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IAU: Building a worldwide higher education community |
E-Bulletin
Sharing information on IAU activities and higher education in the world
Vol. 6, No 5, June 2009
IAU Activities
Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former UNESCO Director General, will be the keynote speaker at the IAU 2009 International Conference, focusing on The Role of Higher Education in Fostering Inter-Cultural Dialogue and Understanding. The Conference will be hosted by Notre-Dame University, Louaize, in Lebanon on November 5 and 6, 2009. Registration is now open.
Just released: Higher Education Policy (HEP), 22/2 June 2009
The latest edition of HEP features an article proposing a Magna Charta for Academic Freedom in Europe, by Terenc Karran; William Locke looks at building relations between Research, Policy and Practice in HE; the finances of international students in Australia are also examined, revealing how numerous students experience financial difficulties; finance policy in China and how it affects equity in access to HE; university design is looked at, and, it is argued, that university space can influence the nature of the community; trade liberalization of HE within the GATS framework is examined; the final paper looks at how restructuring in the staffing of Nigerian universities could be a solution for the sustainable development of the country's institutions.
Free subscription to HEP is an IAU membership benefit. Non-Members can order it from Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Publishers: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/hep/index.html.
IAU Representation
In an interview given to El Libertador during the IAU third Global Meeting of Associations of Universities (GMAIII) which took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 20 to 22 April 2009, the IAU President, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, emphasized the crucial importance of education for Mexico in the current economic crisis.
http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2009/96386/6/en-medio-de-la-crisis-economica-
el-mayor-reto-para-mexico-es-la-educacion.htm (in Spanish)
Is-Haq Oloyede, IAU Deputy Board Member and Vice Chancellor of Illorin Univesity, Nigeria, has been elected President of the Association of African Universities (AAU) at the AAU General Conference in Abuja, Nigeria in May.
World Civic Forum, Seoul, Korea, May 5-8
IAU chaired the session on the Role of University Engagement for Civic Enhancement and presented the ongoing IAU project on the necessary linkages between higher education/research and EFA and related MDGs. Entitled How Should, Could, Higher Education Be Better Involved in Education-Related MDGs?, the presentation is available on IAU website. A Roundtable on the Future of Universities was one of the major events of the Forum. It included a discussion between university presidents and representatives of international governmental organizations on the global crisis and university responses and another on the university vision, philosophy, and global responsibility and practices for the future.
http://www.wcf2009.org
ISSC World Social Science Forum: One Planet – Worlds Apart – Bergen, Norway, May 10-12
IAU participated in the 1st World Social Science Forum organized by the International Social Science Council (ISSC). The main purpose was to demonstrate the global presence, impact and authority of the social sciences. It brought together researchers and stakeholders in international social science who addressed topics of world significance and future priorities for international social science. Amartya Sen set the tone by addressing the audience by identifying key Challenges for the Social Sciences in the New Century. All papers are posted on the Conference website. The IAU partnered with the ISSC to organize a specific session on University rankings and invited authors from Ireland, Japan and South Africa to present their perspectives on the issues at stake.
http://www.rokkan.uib.no/wssf/
Reminder of Important IAU Dates
- June 30, 2009: Deadline for submission of articles for the IAU/Palgrave Prize
- November 5-6, 2009: IAU 2009 International Conference, Lebanon
- June 25-26, 2010: IAU 2010 International Conference on Ethics and Values in Higher Education in the Era of Globalization: What Role for the Disciplines? Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
- IAU will participate in the Conference organised by the Council of Europe on Universities as Actors of Intercultural Dialogue in Wider Society to take place in Moscow on 2-3 June at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. The outcomes of the Conference will be presented at the IAU 2009 International Conference, in Lebanon, in November. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/Moscow%202-3%20June%202009/default_EN.asp#TopOfPage
- IAU will participate as a co-sponsor in the Future Trends in Higher Education in the Balkans’ Conference to be held at Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey, 11-12 June 2009. http://sempozyum.sdu.edu.tr/balkansmeeting/index.html
- IAU will take an active part in the UNESCO 2009 WCHE in Paris, France, 5-8 July 2009: The IAU President will speak in a Stakeholders’ Panel during the Opening Ceremony; preliminary findings of the Internationalization Survey will be presented by IAU Vice President and the Secretary-General will take part in a session on Access and Success in Higher Education. http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=56642&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
- IAU is co-sponsoring the 2009 Global Forum on Cross-Border Higher Education, organized by the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE) on the theme Global Connections – Local Impacts: Best Practices, Models and Policies for Cross-Border Higher Education, October 21-24, 2009, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Registration is now open. http://www.obhe.ac.uk/the_obhe_global_forum__malaysia/welcome
- IAU is co-sponsoring the World Universities Congress organized by Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University on the theme: What Should Be the New Aims and Responsibilities of Universities within the Framework of Global Issues?, October 20-24, 2010, Çanakkale, Turkey http://www.comu.edu.tr/unicongress2010/english/index.php
For detailed information on these
activities, contact us at: iau@unesco.org
News/Opportunities from around the World
UNESCO
UNESCO: World Higher Education Conference (WCHE)The WCHE website is now up and running. All invitees to the Conference will soon be invited to participate in an internet discussion forum on The New Dynamics of Higher Education and Research For Societal Change and Development.
