Internationalization - Student exchange

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Internationalization - Student exchange

• John FürstenbachChair, HUMANE Round TableRoyal
  College of Music in Stockolm
• Contribution to the Arbeitsgruppe Fortbildung
  and HUMANE seminar
• The Bologna Process as a Challenge for
  University management and AdministrationBonn
  July 7 - 8 2006

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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

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Higher Education

• HE sector of high and equal quality
• 14 Universities
• 6 HEIs that confer PhD.s
• 20 HEIs 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..

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Present system

• Degrees
• 3 year Bachelor
• 4 year Master (Magister)
• 4 year Ph D
• Points
• 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

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Bologna related problems

• Basic Rumour
• Sweden signed in the belief that it didnt have
  to change anything?
• ECTS grades
• A - G? - we dont 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

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Organisation of 1st and 2nd circle studies

• Courses
• The student combines courses to meet degree
  requirements
• Programmes
• A package of courses

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EHEAEuropean 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!)

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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 HEIs own discretion
• Quality assurance
• by the National Agency for Higher Education

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Student mobility

• What for?
• 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 -gt accreditation of
  institutions

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Within cycleExchange programmes

• National
• Often non EU, but possibly EHEA
• EU
• Socrates
• Leonardo
• General components
• Travel subsidies/grants
• Special administration
• (Supposedly) acceptance of credits earned

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Within cycleAcknowledgement 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

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Activities in support of student exchange

• Extra grants
• Mobility programmes!
• National grants
• Rules for acknowledgement of credits
• 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?

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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

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Facilitation of mobility

• Housing
• Responsibility or possibility?
• Priority to dormatories
• Institution rents flats?
• Support
• 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?

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