Beijing a. charon wauters 2

Beijing, October 15, 2006

Internationalization in European Higher Education

Trends and Tools

Antoinette CHARON WAUTERSUniversity of Lausanne, Switzerland

European Association for International Education

IAU International Conference Internationalization of HE New Directions, New Challenges

Beijing - October 12-15, 2006


Internationalization of European Higher Education

SUMMARY

I. Some World FiguresII. European Specific TrendsIII. Three European Tools

Erasmus Mundus, ECTS, Diploma supplement

IV. Impact on International RelationsV. Role of Associations (EAIE)VI. Conclusions


I. Some world figures/1

Education outside home country

• In 2004, 2.7 million HE students were enrolled outside their country of citizenship

= 8% increase since 2003

• France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, receive more than 50 % of all foreign students worldwide.

(OECD and UNESCO)


I. Some World Figures/2

0%United States

23%

United Kingdom12%

Germany11%France

10%

Australia7%

Japan5%

China 5%

Other27%

Source: IIE, UNESCO

Top destination countries

3 European countries:33%



Foreign students as % of students in HE

Australia Switzerland New Zealand

EU 25 Norway USA Japan Russia Korea

18.7 17.7 13.5 6.2 5.2 3.5 2.2 0.8 0.2

2003 (Eurostat and OECD)



Where does European HE stand?

• In the 2006 ranking of the ‘Times Higher Education Supplement’ last week, among the 100 best HE institutions worldwide, there are 41 European institutions:

• UK 15• Netherlands 7• France 5• Switzerland 5• Germany 3• Belgium 2• Denmark 1• Russia 1• Ireland 1• Austria 1

and many challengers!


II. European Specific Trends/1

Some of the European Universities challenges (a reminder)

• Be more local / more European / more global• Increase mobility within Europe / attract more students and

scholars from outside Europe• Improve academic quality / be more responsive to labour market

by providing more employable skills• Provide compatible curricula across Europe / maintain cultural

diversity• Etc…

...and, of course, do all of it with decreasing /freezed public funds!



The 2 main inputs - at least for the continental Europe - have been given by the European Union and by the Bologna Process

• The Bologna process forces the European HE institutions to restructure their degrees but they are moving at different speed whichis not always easy to follow mainly for non-Europeans partners

• This harmonization facilitates the vertical mobility from Ba to Ma butnot necessarily the horizontal mobility

• Vertical mobility leads to the development of an HE market attempting to attract MA students but this was not a tradition in the majority of our continental, non-English speaking universities

• The European Credit Transfer System is a real benefit for recognition but also a potential hindrance as not all European institutions areusing ECTS in the same way.



• Many institutions introduce English taught courses butalso- for some institutions – exists a willingness to develop a multilingual tradition, even if this is difficult and runs against the current stream

• Budget cuts create an increasing competition between universities to attract fee paying students but in many countries the universities are forbidden by law to raise fees from the students; some are presently changing the law for non-European students

and• Many institutions are receptive to having graduates -

and staff - with an improved knowledge of other parts of the world and increasingly of emerging parts


III. Three European Tools/1On the 3 tools, 1 is a ‘closed shop’ the 2 others areopened to anyone willing to use them.

The The ‘‘external dimensionexternal dimension’’ of European Higher Education is theof European Higher Education is the laswheel of the ‘Bologna’ carriage, but is now the subject of increasing interest and activity and in the European Union context this leads to an increasing programme activity

ERASMUS MUNDUSProgramme launched to make European HE more attractive and enhance its quality, accessibility and visibility by having - among other actions - international master degrees attracting third countries students and partnership with third countries institutionsfor European student and faculty mobility


III. Three European Tools/2ERASMUS MUNDUS(academic years 2004-6)

(1) INWARD MOBILITY• 57 Masters Courses, wide variety of disciplines (hard, soft and life

sciences) 21 European countries for inward mobility170 third-country scholars and 950 third-country students from nearly100 countries, selected for scholarships

56.7% Asians16.8% North or South Americans12.6% Africans12.4% Europeans1.5% from Oceania.

(2) OUTWARD MOBILITY• Partnership with 3rd countries institutions for outward mobility

17 European countries (strongest : UK, France, Germany, Norway)17 third countries (strongest : Brazil, USA, Australia, China, SAfrica)Mobility for 570 EU-students and 120 scholars to third countries


III. Three European Tools/3

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and accumulation System)

Curriculum transparency toolCommon recognition tool

1. Make study programmes easier to read and compare2. Facilitate mobility and academic recognition3. Help universities to organize and revise the study programmes4. Allow application to all types of programmes5. Serve both mobile and non-mobile students6. Utilize for accumulation within an institution and for transfer

between institutions

And, of course,7. Make European Higher Education more attractive !



ECTS (European Credit Transfer and accumulation System)

• ECTS is a student-centred system based on student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme of study

• 60 credits feature the workload of a full-time student during one academic year to complete all planned learning activities. It amounts to around 1500-1800 hours per year, which corresponds to 25-30 student work hours per credit

• Credits can only be obtained after successful completion of the work required and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomes achieved.

Source: 'ECTS User's Guide'



DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENTDiploma transparency tool (UNESCO, Council of Europe and EU)

Supplement to the diploma, gives a full description of a successfulachieved study programme and contains:

• Information on the place of the diploma delivering institution in the national higher education system

• Information identifying the holder of the qualification• Information identifying the qualification• Information on the level of the qualification• Information on the contents and results gained• Information on the function of the qualification• Any additional information• Certification by the national higher education system.


IV. Impact on International Relations Organization/1

The role and scope of an effective Europeaninternational relations office

Classical Missions:

Development and management of institutional partnerships Development of student and staff mobility European programmesInternal coordination of international activitiesEtc.


IV. Impact on International Relations Organization/2

New tasksDevelop institution promotion abroad, marketing and recruitment strategiesRenegotiate agreements after the implementation of the Bologna new cycles and play a role in recognition of the new qualificationsDevelop activities beyond student and staff mobility: common research projects, joint diplomas, post-graduate and continuous education coursesPlay an advisory role towards the university leadershipDevelop professional skills and knowledge to face new challengesetc..

These tasks always depend on the institution profile and international strategy


V. Role of associations: the EAIE/1 The European Association for International Education through itsannual conference, information market, seminars, publications andtraining courses:

Disseminates information on HE developments worldwide Collaborates with associations worldwide to circulate information, facilitate exchanges and create new international activitiesPromotes students, faculty mobility programmes, joint degreesFacilitates meetings between partners and networkingTrains the internationalization actorsFosters exchanges of ideas on HE internationalizationFacilitates the HE institutions internationalization not only for Europeans but also for non-European partners (1/3 of the >2,000 conference participants)


«REACHING FOR NEW SHORES »

Trondheim Norway, 12-15 September 2007

www.eaie.org

V. Role of International Education Associations:

the EAIE/2


VI. Conclusions

The observed trends and existing tools have a positiveImpact on European HE internationalization

1. EHE is now forced to reinvent the internationalisation of its higher education systems

2. EHE has developed/has to develop an improving knowledge of the higher education world

3. EHE institutions have to improve or are improving the quality of their exchanges using the existing tools, inventing new ones

4. trust and understanding are developing and to be developed among HE institutions even if this this not only the time of cooperation but also the time of competition!

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