Higher Education Strategy Stakeholder Event

1. Higher Education StrategyStakeholder Event 21 October 2009

2. Andrew HamiltonDeputy SecretaryDepartment for Employment and Learning

3. Sir Reg EmpeyMinisterDepartment for Employment and Learning

4. Sir Graeme DaviesHigher Education Strategy ChairmanDepartment for Employment and Learning

5. Bill McGinnis NI Adviser on Employment and Skills

6. Tom BolandChief Executive,Higher Education Authority, Ireland

7. Higher Education Strategy ReviewTerms of Reference Role and Environment Consider and articulate the role of higher education in the modern knowledge society. Describe and analyse the current environment including: • student numbers, funding, funding models, organisational arrangements and the roles of the different public and private entities involved; • existing policy objectives; • external factors likely to influence change in the sector; • the international environment in which the Irish higher education system operates.

8. Higher Education Strategy ReviewTerms of Reference Vision and Objectives Develop a vision and related set of national policy objectives for Irish higher education existing policy objectives • for the next 20 years and • more focussed targets for the sector for the next five years.

9. Higher Education Strategy ReviewTerms of Reference Structures and Resourcing • Identify the optimal operational framework of the higher education system including the number and roles of institutions; • Recommend any changes required in the system of oversight and accountability; • Determine the level of resources required to achieve the stated objectives (having particular regard to the difficult budgetary and economic climate that is in prospect in the medium term).

10. Higher Education Strategy ReviewConsultation General Call for Submissions Focus Groups • Academics • Students • 2nd level education • Institutional leaders • Business Consultation Paper as a basis for a stakeholder forum

11. Laurence HowellsSenior Director of Teaching, Research and Knowledge ExchangeScottish Funding Council

12. Scottish Government Purpose A more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth

13. Government economic strategy – challenges

14. Priority Sectors • Creative Industries (including digital content and technologies) • Energy (with a particular focus on renewables) • Financial and Business Services • Food and Drink (including agriculture & fisheries) • Life Sciences (including biotechnology and translational medicine) • Tourism

16. Research ‘pooling’ • Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) • ScotChem • WestChem • EastChem • Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics • Glasgow Research Partnership in Engineering (GRPE) • Northern Research Partnership in Engineering • Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES) • Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE) • Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA) • Scottish Imaging Network:  A Platform for Scientific Excellence • Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA)

17. Summary • Sustainable economic growth • Priorities: skills for life and work; research excellence; knowledge transfer • New funding approaches • Demographics – key driver of change • Regional agenda – college and university systems • Sectors – priority sectors and public sector

18. Dr Bahram BekhradniaDirector, Higher Education Policy Institute

19. Peter McAllisterDepartment for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills,Welsh Assembly

20. Higher Education in Wales-Strategy and Policy Developments Peter McAllister-Head of Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Policy Welsh Assembly Government 21 October 2009

21. The new strategy for Higher Education in Wales • Ministerial Statement to the National Assembly for Wales Plenary Session 23 June 2009 • new vision for Higher Education in Wales • Key theme: • an integrated higher education community delivering tangible benefits for the country’s economy, workforce and communities • Two principle benchmarks: • a buoyant and sustainable economy; and • social justice and learning for all.

22. The new strategy for Higher Education in Wales • Ministerial Statement (continued) • ‘demonstrable strengths of higher education in Wales’ such as: • high student satisfaction ratings; • widened access by students from non-traditional backgrounds; • good performance in creating spin-outs and in patenting technologies and • ‘…moved a long way from being the preserve of the few, towards a source of opportunity for many…’ • Future: • ‘must be the engine of prosperity through generating and exploiting knowledge and through the development of higher level skills’ • partnership ‘…promote closer collaboration…increase choice..’ • research capacity and focus

23. The new strategy for Higher Education in Wales-Context • The Jones Review-April 2009-key themes • access to higher education, raising aspiration for learning and seamless pathways; • addressing part time need; • research, knowledge transfer and partnership; • employability, the employer and higher skills needs; • student experience; • cultural and civic impact of higher education; • the question of critical mass and the benefits to be gained from closer working and integration between providers; • International role; • alignment of purpose: government, HE community and stakeholders

24. The new strategy for Higher Education in Wales-Context • strategy by end of year; • stakeholder engagement, involvement and participation; • Challenges: • defining the need-demographics, learners, communities and employers; • Meeting the need by building on strengths-collaboration, close engagement with learners, communities and employers; • focusing on ‘future need’

25. Fergus DevittDirector of Higher Education DivisionDEL

26. Plenary Session

27. Conference close