Open Society”
 Cooperation with more than 30 European and other
international Universities – bilateral agreements
- Universities from former Yugoslavia
- Universities from neighboring countries,
- Universities from EU,
- Other universities
 Membership in few international associations
CONCLUSION - ECTS ADDED
VALUE FOR STUDENTS
Broadens choice for study abroad
Facilitates access to regular programmes alongside local
students
Improves information on study abroad options and helps
to build up a programme of study (information package)
Provides certification of study abroad achievements
(transcript of records)
Guarantees academic recognition
(learning agreement, transcript of records)
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION