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International Association of Universities |
E-Bulletin
IAU: For a worldwide higher education community
Sharing information on IAU activities and higher education in the world
Vol. 5, No.5, June 2008
13th General Conference of IAU
 Higher Education and
Research Addressing Local and Global Needs15-18 July, 2008, Utrecht University, the Netherlands Last month to register and attend the Opening Dialogue between prominent higher education representatives and UNESCO; OECD and the World Bank; three Plenaries on such important topics as Higher Education and Society; Higher Education and Innovation and Higher Education and Institutional Reforms; a special forum on the topical issue of rankings and classifications; and the workshops of your choice in themes as diverse as Higher Education and Sustainable Development; Public-Private Partnerships; Global Student Mobility or the Future of Research in Higher Education. IAU gratefully acknowledges financial and in-kind support from Utrecht University, the Dutch Ministry of Education, The Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC), the City of Utrecht, the Province of Utrecht, Palgrave MacMillan Ltd, the KF Hein Foundation, SAREC of the Swedish International Development Agency. |
Other IAU activities
Publications
World Higher Education Database – CD-ROM
2008The revamped and updated edition of the WHED covers some 17,000 higher education institutions in 183 countries. It is accessible through an easy-to-use interface, user-friendly search facilities in a large variety of fields, and is the most efficient way to find information about higher education worldwide.
In the WHED, you will find: A description of the education system and credentials of 183 countries; Information and admission criteria for national and overseas students; Quality assurance and recognition systems; Contact details for national bodies; Detailed information (location and description, type of institution, officers, academic divisions, degrees, student services, etc) on some 13,000 HEIs offering at least a post-graduate degree or a four year professional diploma; and Information on some 4,000 other-level HEIs offering at least a diploma in 3 years.
http://www.unesco.org/iau/directories/index.html
HEP Vol 21/2 June 2008This edition of HEP looks at Higher Education in the 21st Century –Diversity of Missions and is a collection of papers from the conference organised in Dublin in June 2007 by IAU, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), the OECD Programme for Institutional Management of Higher Education (IMHE), the Irish University Association (IUA) and Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA). The papers analyse the role of policy; the limits of diversity; and measurement and evaluation of diversity.
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/hep/journal/v21/n2/index.html
Leadership Development for Higher Education Reform – LEADHER Programme
IAU Members
in good standing may submit proposals in the framework of the LEADHER Programme
which offers opportunities to senior HEI managers to learn from each
other.The deadline for the 2008 Competition is September 30.
IAU Representation
IAU attended
the ADEA Biennale in Maputo, Mozambique, from 5 to 9 May 2008 (see
below, under ADEA) and was present and intervened on Europe goes international at the
Annual Conference of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA)
in Washington, United States of America, from 27 to 30 May 2008.Nomination
IAU is very
pleased to extend its warmest congratulations to IAU President, Prof. Goolam Mohamedbhai, on his
appointment as the new Secretary-General of the Association of African
Universities (AAU). IAU-AAU relations have been very close in the last
few years and collaboration has always been positive. We have
appreciated Prof. Sawyerr’s leadership and wisdom, and certainly
welcome the opportunity to continue working closely with Prof.
Mohamedbhai in this leadership position, as he knows IAU well.http://www.aau.org/announce/detail.htm?ai=153
Important dates:
- July 15-18, 2008: IAU 13th General Conference on Higher Education and Research Addressing Local and Global Needs marking 60 years of the Association. (Utrecht University, The Netherlands).
- August 2008, release of the upgraded and revamped International Handbook of Universities
- September 30: Deadline for LEADHER project proposals
For detailed information on these
activities, contact us at: iau@unesco.org
Other News and Opportunities
UNESCO
UNESCO: World Conference 2009 - First Announcement and Preparatory EventsUNESCO has announced that the World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE) 2009 – also known as WCHE + 10 – will take place in Paris, from 6 to 8 July, 2009. Entitled The New Dynamics of Higher Education, the event will aim at investigating the evolution of higher education and research over the past decade; discussing current orientations; defining new priorities for action. IAU is directly involved in the preparations for the conference.
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56386&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Several preparatory Conferences are scheduled before the beginning of the WCHE 2009, such as the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Conference entitled Facing Global and Local Challenges: the New Dynamics for Higher Education that will take place in Macao, from 24 to 26 September 2008 or the Latin-American one which has already been announced in previous e-bulletins.
http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=7910#call
UNESCO: Portal on Higher Education Institutions
UNESCO has launched a portal on higher education institutions (HEIs) which features links to various on-line official resources on recognised HEIs in 13 countries. Because of its competences in collecting data and publishing directories on HEIs and education systems worldwide, IAU is an observer in this project.
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=49864&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO - International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP): Cross-border Student Mobility
IIEP has published a research paper entitled Globalization of Higher Education and Cross-Border Student Mobility that examines the recent changes in patterns and the factors influencing student flows in cross-border education.
http://www.unesco.org/iiep/PDF/pubs/2008/Globalization_HE.pdf
Other international initiatives
Education International (EI)/European Students’ Union (ESU): Staff and Student Mobility CampaignOn the website developed for their joint campaign to enhance staff and student mobility in Europe, entitled Let’s Go, EI and ESU have posted a petition. The website also contains a wiki section to find and exchange information, as well as a barometer to know which country is the most mobile as far as higher educational mobility is concerned.
http://www.ei-ie.org/highereducation/en/newsshow.php?id=769&theme=highereducation&country=global
http://www.letsgocampaign.net/
Inter-Disciplinary.Net: Conference on the Idea of Education
The Inter-Disciplinary.Net, a not-for-profit network based in UK, held its fifth international conference on the Idea of Education in Budapest, Hungary; from 8 to 10 May 2008. All papers on Education and Ignorance; Students in Higher Education; Change and Management in Higher Education; Democracy, Citizenship and Higher Education; Intellectuals in Cultural Life; Questioning the University; Changing Teaching and Evaluation; Virtual Educations; Education’s Toolbox are available.
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/ati/education/ioe/ioe5/prog.html
Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)/Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FIUW): Quality in Higher Education
ISESCO and FIUW, in collaboration with two universities in Palestine and Saudi Arabia, organized an International Symposium on Quality in Higher Education in the Muslim World in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, in May 2008.
http://www.isesco.org.ma/english/news/news.php?id=351
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI): Learning in the 21st Century
OECD/CERI organized an international conference in Paris on the occasion of CERI’s 40th anniversary, on Learning in the 21st Century: Research, Innovation and Policy. It discussed the themes of Learning sciences and brain research; Alternative models of learning; and the new millennium learners. It also studied Pisa and the Programme on Educational Building.
http://www.oecd.org/document/7/0,3343,en_2649_37455_40406535_1_1_1_37455,00.html
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Tertiary Education in the Netherlands
As part of the OECD Thematic Review of Tertiary Education Project, OECD has released the Update of Country Background Report for the Netherlands. The review had been published in 2006.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/48/40451754.pdf (update)
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/39/18/37411491.pdf (review)
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Academic Libraries
The study on US Academic Libraries: Today’s Learning Commons Model released by OECD analyses and proposes best practices to cater for digital technologies in academic libraries.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/24/56/40051347.pdf
http://faculty.rwu.edu/smcmullen
SciDev.Net: South-South Research Collaboration
In a Policy Brief, SciDev.Net, a not-for-profit organisation based in London, UK, presents the international trend; the support; the benefits; and the obstacles of South-South research collaboration and concludes that this new trend should be encouraged by both the scientific community and policy-makers.
http://www.scidev.net/en/policy-briefs/opportunities-and-challenges-in-south-south-collab.html
World Bank: Tertiary Education Funding in Latin America
The Policy Research Working Paper N° 4517 on Accessibility and Affordability of Tertiary Education in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru within a Global Context analyses the financing of higher education in four Latin American countries and compares it with the situation in high-income countries.
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099079956815/wps4517.pdf
World Bank: Two initiatives on Student Loans – Romania and Chile
- The Ministry of Education, Research and Youth of Romania and the World Bank Office in Romania organised the second Workshop on Higher Education Reforms - Approaches to Student Loans in April 2008 to study how to improve access to higher education in Romania.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION/0,,contentMDK:21745574~
menuPK:282422~pagePK:64020865~piPK:149114~theSitePK:282386,00.html
- In collaboration with Chilean partners, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has launched the first private student loan programme in Chile in order to enable more than 15,000 students to fund their higher education studies.
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/media.nsf/Content/Education_Student_Loans_May08
Regional initiatives
AfricaAfrican and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES): Regional Poles of Excellence
The 25th session of the CAMES, held in Bangui, Central African Republic, focused on regional poles of excellence: approaches; quality and funding.
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=print&id_article=60961 (in French)
African Copyright and Access to Knowledge (ACA2K): Methodology Guide
The ACA2K project, a project launched in October 2007 to analyse the relationship between copyrights and education in Africa, has finalised a Methodology Guide which plans its activities in the research and information dissemination fields for the years to come.
http://www.aca2k.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:blog-meth
African Union: Conference of Ministers in Charge of Communication and Information
The experts who met prior to the second conference of Ministers in charge of Communication and Information, held in Cairo, Egypt, from 11 to 14 May 2088 discussed the progress report on the African Regional Action Plan on Knowledge Economy (ARAKPE) and the draft report for the youth empowerment workshop.
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/2008/may/ie/documents_cairo.htm
Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA): Beyond Primary Education
The ADEA 2008 Biennale, which took place in Maputo, Mozambique, from 5 to 9 May 2008, tackled post-primary education for the first time. The 3rd theme of the report focused on Preparing Knowledge Workers for Africa’s Development: Articulating Upper Secondary with Higher Education. IAU contributed a working paper on the links between higher education and the EFA movement and the education-related MDGs and attended the meeting.
http://www.adeanet.org/Biennale%202008/en_index.htm
Several major announcements concerning the ADEA were made at the Maputo Biennale:
- M. Ahlin Byll Cataria, from Togo, has been appointed Executive Secretary of the Association;
- Its main office will move to Tunis;
- 2008 will see the launch of its first strategic plan.
Southern African Development Community (SADC): Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development
In their Declaration on Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development, signed on 20 April 2008, the SADC Heads of State resolved to promote relevant education and skills development at all levels in order to ensure higher general efficiency, productivity and boosting the required innovative processes…
http://www.foprisa.net/documents/SADCDeclaration..pdf
Americas
Sistema Nacional de Acreditación de la Educación Superior (SINAES)/ Comisión Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria (CONEAU): Co-operation in Quality Matters
Representatives of SINAES (National System of Higher Education Accreditation), Costa Rica, and CONEAU (National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation), Argentina, have signed a co-operation agreement to improve quality of higher education in both countries.
http://www.conesup.net/anoticias_afondo.php?id=5588 (in Spanish)
Asia
Brisbane Communiqué Initiative: Reports on Recognition and Quality Assurance in the Asia-Pacific Region
The website of the Brisbane Communiqué Initiative - that aims at promoting student and academic mobility and research collaboration in the Asia Pacific region – features two new reports:
- Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. The report identifies the issues and opportunities for collaboration in the field of recognition of higher education qualifications in the Asia-Pacific region and recommends the promotion of more regional awareness and cooperation; the establishment of National Information Centres; and support to develop national qualifications frameworks.
http://www.brisbanecommunique.deewr.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/780F8386-30C8-4878-8EF2-
2903120174A2/21157/BrisbaneCommuniqu%C3%A9RecognitionReportFinal.pdf
- Quality Assurance in Higher Education. The report identifies key developments, examines good practices, common issues and opportunities for collaboration, as well as possible areas of future work in quality assurance in the region.
http://www.brisbanecommunique.deewr.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/23004076-29DF-4DA0-B8AD
-4241ED57DDE0/21189/QAinHigherEducationsurveyreport13022008FINALVERSIO.pdf
Europe
Council of Europe: Universities and Regional Identity and Development
A Seminar on Universities, cultural development and regional identity was held in Kazan (Russian Federation) in April. It discussed the model and modern problems of the classical university, specific partnerships between universities and regional communities, the role of universities in regional identity and development, as well as international and interregional cooperation between universities.
http://www.coe.int/t/congress/files/events/200804culture-kazan/default_EN.asp?