http://www.unesco.org/education/hed/2009-worldconference
UNESCO: The Evolution of Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing - Forum
The second session of UNESCO Future Forums analysed the Future of Knowkedge Acquisition and Sharing on May 11, 2009. The Forum discussed how ICTs are affecting every aspect of society and notably the higher education and research sectors. The keynote address by Roberto Carneiro of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa entitled The Future of knowledge acquisition and sharing - A contribution to "Vision 2025” and several other documents are available.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=45025&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO: Higher Education in Iraq
The UNESCO Director-General visited Iraq and confirmed the setting up of a College of Archaeology at the Universities of Samara and Kofa and the support to higher education and academics through funds from Qatar.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=45357&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO Bangkok Office: Academic Recognition of Studies in the Asia-Pacific Region
The UNESCO Bangkok Office has released the report of the Ninth Session of the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific as well as a CD-Rom which comprises full country reports from Australia, China, Holy See, India, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, The Philippines.
http://www2.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/240_241/
UNESCO Bangkok Office: Teacher Training in the Asia-Pacific Region
The multinational study on the Status of Teacher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region was conducted by the International Reading Association 2008 and the UNESCO-Bangkok Office. It features country reports on the current status of the structures, policies, procedures, and practices of teacher education in 26 countries of Asia-Pacific region and aims at fostering the professional development of the education workforce in the Asia-Pacific Region.
http://www.reading.org/Libraries/Association_documents/Status_of_Teacher_Education_in_the_Asia-Pacific_Region_Final.sflb.ashx
UNESCO Oficina Regional de Educación para América Latina y el Caribe (OREALC): Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
OREALC has released a study on regional, sub-regional and national policies, strategies and plans in education for sustainable development and environmental education in Latin America and the Caribbean (Políticas, estrategias y planes regionales, subregionales y nacionales en educación para el desarrollo sostenible y la educación ambiental en América Latina y el Caribe. Decenio de las Naciones Unidas de la Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible 2005-2014) which discusses and measures progress made in ESD in Latin American and the Caribbean.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001819/181906S.pdf (in Spanish)
UNESCO Instituto Internacional para la Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe (IESALC): Podcast on HE Access and Equity
UNESCO-IESALC has released the fifth edition of puntoEDU, the podcast of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean launched in March 2009. It focuses on access and equity in higher education in the region.
http://www.iesalc.unesco.org.ve/index.php/lang-es/categorias/75-movilidad-academica/368-podcast5 (in Spanish)
Other international initiatives
Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): Panafrican Institute for University GovernanceAUF has proposed the creation of a Panafrican Institute for University Governance to African Rectors. The institute would aim to improve quality and reach excellence through a strategic support to all aspects (social, administrative, financial and technological) of university governance.
http://www.auf.org/communication-information/actualites/ipgu-2009.html
Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC): H1N1 Virus and Student and Faculty Mobility Worldwide
The recent H1N1 virus outbreak is a phenomenon with important implications for international higher education, especially regarding student and faculty mobility. In response to the many requests for information received lately, a collaborative partnership of organizations and institutions has developed a website to provide up to the minute information relevant to the H1N1 virus outbreak in North America and its implications for international higher education. The website contains news, statistics and travel advisories about the H1N1 outbreak, and information about institutional responses. To visit the website, please click on the H1N1 graphic in the middle of the CONAHEC home page:
http://www.conahec.org
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Education Studies
The report Education Today: The OECD Perspective examines OECD’s work since 2002 in all fields of education – from early childhood to higher education. It comprises 9 chapters (with Chapter 4 specifically on higher education), all divided into the same two subsections: Key Findings and Conclusions, followed by Orientations for Policy.
http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/pdfs/browseit/9609021E.PDF
United Nations University (UNU): Revitalizing Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
In April, UNU released the research results of its project on the higher education sector of Sub-Saharan countries in a book entitled Revitalizing Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It tackled policies and reforms; programmes, pedagogy and teaching tools; teacher training; research on education in Africa.
http://www.unu.edu/africa/files/UNU_RevitalizingHigherEducation.pdf
Universitas 21 (U21): University Administration
Participants in the fifth U21 Heads of Administration Meeting, which took place at Fudan University, Shanghai, China, in April 2009 discussed the different aspects of their role as heads of administration in their institutions.
http://www.universitas21.com/AdminHeads/HoA2009.pdf
Regional initiatives
AfricaAfrican Union (AU): Pan-African E-Network Project
The Sixth Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Pan-African e-Network Project for tele-education and telemedicine took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 7 to 8 May 2009. The participants discussed the progress report; the selection of regional leading universities and hospitals; and the business plan of the e-Network. The file attached describes the project.
