Transcript Internationalization

Internationalization
- Student exchange
John Fürstenbach
Chair, HUMANE Round Table
Royal College of Music in Stockolm
Contribution to the
Arbeitsgruppe Fortbildung and HUMANE
seminar
The Bologna Process as a Challenge for University
management and Administration
Bonn July 7 - 8 2006
Sweden
• Area: 450,000 km, third largest country in
Western Europe
– Forests: 53%,
Mountains: 11%
cultivated land: 8% Lakes and rivers: 9%
– Longest north-south distance: 1,574 km
Longest east-west distance: 499 km
• 9 million inhabitants
• Average temperatures
– Stockholm: January -2.8 C°; July + 17.2 C°
• Daylight, sun above horizon
– Stockholm: December 6 hours; June 18 hours
Higher Education
• HE sector of “high and equal quality”
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14 Universities
6 HEI:s that confer PhD.s
20 HEI:s offering Bachelors and Masters
About 20 independent course providers
• Central Agency
– Swedish National Agency for Higher Education
• Sector services provided by
– National Agency for Services to Universities and University
Colleges
• Private institutions…..
Present system
• Degrees
≥ 3 year Bachelor
≥ 4 year Master (Magister)
+ 4 year Ph D
• Points
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1 point a week
Academic year 40 weeks ( 2 x 20 weeks semesters)
Autumn semester: end of August - mid January
Spring semester: mid January - early June
• Grades
– Most courses rated fail, pass, pass with distinction
Bologna related problems
• Basic Rumour:
– Sweden signed in the belief that it didn’t have to change anything?
• ECTS grades
– A - G? - we don’t believe in those
• Quality Assurance
– what for - Sweden is best
• What is advanced level in the 2nd cycle?
– if it means depth in subject area - what is a subject?
• Bachelor 180 pts, Master 120 pts
– Exactly! - not minimum?
• Learning outcomes
– conceptually OK - but they derive a lot of work
Organisation of
1st and 2nd circle studies
• Courses
– The student combines courses to meet degree
requirements
• Programmes
– A “package” of courses
EHEA
European Higher Education Area
• Harmonization
– Three cycles
– ECTS (European Credit Transfer System,
an Erasmus feature, existing before the EHEA)
• point system (60 per academic year)
(this implies modularization?)
• ECTS grades (pass: A - F, fail G and H. A - F are relative, the
difference between F and G is absolute!)
• Accreditation
– Quality assurance through non-HEI agencies
(and HEI is just another TLA!)
Bologna alignment
effective from fall semester 2007
• New system
= 3 year Bachelor
+ either 1 year “Magister” or 2 year Master
+ 4 year Ph D
• ECTS points
– 60p academic year to be used (present system x 1.5)
• ECTS grades
– Used on HEI:s own discretion
• Quality assurance
– by the National Agency for Higher Education
• What for?
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Student mobility
European identity?
Increased cultural and linguistic skills?
International employability?
Increased scholarly qualities?
• A possibility within the EHEA
– Bologna - city in Northern Italy, European university 1088?
• Within a cycle
– Exchange programmes
– Free movers
– Acceptance of credits (ECTS)
• Between cycles
– An Americanization in the Bologna process
– Acceptance of degrees -> accreditation of institutions
Within cycle
Exchange programmes
• National
– Often non EU, but possibly EHEA
• EU
– Socrates
– Leonardo
• General components
– Travel subsidies/grants
– Special administration
– (Supposedly) acceptance of credits earned
Within cycle:
Acknowledgement of credits
• Based on ECTS
• In exchange programmes
– (Formally) agreed upon by institutions
• Free movers
– A full cycle study often requires language skills
– Course/semester students
• Can more often find English/German/French courses
• Accept bigger risks
• Risks that are reduced in the convergence process
Activities in support of
student exchange
• Extra grants
– Mobility programmes!
– National grants
• Rules for acknowledgement of credits
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Clear
Accepted
Adhered to
Agreed in mobility programmes
• Tuition in foreign languages?
– Teachers fluent in French, or German, or Swedish?
– Pertinent literature known to teachers? Available?
Between cycles
Change of HEIs
• Opportunities
– 3 cycles, 2 crossroads
– Higher degree of specialization (quality) in next cycle
• Prerequisites
– Accreditation
– Subject identity
– Regular admission processes for 2nd and 3rd cycles
• Threats
– What happens when, by numerus clausus, ”my”
students are forced away?
– Cultural difficulties
Facilitation of mobility
• Housing
– Responsibility or possibility?
• Priority to dormatories
• Institution rents flats?
• Support
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Students (“step parents”)
Faculty (“mentors”)
Administration (“international student offices”)
Language courses
• Curricula
– Adherence to Bologna process goals and rules
– Courses or even programmes taught in……… ?English?