European Commission: Modernization of Higher Education in Partner Countries
The European Commission has launched the fourth phase of the Tempus programme which supports the modernisation of higher education in the 28 partner countries of Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/728&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
European Commission: Green Paper on the European Research Area
The European Commission has published the results of the public consultation on the Green Paper The European Research Area: New Perspectives which lasted from May 1 to August 31 2007. The report, which draws on more than 1,000 responses, outlines the main concerns of the key research actors across Europe, which include careers and mobility, international co-operation, research infrastructures, joint programming and knowledge sharing.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/pdf/comm-pdf-sec-2008-0430-1-documentdetravail_en.pdf
European Commission: Women in Research
The European Commission has published Mapping the Maze: Getting more women to the top in research. It examines nomination procedures, obstacles, facts and funding limitations that women need to overcome in their academic careers and reviews the procedures for evaluating and promoting research personnel to senior positions and identifies examples of good practice at national and institutional levels.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/mapping-the-maze
-getting-more-women-to-the-top-in-research_en.pdf
European Commission: Intellectual Property in Knowledge Transfer
The European Commission has released a Recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and Code of Practice for universities and other public research organisations. It includes measures to support the development of knowledge transfer capacity and skills, as well as measures to raise the awareness and skills of students regarding intellectual property, knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship; and promoting the dissemination of knowledge created with public funds, by encouraging open access to research results, while enabling, where appropriate, the related intellectual property to be protected.
http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_en.pdf
European Commission: Research Networks Interconnection
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Information Society and Media has issued a call for tenders for a feasibility study on the interconnection of South and Eastern African research networks to GEANT.
http://ted.europa.eu/Exec?DataFlow=ShowPage.dfl&Template=TED/N_one_result_
detail_curr.htm&docnumber=65628-2008&docId=65628-2008&StatLang=EN
European Parliament: European Qualifications Framework
The European Parliament and the Council adopted the European Qualifications Framework at the end of April. A Recommendation establishing the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning has also been signed. It creates a reference framework which will relate different countries’ qualifications systems and frameworks.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/631&format=
HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
European Parliament: Bologna Process and Student Mobility
Doris Pack, a member of the European Parliament, has presented a draft report on the Bologna process and student mobility to Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. It includes a motion for a European Parliament resolution and analyses various aspects of student mobility within the framework of the Bologna process.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/718/718001/718001en.pdf
Spain/Portugal: Towards the Ibero-American Area of Knowledge
The University of Huelva hosted a meeting between the Rectors’ Conferences of Spain and Portugal (CRUE and CRUP) in April to strengthen the ties between Spanish and Portuguese universities and develop the Ibero-American Area of Knowledge. It culminated in the Huelva Declaration.
http://www.crue.org/BOLETINES/BOLETIN_N25/Boletin25.html#ac1 (in Spanish)
Inter-Regional Cooperation
Asia/Europe: First ASEM’s Education Ministers Meeting
The Ministers of Education from the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) met for the first time in Berlin, Germany, from 5 to 6 May 2008. The first day was devoted to higher education; the second to employability and lifelong learning. The meeting agreed to set up a Asia-Europe education partnership for the 21st century.
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/MinisterialMeetings/?id=218
Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU): Conference Presentations on ICT at Universities
The Chief Information Officers second annual Conference was held at the University of Indonesia from 16 to 19 April 2008. It brought together leaders in order to build a network to facilitate academic partnerships between APRU Member institutions. The conference keynotes and presentations focused on the uses and implementation of ICTs at U.S., Pacific and South-East Asian institutions.
http://www.apru.org/activities/cio/CIOpresentations.htm
Pakistan/United States: Network Connection to Improve Higher Education and Research
As part of its efforts to increase the competitiveness of local faculty members and researchers to international level, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is investing in a high performance research and education network in association with the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The aim of the network is to facilitate Pakistan-US science and technology collaboration though the connection of the Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN) and the future PERN2 network to the global research and education network infrastructure via a Singapore-based connection point.
http://www.hec.gov.pk/MediaPublication/Press_Releases/2008/April/Apr_9.htm
United States/Africa: Competitive Grants Programme
During the Higher Education Summit for Global Development, Washington, April 2008, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant colleges (NASULGC) agreed to launch the Africa-U.S Higher Education Initiative. A $1 million Competitive Grants Programme will fund collaborative projects between African and U.S. higher education institutions.
http://www.nasulgc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=936&srcid=183
NASULGC has also called on Congress to Support the programme on Higher Education in Africa: Making the Link between Intellectual Capital and Regional Development.
https://www.nasulgc.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=860
National and institutional initiatives
Algeria: National Conference on Higher Education and Scientific ResearchThe National Conference on Higher Education and Scientific Research has adopted reports on: the consolidation of the higher education reform; quality assurance and institutional governance; linkages between universities and the socio-economic environment; elaboration of national research programmes; and R&D and knowledge transfer.
http://www.arn.dz/index.php?file=allnews&id=2258 (in French)
Australia: Higher Education Act
The Parliament of New South Wales has released the text of the Higher Education Amendment Bill 2008 which amends the Higher Education Act 2001 as a consequence of the revision of the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes that have been endorsed by all Australian jurisdictions. Changes concern the university recognition process; the application of national protocols; the accreditation of overseas courses; the internal accreditation of courses.