http://www.africa-union.org/root/UA/Conferences/2009/mai/IE/6-7mai/PAnafrican%20e-Network%20Project.pdf
Association of African Universities (AAU): General Conference
The AAU General Conference was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from May 4-9, on Sustainable development in Africa: The role of higher education. On this occasion, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Nigeria, became the new President of the Association.
http://gc.aau.org/
Conseil Africain et Malgache de l’Enseignement supérieur (CAMES): Three-Tier Reform
A Forum on the state of the implementation of the three-tier system in African countries and problems encountered took place on April 23 in parallel to the 26th session of the Council of Ministers of CAMES.
http://www.cames.bf.refer.org/spip.php?article77 (Forum)
http://www.cames.bf.refer.org/spip.php?article72 (Council)
Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA): Higher Education in the SADC Region
In a book entitled Towards a Common Future: Higher Education in the SADC Region. Research Findings from Four SARUA Studies, SARUA analyses the higher education sector in the SADC region according to its revitalization process; its impact on regional development; its funding frameworks; state public science; and university-business interactions.
http://www.sarua.org/?q=towards-common-future
Americas
Canada/Latin America: Research Networks
The brochure on Building Research Networks: Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean Research Exchange Grants (LACREG) describes the LACREG programme and presents the outcomes of the research teams’ work. The programme is managed by the Association of Canadian Colleges and Universities (AUCC) and supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/lacreg_e.pdf
Unión de Universidades de América Latina y El Caribe (UDUAL): Research Support Prize
Member and Affiliate institutions of UDUAL are invited to propose candidates for the UDUAL prize for innovation support (Premio UDUAL de Apoyo a la Investigación) in the fields of science and technology; social sciences and the humanities; and higher education. Deadline: June 5, 2009.
http://www.udual.org/Premio/UDUAL/Convoca09/ConvocaPremioUDUAL09ver2.pdf (in Spanish)
Arab States
Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE): Quality Assurance
The ANQAHE presented a document on Quality Assurance of Higher Education in the Arab Region at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Conference in Washington, DC in January 2009. It analyses the results of a survey which aimed at evaluating the quality assurance systems of the Arab region.
http://www.chea.org/pdf/2009_IS_Quality_Assurance_of_Higher_Education_in_the_Arab_Region_Badrawi.pdf
Asia
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): Higher Education Exchanges and Investment
APEC has released a study called Measures Affecting Cross Border Exchange and Investment in Higher Education in the APEC Region that identifies and assesses policies and practices that have an impact on cross-border exchanges and investment in higher education, sums up recent trade commitments in higher education and provides recommendations.
http://www.apec.org/apec/publications/all_publications/human_resources_development
.MedialibDownload.v1.html?url=/etc/medialib/apec_media_library/downloads/workinggroups/
hrdwg/pubs/2009.Par.0005.File.v1.1
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) University Network (AUN): Regional University Collaboration
AUN has released the report and recommendations of the 2nd AUN Rectors’ Conference on A Strategic Management and New Challenges Ahead for University Collaboration, held on January 29, 2009 at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam. The meeting identified strategies to overcome the challenges associated with ASEAN university collaboration in the areas of teaching, academic (joint degree programmes), and research collaboration (ASEAN Research Centre).
http://www.aun-sec.org/rectors-01.html (Recommandations)
http://www.aun-sec.org/rectors-02.html (Conference report)
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) University Network (AUN): ASEAN Credit Transfer System
Members of the AUN-ACTS (Asian Credit Transfer System) Steering Committee from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam and representatives from the AUN Secretariat attended the 1st AUN-ACTS meeting that took place at De La Salle University from March 25 to 26, 2009. Participants agreed on a number of principles that led to the writing of the Concept Paper of the Establishment of ASEAN Credit Transfer System.
http://www.aun-sec.org/download/april09/FinalConceptpaperACTS.doc
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) University Network (AUN): Higher Education Policy Dialogue
Recommendations made at the ASEAN+3 Higher Education Policy Dialogue 2009 held in Phuket, Thailand, from March 21 to 22, 2009 are available in a document called Intellectual Contribution to Enhancing the Future of Higher Education in the East Asian Community. The meeting aimed at setting up the official platform for higher education policy issues between ASEAN+3 countries in order to enhance academic collaboration and student mobility in the region. Topics addressed included academic cooperation and mobility and the ASEAN+3 University Network.
http://www.aun-sec.org/download/april09/FinalRecommendation22Mar09.pdf
China/Australia: Research Cooperation
The China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) organised a Workshop on Enhancing China-Australia Research Collaboration in Beijing, China, on April 9, 2009. It discussed the Australia-China research cooperation framework and the funding for Australian-Chinese university collaboration.
http://www.ceaie.edu.cn/english/news_detail.asp?ID=341&C=news
China/New Zealand: Higher Education Cooperation
The China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC) have signed an agreement to intensify bilateral exchanges and cooperation in higher education. Areas covered include information sharing, exchanges of staff and students, recognition of qualifications, staff development, exchanges of researchers, university management and academic exchanges.
