Recent developements in Higher Education in France : towards new opportunities to collaborate

1. Recent developements in Higher Education in France : towards new opportunities to collaborate • Patricia Pol • Vice President Université Paris-Est • Bologna expert Helsinki, May 13th 2008

2. Outline of the presentation • The French context : facts and figures • II. The French reforms • an answer to the European and international context of competition • III. The French reforms • a new framework to give opportunities for cooperation policies Helsinki, May 13th 2008

3. I.The French context • Facts and figures Helsinki, May 13th 2008

4. Stabilisation of the student population since 2002 • 2,25 M students in 2006 ( 1,1M in 1980- 1,7 in 1990, 2,1 in 2000) • 12% foreign student (8% in 1998) • Moderate growth of the enrollment rates in HE but willingness to increase it • - after the « baccalauréat » at 18 : 59% (success rate of the bac : 70% in 2006) • 41% (18-25 years) graduated from HE • 35% (25-35 years) / 50% in Canada, 40% US • 15% (55-65 years) / 15% Canada, 30% US Helsinki, May 13th 2008

5. Low public investment in HE and research • (lower than in the secondary sector, under the European and OECD average) • - Public budget for HE: 15,8 billions euros Harvard : 12 billions dollars… • - The average public expenditure /student/year in a Public university : 7210 euros , in the best « engineering schools » Polytechnique : > 20 000 euros Helsinki, May 13th 2008

6. A great diversity of institutions • Mass and research Universities (86) : 67 % students • No selection at the entry (except for medical and technological studies-IUT), low fees (200 -300 euros), high failure rates for the BA level (30%) • 4 institutions in the top 100 Shanghaï ranking, 22 in the top 500 • Prepa classes and Grandes écoles : « élite schools » (< 10%) • High technicial schools : (BTS) 13% • Specialised schools : art, medico-social… 10% • Selection, different levels of fees Helsinki, May 13th 2008

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8. A significant investment in international policies • Mobility • France is the third or fourth country for incoming mobile students after the United States, the UK and Germany : 13% of foreign students in the universities but only 20% of Europeans • A significant national grant policy (100 M euros - BGF (bourses du gouvernement français)) • Second and balanced Erasmus country, a very good position in Eramus Mundus or in the 7th FP Helsinki, May 13th 2008

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10. Trends V, EUA, May 2007 Trends V, EUA, 2007 Helsinki, May 13th 2008

11. The difficult definition and implementation of international policies • Compulsory in the « contracts » with the Ministry : from a « volet international » to an integration in the whole policiy • But an unbalanced investment in the international process Helsinki, May 13th 2008

12. II. The French reformsAn answer to the European and international context of competition Helsinki, May 13th 2008

13. A very strong incentive : the Bologna process Helsinki, May 13th 2008

14. 2007 London 2004 Maastricht 2005 Bergen 2002 Copenhague 2003 Berlin 2001 Pragua 1999 Bologna 2006 The research law Creation of the PRES 2002 L M D Loi de modernisation sociale, CNCP 2007 "LRU" act 1998 La Sorbonne The main steps till 2010 2009Leuven 2005 Europass 2000 Lisbonne Helsinki, May 13th 2008 L M D

15. Autonomy is a long process…many reforms since 40 years • The 1968 act (loi Faure) • Universities become « autonomous » Scientific and Cultural Public Insitutions • The 1984 act (loi Savary) • Scientific, Cultural and Profesional Public Insitutions with more autonomy • The LMD reform (2002) : more academic autonomy • The research law (2006) : new facilities to create consortia (pôles) connecting HE and research • (PRES, RTRA, RTRS), a new evaluation agency (AERES) L M D Helsinki, May 13th 2008

16. The Pecresse act : LRU (August 2007) « Freedom and responsabilities » for universities : A significative reform for the universities : towards more market Helsinki, May 13th 2008

17. Still a high commitment in strong values • Equity « égalité des chances » • No selection at the entry of the university for the BA and the master level • Low fees (including for international students) • National degrees • Democratic decision processes Helsinki, May 13th 2008

18. More freedom • With the Ministry : more decentralisation • The increasing role of the « contract policy » • Within the internal decision process • Still democratic (election of the president, the deans, a more restricted administration board) • But more power for the Presidents • In terms of management • Human resource, financial management Helsinki, May 13th 2008

19. New responsabilities, more accountability • Two new missions • Participate in the European Higher Education and Research area • Student guidance and employability • « Orientation active et insertion professionnelle » • Collect more private resources • Through private foundations for instance, private contracts • Manage the public funds through a global budget  Necessity to define a strategic plan, develop a quality culture and assess the results Helsinki, May 13th 2008

20. III. The French reforms • New opportunities to cooperate at a national, European and international level Helsinki, May 13th 2008

21. The « PRES » : new forms of cooperation at a national level • Pôles de recherche et d’enseignement supérieur • Universities + écoles together to be more lisible and more attractive by coordinating their academic and scientific policies • A strong involment of the Regions • From 9…. to 15 in 2008 • Université européenne de Bretagne, Université de Lyon, de Bordeaux, de Marseille, Nancy, Toulouse, Universud, Paris-Tech, Paris-Est Helsinki, May 13th 2008

22. The second phase of the LMD reform : be more European or international ? • More European • - Aiming at a good use of the academic recognition tools to increase the lisibility of the curricula • ECTS, student workload, learning outcomes and competences, • Diploma supplement and the professional qualification document (RNCP, Répertoire national des certifications professionnelles) Helsinki, May 13th 2008

23. Developing new curricula • In English (see the Campus France catalogue) to attract more Finnish…! • Specific funds for Joint masters (Germany, Italy, Tcheque Republic? Greece…), co-tutelle thesis, European doctorate schools • Invited professors Helsinki, May 13th 2008

24. Investing more in the participation in the European programmes through the PRES and with the Regions • Life long learning and Erasmus • 7 th Framework programme • Europaid (Alfa, Tempus, Edulink…) •  By offering better services to answer the tenders and manage the contracts Helsinki, May 13th 2008

25. But still more international • - By promoting the Euro- LMD reform abroad (North and west Africa) • By exporting more programmes outside Europe « délocalisation » • By attracting more students from the emerging countries •  But a strong willingness to attract more European at Master and doctorate levels… Helsinki, May 13th 2008

26. Conclusion • The European Higher Education area is a reality : the Bologna process remains very original in the world • Within this context, the French system has moved a lot to become more competitive and more global • But the tradition of cooperation in research as well as in training programmes should be a competitive advantage and European networks become an even stronger challenge than ever… Helsinki, May 13th 2008