Internationalisation of European Higher Education:

1. Internationalisation of European Higher Education: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities under Erasmus+ Elizabeth Colucci European University Association

2. EUA: An Overview • Membership organisation of 850 universities and national rectors’ conferences in 47 countries • Mission • Position European universities in the centre of the European knowledge society • Strengthen the leadership and management of universities • Promote/support the internationalisation of universities within Europe and globally • Emphasis: European added value: Positioning European Universities in the European and Global policy debate • Privileged partner of DG research (MoU) and consultative member in the Bologna Process …2…

3. EUA Membership: Diverse landscape, diverse needs

4. University Quality Culture: Revising the ESG Global Rankings: An update MOOCs: updates Memberships survey on e-learning Trends 2015 University Funding Forum Energy Platform Smart Specialisation Arab-Euro Dialogue (AECHE) Activity update

5. EUA’s International Agenda: Objectives Policy dialogue on global trends Understand where different agenda’s are interlinked (research excellence, quality of education, access....) Support policy processes related to external affairs, development cooperation, etc. Provide information on development trends in other regions Respond to the interest in regional HE convergence processes Who is learning from the EHEA....Is it a reference for quality? Institutional support for internationalisation Support strategy development internationalisation in institutions

6. Evolving priorities for EUA….. EUA Autumn Conference, University of Giessen, Germany 8–10 October2009 EUA Annual ConferenceGhent University, Belgium11-12 April 2013 European Universities – Global Engagement Internationalisation beyond Europe’s frontiers: enhancing attractiveness through global Partnership and Cooperation

7. International cooperation beyond European borders • European universities always have…..So what is different? • Growth in global demand for HE • Growth in mobile students and international student market • Globalisation: Jobs have become increasingly international so training must become international • Interconnectivity and ICT – changing traditional modes for learning • A shift from scattered academic cooperation to more strategic institutional, national and regional approaches

8. EUA membership survey: Internationalisation (2013) • 56% have an international strategy and 13% are developing one (30% consider it in other strategies) • And these strategies have had an impact..... • Yet all would like additional support is revising, developing and implementing strategies • Focus should be on more comprehensive and systematic approaches (considering resource allocation, staff recruitment and development, support services....)

9. 2013 EUA membership consultation: :175 institutions – 38 countries

12. EUA supporting institutional strategies for internationalisation • Mapping University Mobility of Students and Staff - MAUNIMO (2010-2012) • Created an online mobility self-assessment tool for universities – questionnaire based • Based on pilot with 35 universities • Published policy recommendations on closing the gap between national/European mobility policies and targets and institutions practices • FRINDOC (2012-2014) • An international strategy development tool for doctoral education • Self-analysis, can also be used for benchmarking • Assessment around indicators in 3 categories (Resources, Governance and QA and International research environment)

13. ALISIOS project: Academic Links and Strategies for the Internationalisation of the HE Sector • EMA3 project – focus on aligning European HE cooperation with Brazil • Objectives: • Launch a systematic dialogue between European agencies managing the ‘Science without Borders’ programme, Brazilian associations and university partners (‘SwB Forum’) • Capitalise on the opportunites afforded by SwB – Generate partnerships between Brazilian and European Universities • Use EU-Brazil relations as a test case for European cooperation beyond Europe

14. An EU strategy for Internationalisation? Perception of universities • EU programmes have had a significant impact on European universities’ internationalisation • Primary expectations from an EU strategy: • 1) Additional funding for mobility and cooperation • 2) Strategy development support • 3) Impetus for drawing attention to the national policy discussion on internationalisation

15. EU Higher Education in World: EUA reactions • Nothing new...But timely (given launch of Erasmus +) • And almost over-due (EU programmes have had a global orientation for almost a decade) • Focus on providing students international skills and on European HE attractiveness • Positive: • Emphasis on institutional strategy development • Emphasis on reciprocity in mobility • Attention paid to e-learning and its role in internationalisation • Focus on strategic partnerships and capacity building • Focus on recognition tools • Focus on European higher education visibility • Focus on policy dialogue

16. Erasmus+: key features • 40% increase in EU funding for 2014-20 – higherthan in anyotherchapter of the EU budget – 14.5 billion* • 3 key actions: • Learning opportunities for individuals(63%) • Credit/degree mobility, joint masters, Masters Loan Scheme • Institutional cooperation between educational institutions, businesses, local and regional authorities and NGOs(25%) • Strategic partnerships and Knowledge Alliances • Capacity Building Partnerships • Support for policy reform • Integration of all existing international programmes

17. Consultation 2010: EUA recommendations • Put all currently fragmented EU programmes for HE under one umbrella (√) • Build programme around 1) mobility grants, 2) partnerships (√) • Improve Erasmus by: • Encouraging co-funding via structural funds in less-resourced countries (?) • Embedding mobility in partnerships (more widely than just EM) (√) • Opening it up to non-European students and destinations (√) • Flexibility in partnerships: curricula development, capacity building, joint-research.... (√ +/-)

18. Consultation 2010: EUA recommendations • Employ a range or funding levels and periods (that are fit-for-purpose) (?) • Open calls for policy dialogue, dissimination, promotion of results and enhancing project synergies (?) • Streamline application and admin procedures (√ +/-) • Flexible funding for diverse geographic and thematic areas (√ +/-)

19. 2012 Response to E4A proposal • Employability focus: Yes, provided that the intention is not to simply and only align higher education curricula with the needs of the industry…… • Strategic partnerships should be as flexible as possible (to different institutions and actors) (√ +/-) • Masters Loan Facility: An innovative idea, but ensure equity and avoid excessive student debt – more details needed (?) • Capacity building partnerships (YES – but don’t bind them to regions/ fit-for-purpose) (√ +/-) • Concerns regarding decentralisation of some actions and the loss of the European dimension (-)

20. Erasmus+ and Internationalisation • Programme underpins the EU Strategy ‘EU Higher Education in the World’ – developed in parallel • In design, a responsive and hopefully flexible mechanism to internationalise institutions • Mobility embedded in partnerships • Mobility in and out of Europe at all levels • Focus on quality and recognition (revision of Erasmus Charter, learning agreements go global, new and improved ECTS user’s Guide, etc) • Flexible (?) capacity building partnerships • Policy dialogue (KA3)

21. Erasmus+: What to question • Streamling rules and procedures versus simplification (maybe only the former) • Streamlined....but different funding mechanisms still need to be fed in (EDF, EDI, etc) when it comes to global cooperation • Programmes remains complex (large number of actions)- How to promote participation globally? • Mobility beyond Europe... Yes, but little • Budget increase: Yes, but rather more for mobility and less for projects = increased competition • Strategic partnerships: too few grants

22. General reflections • Overall, it is telling that education is one of the only sectors that has seen a budgetary increase • Erasmus+ is an opportunity to demostrate European leadership and innovation in higher education internationalisation • And to address the ambitious objectives of the modernisation agenda and EU2020, which, given current economic malaise, may seem idealistic and improbable • But the proof is in the pudding....(we have the recipe, and now we need to see what we can actually make with it)

23. Conclusions • Internationalisation of European HE is not an option • The question is how to do it strategically and coherently... • Erasmus+ will be an important tool • But not the only tool • Countries and institutions also need to define their own strategic means to internationalise and invest • Taking into account the fundamental question of what type of HEI we need • World class universities? Locally inclusive universities? • Transnational universities? Online universities?

24. For more information on the latest EUA activities and events visit: www.eua.be

25. Děkuji! • Elizabeth.colucci@eua.be