http://www.ceaie.edu.cn/english/news_detail.asp?ID=343&C=news
Europe
Bologna Process: Ministerial Meeting
A ministerial meeting of the Bologna Process was held in Louvain-la-Neuve in April. It analysed priorities for the European Higher Education Area beyond 2010, such as learning for the future, social dimension, lifelong learning, employability, student-centred learning, and multidimensional transparency tools. The Bologna Follow-Up Group will prepare a work plan up to 2012. The presentations and reports are available on-line. A communiqué was published at the end of the meeting.
http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference/documents.htm (Documents)
http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference/documents/
Leuven_Louvain-la-Neuve_Communiqu%C3%A9_April_2009.pdf (Communiqué)
See also, the call for sustainable higher education public funding presented by Education International at the meeting.
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1018&theme=highereducation&country=global
Moreover, at the end of the meeting, ministers of the Bologna Process met with representatives of countries from other regions such as Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico, Morocco and Canada, as well as of IAU for the first Bologna Policy Forum.
http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/forum/
European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA): Quality Assurance – External Reviews
ENQA has published Assessing Educational Quality: Knowledge Production and the Role of Experts. It is the result of an ENQA Workshop hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) in Oslo in February, 2008 which brought together representatives from higher education institutions and agencies to exchange and discuss experiences on the process of external reviews and on the role of the review experts in that process.
http://www.enqa.eu/files/Assessing_educational_quality_wr6.pdf
European Commission: Research Connection 2009
The European Commission organized a Conference to present the main EU programmes regarding research to enhance Member States’ involvement and networking in the field.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2009/rtd-2009/index_en.cfm
European Commission: Assessment of the European Framework Programme for Research
The Commission has published a communication on the progress made under the Seventh European Framework Programme for Research (FP7). The objective of the Programme is to help build the European Research Area. This report assesses progress in implementing FP7 and what remains to be done to fully reach its original objectives. It provides a basis for the 2010 Interim Evaluation of the programme.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/reports/2009/pdf/fp7-progress-report-communication-270409_en.pdf
European Commission: Expansion of the Erasmus Mundus Programme
More European students will receive scholarships to study abroad under the expanded Erasmus Mundus programme. There will be a fourfold increase in the 2009-2013 budget. The programme will be extended to doctoral level and European students will be able to study in non-EU countries.
http://ec.europa.eu/news/culture/090216_1_en.htm
European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN): Technical Access to E-Learning Materials
The proceedings of the LOGOS - a project which aims to provide ubiquitous access to e-learning materials - Open Conference on Strengthening the Integration of ICT Research Effort held in Budapest in January comprises presentations on the virtual European university; mobile learning and new emerging technologies; data mining tools; networked and collaborative learning; and innovative case studies.
http://www.eden-online.org/contents/publications/LOGOS_D12_Proceedings.pdf
European Union: Researchers in the European Research Area
The conference Researchers in Europe without barriers was held in Prague, Czech Republic, on 28 and 29 April under the auspices of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with the support of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in the framework of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It focused on the research climate and attractiveness of the European Research Area (ERA) and tried to identify ways to create a better environment for researchers in Europe, foster young talent for research and their engagement in ERA, and develop research skills and an entrepreneurial mindset among young researchers.
http://www.eramobility.cz/
European University Association (EUA): Masters’ Degrees
EUA has published a Survey of Master’s Degrees in Europe. The study shows that the Master’s degree will play a crucial role as vertical mobility increases. The study stresses that the provision of Masters’ degrees needs to be more flexible if it is to meet labour market needs.
http://www.eua.be/index.php?id=1075
Eurydice: Data on the European Higher Education Area
Eurydice has published Higher Education in Europe 2009: Developments in the Bologna Process. This report aims to assess the impact of developments in the Bologna decade and identify the main challenges for the European Higher Education Area in the future.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/Eurydice/showPresentation?pubid=099EN
Spain/Portugal: Iberian Area of Research
Spanish and Portuguese rectors met in Coimbra in April. They discussed the creation of an Iberian Area of Research and the promotion of new forms of collaboration between the two countries, as well as the creation of Iberian doctorates. The meeting culminated in the Coimbra Declaration.
http://www.crue.org/export/sites/Crue/doc_portada/8_05_09_Declaracion_Coimbra.pdf (in Spanish)
Inter-Regional Cooperation
Asia/Europe: Ministerial Meeting on Education
The Second Asia-Europe Ministerial Meeting on Education which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 14 to 14 May 2009 comprised two sessions: Quality assurance, Credit Recognition and Transfer in ASEM and Sustainable Human Resource Development for ASEM Future Needs.