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/nswbills.nsf/0/87455149076D321ACA257425001CF187?Open&shownotes (explanatory note)
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/nswbills.nsf/1d4800a7a88cc2
abca256e9800121f01/87455149076d321aca257425001cf187/$FILE/b2007-128-d12-House.pdf (Bill)
Australia: Philanthropy and Higher Education
The Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council has released the Philanthropy in Australia’s Higher Education System Report in order to define best practices to increase the share of donations in the funding of higher education institutions. The report takes stock of national practices, offers international comparisons and suggests measures and recommendations to support a greater participation of philanthropy in higher education.
http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/A12FE041-3589-4610-852B-8177303B6BD3/21550/
PhilanthopyintheHigherEducationSystemFinalReportWe.pdf
Austria: Research in Humanities, Social and Cultural Sciences
The Council for Research and Technological Development (RFT) is inciting the Austrian public authorities to support research in humanities and social and cultural sciences. Research in these fields encounter three types of problems: short-term and fragmented funding; the thematic dimension of the support is too limited; and the work carried out is not strategically used by the policy-makers.
http://www.bulletins-electroniques.com/actualites/54554.htm (in French)
http://www.rat-fte.at/UserFiles/File/080331_GSKinOesterreich_Kozeluh_final.pdf (Report, in German)
Belgium: Gender Equality
The Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad has launched an Equality guide: HR instruments for Equal Opportunities at Universities to enhance the flow of women into science and give attention to their under-representation in governing functions. Each Flemish university wrote a chapter for the Guide, which was officially presented in April.
http://www.vlir.be/content1.aspx?url=p_105.htm (in Flemish)
Benin: Student Fees
As from the academic year 2008/2009, the Government will pay the tuition fees of non-scholarship holders registering at national universities.
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=print&id_article=60532 (in French)
Botswana: Higher Education Plan
The Tertiary Education Council has posted online the chapter on the tertiary education sector of the National Development Plan which evolves around 3 themes: Highly skilled and competitive graduates; Relevant and cutting edge research and innovation; System and institutional excellence. It also released 3 briefs: Tertiary education to be reformed; Implementation of NHRDS to commence; The demographics of tertiary education.
http://www.tec.org.bw/news.htm
Burkina Faso: Reform of the Education System
The text of the education reform is available on the website of the Ministry in charge of secondary and higher education and scientific research. It explains the environment; the new education system; the objectives and expected outcomes of the reform, as well as it implementation strategy and risk factors.
http://www.messrs.gov.bf/SiteMessrs/statistiques/reforme-education.pdf (in French)
Burkina Faso: Recognition of Private Diplomas
The 16 diplomas delivered by private higher education institutions having been approved by the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) have been presented to the Minister of Secondary and Higher Education and Scientific Research.
http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/printable/200804160393.html (in French)
Canada: Post-Graduation Work Permit Programme
The new Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows foreign students who have been awarded a degree in Canada to apply for a work permit for a period equivalent to the length of their studies.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/study/work-postgrad.asp
The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) underlines the positive aspects of this reform for Canadian higher education.
http://www.aucc.ca/publications/media/2008/grad_permit_04_23_e.html
Canada: Quebec Universities
The brief on Des acquis à préserver et des défis à relever pour les universités québécoises (Benefits to retain and challenges to face for Quebec universities) released by the Conseil supérieur de l’Education presents the current situation of higher education in Quebec.
http://www.cse.gouv.qc.ca/FR/Publications/index.html?lstPublication=Avis&lstCommission=ALL (in French)
Canada: Recruitment of Academic Staff
The report prepared by the Comité sur le financement des universités (Committee for the financing of universities) of the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (Quebec federation of university teachers) on Financement des universités: Investir dans le corps professoral (Financing universities: Investing in the academic body) recommends the recruitment of academic staff.
http://fqppu.org/assets/files/themes/financement/financement_universites_investir_corps_professoral_avril_2008.pdf (in French)
Canada: Erudit Website
The new website of the Erudit, a non-profit multi-institutional publishing consortium, provides better access to its wide range of academic documents. All documents predating the last two years of publication are available free of charge.
