NOVA in an European Perspective

1
NOVA in an European Perspective
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The Bologna Process

• The Goal is
• European compatibility, transparency and
  comparability
• The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010

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..which means

• Students and staff shall be able to move freely
  within the EHEA, having full recognition of their
  qualifications.

4
The Nordic Space for Higher Education

• The Sigtuna Agreement 1975 preceeded the Lisbon
  convention whith several decades
• Recognition of qualifications concerning higher
  education in the Nordic Region
• A subspace of EAHE
• An element in the Pan-European Bologna Process?

5
The European process

• Lisbon 1997
• Sorbonne 1998
• Bologna 1999
• Prague 2001
• Berlin 2003
• Bergen 2005

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The Lisbon Recognition Convention

• Mutual recognition
• Each country shall recognise qualifications from
  other countries education systems in equivalent
  to similar qualifications from countrys own
  system

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The Sorbonne Declaration

• harmonisation of the architecture of the
  European Higher Education System

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Bologna Declaration

• Action lines
• Adoption of a system of easily readable and
  comparable degrees
• Adoption of a system essentially based on two
  main cycles
• Establishment of a system of credits
• Promotion of mobility for students and academic
  and administrative staff
• Promotion of European cooperation in quality
  assurance
• Promotion of the European dimension in higher
  education

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The Prague Communiqué

• Establish a common framework of reference and to
  disseminate best practises. The quality culture
  and the implementation of quality assurance need
  to be strengthened among members. The definition
  of quality indicators is an important element in
  that process
• Challenged
• European University Association (EUA)
• National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB)
• European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher
  Education (ENQUA)

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Prague Communiqué

• Action lines
• Lifelong learning
• Higher education institutions and students
• Promoting the attractiveness of the European
  Higher Education Area

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Berlin Communiqué

• Action line
• Doctoral studies and the synergy between The
  European Higher Education Area and The European
  Research Area.

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Bologna during the Berlin Bergen period

• Priority has been given to developing
• a three-cycle degree system in each participating
  country,
• national quality assurance systems cooperating in
  a Europe-wide network,
• mutual recognition between participating
  countries of degrees and study periods.

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Bergen Communiqué

• Degree system
• Adoption of a three-cycle degree system
• Adoption of generic descriptors for each cycle
  (based on learning outcomes (LO) and competences)
• Elaborate national frameworks for qualifications
  compatible with the overarching framework for
  qualifications in EHEA.

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Dublin descriptors, first cycle

• knowledge and understanding in a field of study
  that builds upon and their general secondary
  education
• can apply their knowledge and understanding
• gather and interpret relevant data
• can communicate information
• have developed those learning skills necessary to
  continue to undertake further study with a high
  degree of autonomy

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Dublin descriptors, second cycle

• knowledge and understanding founded upon and
  extends and enhances Bachelors level
• can apply their knowledge and understanding, and
  problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar
  environments
• ability to integrate knowledge and handle
  complexity, and formulate judgements
• can communicate their conclusions and rationale
  underpinning these, to specialist and
  non-specialist audiences clearly
• have the learning skill to continue to study
  largely self-directed or autonomous.

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Dublin descriptors, third cycle

• systematic understanding of a field and mastery
  of the skills and methods of research
• ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt
  a substantial process of research with scholarly
  integrity
• original research that extends the frontier of
  knowledge some of which merits national or
  international refereed publication
• capable of critical analysis, evaluation and
  synthesis of new and complex ideas
• communicate with their peers, the larger
  scholarly community and with society in general
• promote technological, social or cultural
  advancement in a knowledge based society

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Bergen Communiqué

• Quality assurance
• Adopt standards and guidelines for quality
  assurance in EHEA
• Recognition of degrees and study periods
• 36 of 45 countries ratified the Lisbon
  Recognition Convention
• Call upon national authorities to recognise Joint
  degrees
• Develop national action plans to improve the
  quality of the recoognition process.

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Bergen Communiqué

• Further challenges
• Higher education and research
• PhD level qualifications to be fully aligned with
  the EHEA overarching framework for qualifications
• Emphasis on interdisciplinary training and
  transferable skills, meeting the needs of a wider
  employment market.
• Mobility
• Mobility of students and staff a key objective
• Commitment to facilitate grants and loans to make
  intra EHEA mobility a reality
• Urge institutions and students to make full use
  of mobility programmes, advocationg full
  recognition of stud periods abroad within such
  programmes

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Bergen Communiqué

• Taking stock on progress for 2007 (London)
• Implementation of standards and guidelines for
  quality assurance
• Implementation of national frameworks for
  qualifications
• The awarding and recognition of joint degrees,
  including at the PhD level
• Creating opportunities for flexible learning
  paths in higher education, including procedures
  for the recognition of prior learning

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The new realities

• Students are prepared for an international/global
  labour market
• Mobile students aiming at faraway destinations
• Growing number of higher education providers
• increased competition
• Trends
• USA intends to increase study-abroad exchange
  agreements
• Europe intends to increase number of incoming
  non-degree students (e.g. through the Erasmus
  Mundus programme).

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Current status for nordic cooperation in higher
education

• Nordic higher education institutions are
  interested in Nordic cooperation, but are to
  varying degree paying attention to this dimension
  in their daily operations.
• The formal rationale for Nordic cooperation is
  built on political and cultural arguments.
• The Nordic area is not a homogeneous region.

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Challenges

• The Bologna Process offers opportunities and
  threats to the Nordic cooperation in higher
  education.
• While the Bologna Process removes barriers and
  intends to create a European Higher Education
  Area, some of the basic foundations for Nordic
  cooperation are now extended to the whole
  European region.
• This can make Nordic cooperation less relevant on
  one side
• On the other hand it opens up for strengthened
  Nordic cooperation within Europe.
• Given the Open Method of Coordination, an
  opportunity has emerged for profiling the Nordic
  cooperation in higher education as an exemplary
  (best practice) cooperation form in Europe.

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Higher education, a political tool..

• ..to strengthen Nordic identity?
• Geography (closeness)
• Culture (commonness)
• Politics (democratic tradition)
• Social issues (equality and welfare)

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NOVA in Europe

• A bloc strategy within EU
• Relevant if in front of EHEA
• A Best Practice institution in the implementation
  of the Lisbon Agenda through
• Work-sharing and recognition of PhD courses
• Mutual recognition of MSc courses
• Effective cooperation on teaching and teacher
  mobility
• Joint NOVA (Nordic) Study Programmes

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Does NOVA have a place in Europe?

• YES!
• .if we use it right