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/MinisterialMeetings/?id=249
Asia/Europe: Joint and Double Degrees
The EU-Asia Higher Education Platform (EAHEP) has released the presentations from the Workshop on Student Mobility, Joint Degree Programmes and Institutional Development which was held from February 16 to 17, 2009, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting aimed at investigating opportunities for improving academic quality through international collaboration in curriculum development and student mobility, with a particular focus on joint and double degrees.
http://www.eahep.org/web/index.php/events/workshops/joint-degrees-malaysia/
111-joint-degrees.html
Ireland/Africa: Research Capacity Building
The 3rd Workshop for research capacity building took place in Maputo, Mozambique, from 11 to 14 May 2009. It was attended by researchers from Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Ireland and studied: health, education, gender, and ICT.
http://www.irishafricanpartnership.ie/content/workshop3
Japan/Africa: State of Science and Technology in Africa
The Bureau of Science and Technology Policy of the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan has released the African Science and Technology Research Mission Overview, a document reporting on a mission conducted between February 18 and March 8, 2009 that aimed at evaluating the current state of science and technology in Africa in order to promote exchanges in the area.
http://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/others/200902africamission.html
Spain/Latin America/Russian Federation: Structure to Enhance University Cooperation
The first meeting between rectors of Spanish, Latin American and Russian universities took place in the Casa de América. The need was felt to set up a permanent committee for cooperation between the Conference of Russian Rectors and the Conference of Spanish Rectors, as well as a Hispanic-Russian university network to encourage the study of Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, joint Master’s degrees; and the creation of a programme that would be similar to Erasmus but for the Ibero-American Area and Russia.
http://www.crue.org/boletines/BOLETIN_N35/Boletin35.html#ei3 (in Spanish)
United Kingdom/Africa: Higher and Further Education Partnerships
The second issue of the Newsletter of the Africa Unit, UK-Africa higher and further education partnerships, describes its mission and strategic objectives and lists UK and African institutions looking for partners.
http://www.ukafricapartnerships.org/Resources/Africa%20Unit/Newsletters/Africa%20Unit
%20April%20Newsletter%20(Electronic)%20(A).pdf
United States of America/Africa: Grant Competition - Results
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Higher Education for Development (HED) have announced the 40 paired winning institutions in the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Grant Competition. Grants will be used to address African regional and national economic development priorities.
http://www.hedprogram.org/tabid/225/itemid/194/Twenty-Partnerships-Awarded-USAID
Funded-Grants-in.aspx
United States of America/Russian Federation: Cooperative Education Programmes
In 2009, the U.S.-Russia programme of Improving Research and Educational Activities in Higher Education will offer three grants in scientific disciplines to higher education institutions in the Russian Federation and the USA in order to strengthen partnerships and cooperation between the two countries. Deadline: July 7, 2009.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/fipserussia/applicant.html
National and institutional initiatives
Australia: Impact of Higher Education Investment on the National EconomyUniversities Australia supports the idea that university reforms will drive the economic recovery. Its analysis is based on the outcomes of a report prepared by KPMG Econtech called Economic Modelling of Improved Funding and Reform Arrangements for Universities which was conducted to measure the economic impact of larger investments in higher education and research.
http://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/documents/publications/policy/
submissions/KPMG-Econtech-April-2009.pdf
Australia: Higher and Vocational Education Sectors
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has released the paper Reflections on the tertiary education sector in Australia which discusses the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and examines student and institution characteristics in both the higher education and the VET sectors, and the movements of students between the two sectors.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/pubs/confs/ReflectionsTertiary_Nov08_Karmel.pdf
Australia: Publications on Higher Education Outcomes and Non-completion
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has released:
- the Graduate Pathways Survey (GPS), a study conducted for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations that examines graduates’ education and employment outcomes five years after completion of a bachelor degree at an Australian university. It stresses, amongst other results, the inequities between men and women in terms of salaries.
http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/GPS_FullReport.pdf
- the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE), conducted in 2008, reveals that one in three higher education students considers leaving higher education prior to completion of their studies.
http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/AUSSE_2008-StudentEngagementReport.pdf
Bahrain: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Projects
Bahrain has recently announced two new projects in the field of science and technology. The first – ‘@barhain’ – will consist of a technology research institute, a technology park and a ‘techntainment’ centre. The second – a ‘higher education city’ will constitute an internet-based ‘e-University’ for the Asia and Middle East regions.
http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa/news/
bahrain-invests-in-science-and-technology-innovati.html
Brazil: New National Secondary Education Examination
The Ministério da Educação of Brazil is in the process of replacing the current secondary school leaving certificate by a new diploma: the Exame Nacional de Ensino Médio - Enem. Federal universities were requested to confirm whether they would adopt the Enem as a criterion for entry to the university before the end of May. Criteria for a unified selection system (Sistema de Seleção Unificada) are also discussed.
http://portal.mec.gov.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=
article&id=13392:universidades-devem-definir-ate-fim-de-maio-se-
adotam-o-novo-enem&catid=212&Itemid=86 (in Portuguese)
Canada: Bologna Process and Canadian Universities
The report of the symposium organized in January 2009 by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) on The Bologna Process and Implications for Canada's Universities analyses the impact of the Bologna Process on Canadian higher education and on Canadian/European university partnerships.
http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/bologna_report_e.pdf
Canada: Impact of Development Research on Public Policy
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has released the study Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research. Based on the analysis of 23 IDRC-funded research projects, it analyses the impact of development research on public policy and development progress.