http://www.erudit.org/communiques/CommuniquéÉrudit20080423_FR-EN_FINAL.pdf
Czech Republic: Higher Education Reform
The Minister of Education has presented a White Paper which proposes deep reforms of the higher education system. These include a restructuring of the funding of the universities and calls to cooperate with the private sector. The new laws will be drafted in the autumn, following public discussions.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/103952
Ecuador: Inter-Institutional Cooperation
The Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - SENACYT (National Secretariat for Science and Technology) has signed Convenios Marco de Cooperación Interinstitucional, with eight organisations/institutions mainly to make best use of human; technical and financial resources.
http://www.senacyt.gov.ec/?q=node/237 (in Spanish)
Finland: Centers of Excellence
The Finnish Ministry of Education has asked the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) to submit proposals for centers of excellence in university education by 30 November 2008 as a basis for the allocation of performance-based funding. FINHEEC will carry out the process as a two-phase peer evaluation. The evaluation results will be published as a report. The evaluation process will end in an international seminar where the designated centers of excellence will present themselves.
http://www.kka.fi/english/newsdetail.lasso?id=1144
Germany: High-Quality Teaching at Universities
The General Meeting of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) adopted an agenda in Jena in April on how to improve universities’ performances in the field of teaching. The agenda will serve as a basis for discussions with the universities and as a parameter for accreditation agencies to make their decisions. It also demands that the federal states should secure the legal and financial conditions for high-quality teaching.
http://www.hrk.de/eng/presse/95_2131.php
Germany: International Mobility of German Students
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has published the results of the 18th Social Survey of the Deutsches Studentenwerk conducted by HIS Hochschul-Informations-System under the title Internationalization of Higher Education – Foreign Students in Germany, -German Students Abroad. The results reveal that the international mobility of German students is linked to their social origins.
http://www.bmbf.de/pub/internationalization_of_higher_education_2008.pdf
Iraq: Improvement of Higher Education
The Iraq Higher Education Organizing Committee (IHEOC) met at the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) headquarters to discuss the improvement of higher education and scientific research in Iraq.
http://www.isesco.org.ma/english/news/news.php?id=339
Ireland: Foreign Students Policy
The Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has said that Ireland should aim to double the number of full-time non-Irish third level students during the next decade and that the education system should adopt a more international focus. Foreign students come from 114 countries.
http://www.hea.ie/en/node/1116
Lesotho: Council on Higher Education
The Minister of Education and Training inaugurated the Council of Higher Education on May 2, 2008. Its main aims, as defined by the Minister in her inaugural speech, are to ensure quality assurance, the relevance of the curricular and improve access.
http://www.education.gov.ls/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=279&Itemid=1
New Zealand: Publications
Education Counts has released the following studies:
- Post-school choices: How well does academic achievement predict the tertiary education choices of school leavers?, a study on the influence of secondary school results on participation in tertiary education.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/23107/Post-school_choices_report.pdf
- How does achievement at school affect achievement in tertiary education?. Complementary to the previously mentioned study, this study explores the relationship between performance at school and the results obtained in the first year of tertiary education.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/23114/SATA_Report_web.pdf
- Research par excellence: The factors associated with higher research quality in New Zealand tertiary education organisations, a report identifying linkages between staff characteristics and high research quality using statistical modelling.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/23768/PBRF_report_2006_QE_analysis.pdf
- The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey investigates the skill distribution in New Zealand, and its evolution over the past decade, according to various criteria including the participation in tertiary education.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/23817/ALL-EducWorkLiteracy.pdf
Northern Ireland: Higher Education Policy
The Employment and Learning Minister reaffirmed his commitment to providing an internationally competitive higher education sector and emphasised the benefits of higher education at the NUS-USI Great Higher Education Funding Debate.
