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Joint Degrees Recognition lessons from an EUA project

Joint Degrees Recognition lessons from an EUA project. Lewis Purser, EUA Dublin 13 September 2004. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW. Background to growing interest in Joint Degrees EUA Joint Masters project overview Project outcomes Burning issues Universities Ireland work on joint programmes

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Joint Degrees Recognition lessons from an EUA project

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  1. Joint Degrees Recognitionlessons from an EUA project Lewis Purser, EUA Dublin 13 September 2004

  2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW • Background to growing interest in Joint Degrees • EUA Joint Masters project overview • Project outcomes • Burning issues • Universities Ireland work on joint programmes • Recognition aspects

  3. Joint Degrees : why? • Academic diversification and specialisation • Increasing importance of the “European dimension” • Increasing awareness of need for inter-institutional cooperation and arrangements • Enhanced communication and learning infrastructures • Bologna Process

  4. Joint Degrees : challenges • transparency and agreement on degree structures • student and professor mobility • joint curriculum development • proper use of ECTS • language policy • inter-institutional agreements • recognition • finances • ….

  5. Background Research • Before 2002, little research into actual joint programmes & masters degrees in Europe • EUA Survey on Master Degrees and Joint Degrees in Europe, Christian Tauch and Andrejs Rauhvargers (Sept 2002) diversity of Master degree structures legal recognition difficulties for joint degrees Bilateral programmes more frequent than joint programmes Joint programmes more common at Master and Doctoral levels

  6. EUA Joint Masters ProjectJune ‘02 – Jan ‘04 • Open call for participation • 11 existing programmes selected by independent panel • Programmes should demonstrate innovation, cover a wide geographical spread, offer disciplinary variety • Over 100 institutions involved • Networks varied from 4 - 31 institutions

  7. 11 Selected Networks • European Urban Culture • European Construction Engineering • International Trade/ European Integration • Euroculture • International Humanitarian Assistance • International management • Interdisciplinary Law and Economics • Labour Studies • International Health/ Tropical Medicine • Water and Coastal Management • Comparative European Social Studies

  8. Goals of the Project • Demonstrate and disseminate good practice to all interested • Formulate recommendations for future joint programmes, and to help ensure sustainability of existing programmes • Indicate structural changes needed in Europe and institutions to make Joint Masters a permanent feature of the EHEA

  9. Project Themes • Quality Assurance and Recognition • Student Experience and Mobility • Course Integration and Sustainability

  10. Project Activities • Project launch, Sept 2002 • Info & analysis • Internal Network Meetings (self-evaluation) • Qualitative Research Project • Inter-Network Meeting • EUA Cluj conference, October 2003 (first presentation of findings) • Published report, June 2004

  11. Project Findings: Who benefits? • Students: expansion of minds & opportunities • Academics: development of research & teaching networks • Institutions: enhance reputation & institutional cooperation • Europe: respond to professional development needs; European citizenship & inter-cultural understanding; global recognition of European strengths

  12. Burning Issues : definitions and structures • Variety of course structures – linked to subject/student numbers/research/institutional capacity/priorities etc - & no desire for standardisation / European model • Length of Master degrees (tendency in this group 60-75 ECTS) • Purpose of Master degrees (self-standing vs integrated; academic vs professional) • On-going recognition barriers • Quality assurance for trans-national programmes

  13. Burning Issues II: funding and compatibility • Incompatible national funding frameworks – tuition fees, portability of grants/loans; social security and pension transferability etc • Distribution of limited resources across institutions in differing socio-economic contexts • Programme sustainability and development in a competitive environment

  14. Burning Issues III: academic coherence • Decentralised admission – variable entrance criteria • Articulation with Bachelor and PhD programmes • Impact on research? (No assessment) • Language of instruction: is one language sufficient? • Common standards - ECTS not used consistently • Grading & assessment: difficult to coordinate • Diploma Supplement – not used

  15. Burning Issues IV: access • Programmes tend to attract élite students - young, single, able-bodied and affluent • Lack of support for students from under-represented groups – funding, child-care, needs of disabled etc • geographical exclusion : especially South East and Central and Eastern Europe • Concern that costs will increase & intensify these issues

  16. Cluj Conference Outcomes • Institutional policies and strategies – crucial dimension for long-term success • Joint degrees will not work in all fields – must be clear value added • Recommendation to EUA to work on trans-national quality assurance / recognition • Greater funding incentives for institutions are required (Erasmus Mundus not sufficient) • Interest from CEE in joint degrees with Western European universities for curriculum development/modernisation - but particular funding support needed • Need for targeted funding for students with low socio-economic status within Europe

  17. Universities Ireland • Loose umbrella body for 9 universities on island of Ireland • Stated policy of improved cooperation, in context of Good Friday agreement • Study underway on harmonising regulations, awarding joint degrees and integrating credit transfer arrangements between universities in Ireland • Also includes university / IT / FE cooperation • Many similar issues coming up regarding provision, and recognition of joint programmes

  18. Recognition aspects • Need for institutions and national bodies to look closely at these • Legal and “traditional” obstacles still abound • Recent additional protocol to the Lisbon Recognition Convention concerning Joint Degrees

  19. Further information • EUA Joint Masters Project report, June ‘04 www.eua.be • EUA Survey on Master Degrees and Joint Degrees in Europe (Tauch, Rauhvargers), Sept ‘02 www.eua.be • Universities Ireland project www.universitiesireland.ie • Erasmus Mundus http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus.htm • Lisbon Recognition Convention http://culture.coe.int • EUA Contacts Kate Geddie kate.geddie@eua.be Lewis Purser lewis.purser@eua.unige.ch

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