Higher Education and Research: Mission and Interaction

1. Higher Education and Research: Mission and Interaction David Crosier CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH WORK ON A MASTER PLAN FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN ALBANIA Tirana, March 22 - 23, 2006

2. European University Association (EUA): Mission and Interaction • EUA: main representative organisation of universities (c750) and their national Rectors’ Conferences (34) in 45 countries across Europe • Mission: to promote coherence in European higher education and research • Interaction: through • Policy development • Support to members (projects & services)

3. Increasing demands on higher education institutions - Increase participation & widen access but cut costs - be more competitive / be more socially inclusive - be more local, more regional, more European, more global - increase mobility within Europe / attract more students and scholars from outside Europe - improve academic quality / be more responsive to labour market providing graduates with more employable skills - provide compatible curricula across Europe / maintain cultural diversity & be more learner-centred - be more autonomous / conform to set framework - concentrate research / respond to regional needs - do it all with decreasing public funding...

4. Bologna and Lisbon • The Bologna Process: Governmental push for convergence in 1999 legislative reform and implementation in universities across Europe. EHEA by 2010. 45 countries • The Lisbon strategy: -> to make Europe the most competitive knowledge based society also by 2010: shared expertise, knowledge and resources with priority on research training, through FP7 - including ERC & now EIT. EU 25 countries • HEIs increasingly recognised as central actors if the Lisbon & EHEA goals are to be reached

5. A changing higher education landscape • Every institution cannot do everything • Need for re-thinking and refocusing HEI missions around societal needs and institutional strengths • Maintain commitment to research-based higher education, but... • Recognise and value excellence in all aspects of institutional missions – teaching, services to society, as well as research • How to do it?

6. Reforming higher education and research at the same time Step 1: Societal / stakeholder debate about higher education system: recognise the need for multiple institutional missions Step 2: Encourage institutions to differentiate their profile and missions: Some competitive output-based funding incentives can help Step 3: Rethink governance: To whom are higher education institutions accountable? How? What kind of governance structures best support institutions? Role of leadership & effective management…

7. Doctoral studies – at the crossroads of higher education and research • Berlin Communiqué: Doctoral Programmes as the third cycle • EUA Doctoral Programmes Project 2004-2005: aim to link its activities to policy debate and to feed into the preparation of recommendations for Bergen 2005 - Maastricht conference on research training - Salzburg Bologna Seminar and the Salzburg priniciples - Final project report • Bergen Communiqué: BFUG asked to invite EUA and its partners to prepare a report on the further development of the Salzburg principles, to be presented to Ministers in London 2007.

8. EUA Project on doctoral studies (2004/5) MAIN CONCLUSION: Need for stronger institutional involvement in organisation of doctoral programmes built on closer collaboration with partners (education and research, industry/ employers, students, governments)

9. Other cross-cutting issues • Mobility as a part of doctoral programmes and a recognised added value (important for career development) • European dimension in doctoral programmes – more joint programmes needed built on high quality standards and mutual trust • Funding – diversity of financial sources, new ways of collaboration with other partners (e.g. industry), employment contracts etc.

10. Some open questions • How to make doctoral education a part of institutional policies and strategies? • How to support new structures of doctoral programmes offering wider generic skills training or cross-disciplinary training linked to further career prospects in all sectors? • What should graduate (postgraduate) education cover? • What is the role and link with Masters in this context? • Supervision: how to persuade universities (and supervisors) about the importance of further training of supervisors or new models of supervision?

11. New EUA-BFUG Doctoral Programmes Project • Objective: to prepare the report and recommendations on doctoral programmes for the ministerial meeting in London 2007 • Activities: • 2 workshops focused on specific aspects of doctoral programmes (23-24 March and 12-13 October 2006) • WG on doctoral programmes at the conference « A Researchers’ Labour Market – a Pole of Attarction », Vienna, 1-2 June 2006 • Final Bologna Seminar, December 2006, France • Final report – beginning of 2007

12. Some issues to consider in addressing reform • Reform doesn’t begin at point zero: need to take account of current environment, socio-economic situation, culture etc • Much to learn from the experience of others: all countries/institutions are in a process of (permanent) reform and innovation, and there is no need for everyone to make the same mistakes... • Body of European experience to draw upon – through CoE/EUA/ESIB/EURASHE/ENQA etc • Some clear evidence in Europe: quality and effectiveness of reforms enhanced when institutions are empowered (effective autonomy), and when all who should be involved are properly consulted (cf Trends IV)