http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/417-8/
Canada: Diaspora Faculty and International Research Collaboration for Development
The summary of outcomes of the policy dialogue on Fostering effective engagement of Canadian university diaspora faculty in international research collaboration for development, organized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), proposes examples of institutional good practices and models for international research collaboration using the diaspora.
http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/reports/2009/diaspora_summary_web_e.pdf
Canada: Research Excellence
The Government of Canada has announced the winners of the first phase of the inaugural competition for the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) programme. Forty proposals submitted by 17 universities - in the areas of environmental sciences and technologies; natural resources and energy; health and related life sciences and technologies; and information and communication technologies - were selected. They will participate in the second phase of the competition.
http://www.cerc.gc.ca/releases-communiques/nr-co-20090423-eng.shtml
Canada: Social Sciences and Humanities Research
The Government of Canada has announced an investment of $136 million to support some 2,500 researchers in the fields of social sciences and humanities.
http://www.sshrc.ca/site/whatsnew-quoi_neuf/pr-communiques/2009/standard-ordinaires-eng.aspx
Canada: University Libraries
The study on development trends in university libraries in Quebec (L’évolution des bibliothèques universitaires québécoises: un aperçu statistique 1991-2007) provides a detailed statistical analysis of the human, financial, material and documentation resources of university libraries.
http://www.crepuq.qc.ca/IMG/pdf/Evolution_BUQ_apercu_statistique_1991-2007.pdf (in French)
China: Online Higher Education Application
The China Education and Research Network (CERN) has announced the creation of CHIWEST, an electronic admission platform to centralise international students’ applications to Chinese universities.
http://www.edu.cn/Internationaledu_1499/20090417/t20090417_373292.shtml*
http://www.e-admission.edu.cn (platform)
China, Hong-Kong: Public Consultation on the Higher Education System
The University Grants Committee (UGC) is encouraging public contributions on educational issues and trends as part of the newly-launched Higher Education Review 2010 (HER 2010) to support the Government in its definition of the future orientations of the national higher education system. Deadline: June 30, 2009.
http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/other/2009/public_views_herg.htm
China, Taiwan: Green Campuses
The Ministry of Education held a campus energy-saving promotion achievements press conference on April 22, 2009 to communicate on outcomes of initiatives taken in universities to curve climate change and global warming over the past year. The main energy-saving initiatives highlighted were the Electricity Use Checkups Manual which will be distributed in some 163 universities and the introduction of the ISO 14064 standard for greenhouse gas emissions in campuses.
http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=10941&ctNode=516&mp=1
China, Taiwan: Higher Education-Industry Seminar to improve Employability
The Ministry of Education has announced the launch of a series of four seminars entitled 2009 Human Resource Upgrades for Future Employment where higher education and industry stakeholders will meet to discuss the orientations and funding of higher education and higher education quality and reactivity to market needs in order to improve students’ employability and national competitiveness.
http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=10954&ctNode=2225&mp=1
Denmark: Services to the Public Sector
Universities Denmark has published Research-based public-sector services. The report establishes common concepts and terminology for public services carried out by the universities for the government. Furthermore, it presents a series of recommendations for an appropriate inclusion of such government services within the total portfolio of activities of the universities.
http://www.ubst.dk/institutioner-og-okonomi/universitetsevalueringen-i-2009/
evalueringspanelets-andet-mode/2.52%20Research-based%20public-sector%20
services%20April%202009.pdf
Ethiopia: Educational Research for Development – Conference
The College of Education of Addis Ababa University organized an International Conference on Educational Research for Development from May 13 to 15. It included sessions on: teacher education; education research paradigm; early childhood and special need education; higher education: innovation and challenges; gender, adult and environmental education.
http://www.aau.edu.et/workshop/tschedule.html
Finland: Innovation University
TIEKE Finnish Information Technology Development Centre, a non-profit organisation, has published ICT Cluster Finland Review 2009 as a contribution to the aim of the Finnish Government to develop the world's best innovation system, in which universities play the leading role. The flagship project in the reform, the new Finnish innovation university – the Aalto University – will be created through a merger of 3 existing universities to lead the way.
http://www.tieke.fi/mp/db/file_library/x/IMG/36422/file/ictcluster09_net.pdf
France: Strategy for Research and Innovation
This first edition of the French national strategy for research and innovation was written in order to propose solutions to coordinate the efforts in the field at the national level and better face world scientific and economic competition.
http://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/pid20797/
strategie-nationale-de-la-recherche-et-de-l-innovation.html (in French)
Germany: Researchers’ Pension Schemes
The German Rectors’ Conference thinks that pension schemes are obstructing the mobility of academics and scientists in Europe and proposes recommendations for universities, the insurance companies and pension schemes and the Federal Government and Federal State Governments.