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-del/news-del-090408-minister-committed-to.htm
Pakistan: Conference on Resource Generation
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the World Bank co-organised a Conference on Resource Generation and Diversification in Higher Education; from Vision to Reality in Islamabad, from 12 to 14 May 2008. The meeting aimed at raising awareness of local higher education institution heads on various topics such as the capacity to create; financial autonomy; access and student support programmes; the importance of research and development investments; governance; and commercialisation.
http://www.hec.gov.pk/AcademicAffairs/Resource_Gen/pres.htm
Saudi Arabia: New University
The King of Saudi Arabia has laid the foundation stone of the King Saud University of Health Sciences in Riyadh in May 2008.
http://www.mofa.gov.sa/Detail.asp?InSectionID=3981&InNewsItemID=79395
Singapore: New Framework for Innovation and Enterprise
The Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) has launched a comprehensive National Framework for Innovation and Enterprise (NFIE) to boost Singapore’s research capacity through support to academic entrepreneurship and the research and development effort. The setting up of two new Research Centres of Excellence is already planned.
http://www.nrf.gov.sg/nrf/uploadedFiles/News_and_Events/RIEC%20Press%20Release%20%20(FINAL).pdf
South Africa: Rise in the Higher Education Budget
The South African Government is increasing the higher education budget to improve access; quality to education and the equity of outcomes, including greater success of Blacks and women.
http://www.education.gov.za/dynamic/dynamic.aspx?pageid=306&id=7723 (Minister’s speech)
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200805160627.html
South Africa: Teacher Training Colleges
The Department of Education is considering re-opening teacher-training colleges to deal with the shortage of maths and language teachers as well as teachers for rural schools.
http://www.education.gov.za/ (see under Parliamentary question; WQ 584)
Switzerland: Higher Education Policy
The press conferences of the Swiss Secretary of State for Education and Research and the President of the EPF Council on The Role of the LAHE in the hautes écoles area, Teaching, Research and Technology Transfer for the Future of Switzerland and Images and Prospects of the Swiss university policy are available.
http://www.sbf.admin.ch/htm/aktuell/mda_fr.html (in French)
Turkey: Entry to Higher Education
The President of YÖK has revealed his plans for entry to higher education. They include a test that would be offered several times a year instead of only once a year, as is now the practice and plans to make the university entry process more adapted to the students’ abilities.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=141717
United Kingdom: Access to Postgraduate Studies
The Higher Education Academy has published a report which analyses why students stay in higher education beyond their first degrees and how widening participation translates into postgraduate study.
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/detail/widening_participation_postgraduate_study
United Kingdom: Research Assessment Framework
The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills has announced a new metrics based assessment framework for assessing research. It will make greater use of statistical indicators to help to reduce the need for peer review. There will no longer be a clear distinction between the arrangements for science-based subjects and all other subjects and the timetable for designing the new framework will be extended to 12 months.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/imagelibrary/downloadMedia.asp?MediaDetailsID=239829
United Kingdom: Foundation Degree Statistics
The Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) has published Foundation degrees Key statistics 2001-02-2007-08 which updates the HEFCE report 2007/03. It describes key characteristics of foundation degree programmes and students.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2008/08_16/
United States of America: Impact of the Bologna Process
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)’s Measuring Global Performance Initiative has released an article on the impact of the Bologna Process on US higher education entitled: The Bologna Club: What U.S. higher education can learn from a decade of European reconstruction?
http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/TheBolognaClub.pdf
United States of America: Increasing U.S. Study Abroad
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has released the second report of its White Papers on Meeting America’s Global Education Challenge, entitled Exploring Host Country Capacity for Increasing U.S. Study Abroad. The report, based on the findings of a survey of overseas higher education institutions, examines the issue of whether the number of U.S. students abroad can increase.
http://www.iie.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Research_and_Evaluation/Study_Abroad_Capacity/StudyAbroad_WhitePaper2.pdf
United States of America: Graduation Rate Watch
The Education Sector’s April 2008 Report on the Graduation Rate Watch: Making Minority Student Success a Priority analyses the current situation and proposes recommendations to improve the graduate rates of minority college students.
http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/Graduation_Rate_Watch.pdf
United States of America: Access to Higher Education in Underserved Regions
The report Higher Education in Michigan: Overcoming Challenges to Expand Access of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) focuses on the challenge of access to higher education in underserved regions and provides recommendations to improve it.
http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/publications/g-l/Higher_Education_in_Michigan.pdf
United States of America: National Agenda for Higher Education
The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) has released a White Paper entitled Second to None in Attainment, Discovery, and Innovation: The National Agenda for Higher Education and a letter to the Presidential candidates, which describe SHEEO’s position on higher education matters.
http://www.sheeo.org/federal/SHEEO%20Presidential%20White%20Paper%2008%20v%202.pdf
http://www.sheeo.org/federal/SHEEO%20White%20Paper%20Letter.pdf
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