Higher Education as a Generator of Strategic Competencies Kick-off meeting: Maastricht, November 12-13, 2007

1. Higher Education as a Generator of Strategic CompetenciesKick-off meeting: Maastricht, November 12-13, 2007 ANALYSIS OF THE EUROPEAN, NATIONAL AND UNIVERSITIES STRATEGIES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CURRICULUM KĘSTUTIS PUKELIS The Center for Quality of Studies at Vytautas Magnus University, KAUNAS, LITHUANIA

2. European strategy and HEGESCO project SORBONA DECLARATION (1998), BOLOGNA MAGNA CHARTA UNIVERSITATUM (1988), BOLOGNA DECLARATION (1999) Constructing the European area of higher educationtill 2010 via: • Common framework of readable and comparable degrees; • Two-cycle degree system in all countries; • ECTS-compatible credit systems; • European dimension in quality assurance; • Students and staff mobility;

3. European strategy and HEGESCO project LISBON STRATEGY (2000): • Knowledge society based on knowledge economytill 2010(not only); • Knowledge society achieved investing in human resource development via education and training(not only); • Economic growth decoupled from the use of natural resources(not only). • Development ofEuropean Research Area(ERA, 2000).

4. European strategy and HEGESCO project BERGEN COMUNIQUE (2005) • Learning outcomes (LO) and competencies (Com) as overarching framework for qualifications(HE produces qualifications, labour market – LM - uses qualifications); • Quality Assurance for achieving stated learning outcomes (HE) and competencies (LM); • Recognition of Qualifications and study periods; • Expanding life long learning service;

5. European strategy and HEGESCO project BERGEN COMUNIQUE (2005) • Expanding research (HEGESCO); • Teaching Quality; • Equally accessible HE; • Students and academic staff mobility (as “communicating vessel” for equalising LO and Com in EU and enhancing Quality of Studies in EU also);

6. European strategy and HEGESCO project EUA Glasgow Declaration (2005) Strong Universities for a Strong Europe • Mission of strong and creative universities – creation, preservation, evaluation, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge; • Strong academic and social values; • Inter-institutional cooperation among universities and with world of work; • Commitment to wide participation and lifelong learning; • Promotion of quality and excellence in teaching and learning, research and innovations;

7. European strategy and HEGESCO project EUA Glasgow Declaration (2005) Strong Universities for a Strong Europe • Contributing to social, cultural and economic well-being of regional, national, European and global level; • Knowledge society via HE – Research and Teaching/Learning; • Governments rather as supervisors than regulators; • Investments in education, innovation and research; • Learning outcomes based curriculum based on dialogue with stakeholders; • Student cantered innovative teaching and learning methods;

8. European strategy and HEGESCO project EUA Glasgow Declaration (2005) Strong Universities for a Strong Europe • Recognition of prior learning, study periods and qualifications; • Restructuring public sector career path accordingly first cycle qualifications; • Involving students in LO formulating and quality assurance procedures; • “Fitness for purpose approach” in quality management.

9. European strategy and HEGESCO project EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK(2007) On 24 October 2007, the European Parliament voted in favour of adopting the Recommendation on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF). • supports a better match between the needs of the labour market (for knowledge, skills and competencies) and education and training provisions; • facilitates the validation of non-formal and informal learning; • facilitates the transfer and use of qualifications across different countries and education and training systems.

10. European strategy and HEGESCO project EQFBridge Knowledge Economy Based on Graduates Competencies European Higher Education Area based on learning outcomes curriculum Demand Supply HEGESCO Competencies needed Learning outcomes

11. Main European issues for HE curriculum organization • Permanent re- evaluation of learning outcomes based on changing labour market needs and world wide progress; • Redesigning of HE curriculum referring to learning outcomes methodology; • Implementing innovative (student-centred) teaching/learning methods; • Clear students achievement assessment criteria derived from learning outcomes; • Quality culture development on individual, subject-matter, study programme, subdivision and institutional level;

12. Training of high qualified specialists “Null curriculum” (Input) Secondary school “Black box” Higher education institution Qualified specialist (Main Output) Labor market (competencies) What happens here?

13. What we need to get from analyses of national and Universities strategies in organizing curriculum? • Link of national and universities strategies of organization of HE curriculum with European HE curriculum dimension? • Peculiarities of national and universities HE curriculum organization to compare with European? • Main problems (weakness and threats) in organization of national HE and universities curriculum on the level of: • Law regulating HE • (autonomy, accountability, QA procedures, financing, state of art of NQF); • Research (staff qualification, funding, participation in project activities, equipment, laboratories, others);

14. What we need to get from analyses of national and Universities strategies in organizing curriculum? • Learning outcomes (existence of study programme committees, composition of study programme committees, functions of stakeholders in the work of study programmes, formulation of learning outcomes and etc.) • teaching/learning (use of learning outcomes, main parameters of curriculum, logical sequence of designing of curriculum, student-centred teaching/learning methods, learning outcomes based assessment criteria of students achievement; library resources, use of internet and intranet, ect.); • subject matter (critical alignment of learning outcomes and its relation with study programme learning outcomes, assessment of student achievements);

15. Linking of analyses findings with Reflex questionnaires (expanding? Compressing? Amending?) • Conditions for professional development of faculty (staff); • Regulations and system of students enrolment; • Cooperation with stakeholders; • Internal quality assurance systems; • students and staff mobility(agreements, ECTS implementation and etc.); • Questions? • Suggestions? • Discussions?