http://www.hrk.de/eng/download/dateien/PM_Mobilitaet_gm.pdf
Italy: University Student’s Summit
In order to allow students’ voices to be heard, the Conference of Italian University Rectors and Italy’s UNESCO Commission organized the G8 University Student’s Summit in Palermo in May. Universities from Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia and the Arab Nations that border the Mediterranean took part. Topics addressed included education for sustainable development; lawfulness and the legacy of peace. The meeting gave rise to a Declaration.
http://www.g8universitystudent.com/pagine/pagina.aspx?ID=Declaration001&L=EN
Japan: White Paper on Science and Technology
The Ministry of Higher Education (MEXT) has released the provisional translation of its annual White Paper on Science and Technology for the year 2008. Subtitled The State of Science and Science and Technology in Transcending the Storm of Fierce International Competition, it investigates the progress of international competition in the fields of science and technology, takes stock of the situation at the national level and proposes measures to promote science and technology in terms of priorities, reforms and funding.
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/wp/1260270.htm
Malaysia: Audit of Higher Education Institutions
The Minister of Higher Education has announced an auditing scheme of 20 public universities and 29 private higher learning institutions to be launched in August. Monitored by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), the Malaysian Benchmarking System for Institutions of Higher Learning (Setara) was created to reinforce recognition of Malaysian higher education at both the national and the international level.
http://www.lan.gov.my/berita/may09/Quality%20Audit%20of%20All%20Universities
%20-%20NST,%206%20May%202009_doc.pdf
Mexico: Higher Education Coverage
In a speech delivered during the first national conference on student and academic staff mobility organized by the common higher education area (Espacio Común de Educación Superior – ECOES) in April 2009, the Rector of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México emphasized the need to strengthen the higher education coverage of the country.
http://www.ecoes.unam.mx/img/cartel/PROGRAMA_COLOQUIO_ECOES.pdf (in Spanish)
Mexico: University Autonomy
The participants of the forum on the reform of the constitution on university autonomy (La reforma al Artículo 6o. Constitucional en las Universidades Públicas Autónomas: Un Debate Nacional) have confirmed that transparency and access to information are strengthening university autonomy.
http://www.comunicacionuniversitaria.uam.mx/boletines/indice/abril-20-09a.html (in Spanish)
New Zealand: Pasifika Strategy 2009-2012
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has released the Pasifika Strategy 2009-2012 that provides an overview of Pasifika education, including higher education, details the strategy in terms of focus areas and key actions over the next three years and discusses how it will adjust to other governmental strategies.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/publications/docs/pasifika-strategy09.pdf
New Zealand: Higher Education Completion; Fields of Studies Chosen - Publications
Education Counts has released:
- A closer look at completion in higher education in New Zealand, a study on New Zealand’s low qualification completion rate that analyses the impact of part-time studying and compares New Zealand’s rates to those of other countries.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/42071/
A-Closer-Look-At-Completion-In-Higher-Education-In-New-Zealand-journal-final.pdf
- Trends in fields of study of bachelor’s degree graduates in New Zealand, a study on field of study preferences at the bachelor’s level and changes between 2002 and 2006.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/41945/
Bachelor_Grads_Fos_Trends.pdf
New Zealand: Higher Education in Economic Recovery
The New Zealand Vice Chancellor’s Committee (NVCC) advocates for the role of higher education as a key element in economic recovery.
http://www.nzvcc.ac.nz/node/396
A position confirmed in NVCC’s reaction to the release by the NZ Institute of Economic Research Inc (NZIER) - a non-profit incorporated society – of a discussion paper called The unemployment challenge - Labour market policies for the recession that identifies investment in training as one solution to reviving the economy.
http://www.nzvcc.ac.nz/node/399
http://www.nzier.org.nz/includes/download.aspx?ID=102100 (Discussion paper)
Nigeria: Massification and Quality of Higher Education
A paper on Massification and quality in tertiary education: The Nigerian experience written by two academics from Lagos University was posted on the African Higher Education Research Online (AHERO) repository.
http://ahero.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=cshe&action=viewtitle&id=cshe_503
Pakistan: PhD Directory
The Higher Education Commission has created the first Directory of PhDs issued by Pakistani universities between 1947 and 2007. A search engine allows seeking out theses according to the following criteria: name of scholar, subject, title, year of award of degree, name of supervisor and name of the institution.
http://hec.gov.pk/content/Director_Phd.html
Sweden: Higher Education and the Employment Market
The results of the calculations about the future balance in the employment market that Statistics Sweden has carried out in collaboration with the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education and included in the report Higher education and the employment market: planning for the academic year 2009/10 showed that there was a risk of a shortage of doctors, nurses and other health professionals if the number of study places was not increased; there was a need to increase places in undergraduate programmes in engineering; there was already a shortage of teachers, particularly early childhood and vocational teachers; etc.
http://www.hsv.se/aboutus/publications/reports/reports/2009/
highereducationandtheemploymentmarketplanningfortheacademicyear
200910.5.25f5fc89120437ec9bb7ffe1666.html
Switzerland: Strategic Plan 2012-2016
The CRUS is elaborating its strategic plan for the years 2012-2016. It is based on a reflection on the role of Swiss universities in society, the independence of research and equal opportunities.
