European University Association B y Nureddin Kırkavak & Mohammad Mesgarpour

1. European University AssociationBy Nureddin Kırkavak & Mohammad Mesgarpour Department of Industrial Engineering

2. Did you think … • What’s your plan for the future? • Are you going to find a job after undergraduate program? • Are you going to continue your educational life as a graduate student? • Are you going to find a European university for graduate program? • How other universities and private or public sectors will accredit your diploma? • How can you spend one semester of your study in a European university? • …

3. What is EUA? • European University Association (EUA ) is the main voice of the higher education community in Europe trying to bring all European universities together with common objectives. • Aim: • Strengthen institutional autonomy • Support institutional change • Contribute to development and improvement of the universities • Reinforce institutional development by disseminating good practice

4. What is the status of EMU in the EUA? • EMU is the full individual member of EUA with full power and capacity to open Ph.D. programs and award doctorates. • EMU has a full access to all • Membership services • Workshops and conferences • Participation in special projects • Evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the participating universities • Voting right in the General Assembly of EUA

5. What is Bologna Process? • The purpose of the Bologna Process (BP) is to create the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by harmonizing academic degreestandards and quality assurance standards throughout Europe. • Its objectives are to achieve : • Transparency between higher education systems • Recognition of degrees • Academic qualification • Mobility and exchange between institutions • The Bologna Declaration focuses on “qualifications” and not on content or academic degrees.

6. Why should EMU implement the Bologna Process? • Mobility of graduates around the whole European Higher EducationArea is only possible if recognition of degrees earned is ensured . So, European Diploma Supplement and usage of a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS or compatible) are seen as the main tools for transparency. • Establishing joint programs and offering degrees by institutions from different countries is one of the Bologna Process goals.

7. How can the Bologna Process be implemented? • EUA implements following activities to ensure European Universities are fully involved at each step of BP • Undertaking surveys and reports on completion of BP. • Further defining Doctoral program as the third cycle (First two Cycles are Batchelor and Master). • Providing Institutional Evaluation and the quality culture project in order to provide constant quality improvement. • Managing a joint masters project, in which master level at universities are supported. • Promoting a European Qualification Framework and monitoring the European Credit Transfer Systems (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement. • Supporting inclusion of universities from South East Europe and from new members into the EHEA.

8. What is the Institutional Evaluation? 1. Self-Evaluation 2. EUA Team Evaluation 1. Self-Evaluation • Description and analysis of the position of the university • Analysis of the extend to which the institution’s mission and goals are met. • This allows the university to set in motion a positive process for change. It is an ongoing process at EMU.

9. What is the Institutional Evaluation? (cont.) Strategic Questions in self-evaluation: • (Institutional Norm and Values) What is the University trying to do? (mission; aims; objective and their appropriateness; how the university positions itself locally, nationally, internationally) • How is the university trying to do it? (processes; procedures; practices in place and analysis of their effectiveness) • (Quality Monitoring and Control) How does the university know it works? (feedback systems in place, in particular quality monitoring and quality management ) • (Strategic Management and Capacity for Change) How does the university change in order to improve? (strategic planning; capacity and willingness to change )

10. What is the Institutional Evaluation? (cont.) 2. EUA Team Evaluation by the team of four EUA experts (current or former rectors and vice-rectors and one secretary) • They will use self-evaluation report as the basis for two site visits: 1st : December 2006 2nd : May-July 2007 • The team will examine the following items based on mutual learning: • EMU’s specific situation, goal and issues in order to recommend actions to achieve them. • EMU as a whole and its strategic management which is central to developing dynamic institutions. • Capacity of change. • How does the university know that the system is working.

11. Conclusion • If EMU is able to develop its capacities to the European standards level, its degrees academic achievements and strategic management will be recognized on European and world level. • It will benefit from inclusion and exchange at academic level. DON’T FORGET THAT EMU is the largest university in Cyprus with full academic capacities and infrastructure and it deserve to be recognized as a university with European standard level in the world

12. Question and Answer Period