http://www.crus.ch/index.php?id=1590&L=1 (in French)
Switzerland: Portal for Researchers
On May 5, 2009 the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities launched the Swiss Euraxess Portal for Researchers. It provides useful information for researchers moving to Switzerland, job adverts and a section on the Charter and Code for Researchers, which was signed by the CRUS in 2005. The portal also contains the contact details of the regional Euraxess Service Centers at the Swiss universities, which provide proximity assistance to incoming researchers and their families.
http://www.euraxess.ch
United Kingdom: Academic Standards
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has published its report into academic standards in higher education. It focuses on five areas: student workload and contact hours; English language requirements for international students; recruitment practices for international students; the use of external examiners, and assessment practices.
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/standardsandquality/thematicenquiries/FinalReportApril09.pdf
United Kingdom: Student Learning Experience in UK
The Higher Education Policy Institute has published The Academic Experience of Students in English Universities. The main conclusion to be drawn from the 2009 survey is that there has been little change since the previous surveys. As far as the total amount of contact with staff that students receive is concerned, there has been no statistically significant change. However, there does appear to have been a small increase in the amount of private study that students undertake.
http://www.hepi.ac.uk/downloads/40Theacademicexperienceofstudents2009.pdf
United Kingdom: Student Learning Experience in UK and Europe
The Open University’s Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (CHERI) was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to undertake a study on diversity in the student learning experience Diversity in the student learning experience and time devoted to study: a comparative analysis of the UK and European evidence. It focuses on the hours students devote to study activity, but the investigation also takes account of other factors and different ways of thinking about the student experience.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2009/rd06_09/rd06_09.pdf
United Kingdom: Internships at Graduate Level
Graduates who wish to boost their skills for employment will obtain help through the Graduate Talent Pool initiative which will assist in matching people to internships. The internships will help graduates to build on the skills they acquired through their degree and to prove themselves to employers.
http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/graduate_talent_pool_launch.aspx
United States of America: Public Higher Education and the Economic Crisis
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) has published a report entitled Public Institution and University System: Financial Conditions Survey. It analyses how the U.S. public higher education sector is facing up to the current financial constraints.
http://www.agb.org/user-assets/Documents/center/BudgetReportonPublicsApril2009.pdf
United States of America: Study Abroad
A bill to establish the Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation has been introduced in House. This bill aims, through the establishment of an independent public-private partnership programme, to increase participation in studies abroad, making this experience available to U.S. students from all backgrounds and encouraging study abroad in developing countries.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-473
United States of America: International Students
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a study entitled Higher Education: Approaches to Attract and Fund International Students in the United States and Abroad. This comparative report analyses the policies of the U.S. and five other Governments/Institutions (Australia, China, the European Commission, Germany, and the United Kingdom) to attract and fund international students.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09379.pdf
United States of America: Internationalization of Higher Education
The portal of the new Inter-Association Network on Campus Internationalization (INCI), a network composed of 11 U.S. institutions, provides higher education institutions with access to resources on the internationalization of campuses.
http://campusinternationalization.wordpress.com/about/international-collaboration/
United States of America: Fulbright Scholar Program
The Council of International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), a Division of the Institute of International Education (IIE), has released a report entitled Building International Connections for U.S. Universities: Fulbright Scholar Program. It outlines the impact of the Fulbright Program experience on the internationalization of U.S. higher education.
http://www.cies.org/college_admin/download/InsImpact_InternationalConnections.pdf
United States of America: Privatization of Higher Education
The March 2009 Issue Brief on Privatization in Higher Education: Cross-Country Analysis of Trends, Policies, Problems, and Solutions, released by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) analyses the movement toward privatization in higher education in four countries: Brazil, Mongolia, the Netherlands and Ukraine. It also reports on Government policies and attitudes toward privatization in these countries.
http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/publications/m-r/(Issue_Brief)_
Privatization_in_Higher_Education-Cross_Country_Analysis_of_Trends__
Policies__Problems__and_Solutions.pdf
United States of America: Minority Students
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and the Wal-Mart Foundation have selected the first Wal-Mart Minority Student Success Institutions. They will receive a $100,000 grant each.
http://www.ihep.org/press-room/news_release-detail.cfm?id=165
Venezuela: Access to Higher Education
The Office for University Planning of the Ministry of Higher Education has finalized the development of the unique register to higher education (Registro Único al Sistema Nacional de Ingreso a la Educación Superior – RUSNIES).
http://www.opsu.gob.ve/extranet/rrpp/noticias/index.php?id_not=179 (in Spanish)
Vietnam: China Support to Higher Education in Vietnam
The Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister of Vietnam went to China in May to seek assistance for Vietnam’s higher education sector. China has agreed to train 1,000 PhD students by 2020, the Bachelor’s degree was bilaterally recognized and Vietnamese institutions would be evaluated by the Inspection Department of the Chinese Ministry of Education and Transport.
http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=01EDU040509
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