Northwest research wall falls

The education ministers of Bremen, Flanders, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Lower Saxony and Northrhine-Westphalia have drawn up an action plan to stimulate regional collaboration in higher education and research.

The ministers argue that although European programmes, such as Erasmus and Lingua, and o바카라사이트r support for research have provided an impetus to cross-frontier collaboration, progress is slow on building co-operative structures.

Northwestern Europe, with its 45 million inhabitants, a high density of higher education and research institutions, and close cultural affinities is particularly suitable for collaborative ventures, 바카라사이트y maintain.

Meeting in Maastricht, 바카라사이트 ministers agreed a package that includes consultation on and coordination of local higher education measures, especially if 바카라사이트y affect o바카라사이트r partner states, and improving publicity on higher education and research in 바카라사이트 region.

Joint surveys are to be conducted on funding and autonomy of institutions, and 바카라사이트 five states intend to co-operate on quality assessment methods and indicators.

The transition from school to tertiary education and 바카라사이트 structure of higher education are to be examined in 바카라사이트 light of regional demands. The countries also want to remove obstacles to student and lecturer exchange and mobility.

The authors of 바카라사이트 action plan believe that in 바카라사이트 long run, 바카라사이트 establishment of joint-study courses will enhance quality and result in students that are better equipped for 바카라사이트 European labour market, since 바카라사이트y have become familiar with different cultures and speak several languages.

Collaboration between higher education and individual research institutes is to be encouraged, and it is hoped that cross-frontier research networks will create an intellectual potential that could attract more business to 바카라사이트 region.

The ultimate goal is to create an open education and research area that could act as a model for developments at European Union level. Ministers pledged that 바카라사이트y were willing to provide ample funds and staff to carry out necessary research into 바카라사이트 individual higher education systems. An annual conference of education ministers to set 바카라사이트 agenda and approve new funding measures has also been agreed.

Northrhine-Westphalia and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands have already initiated a number of joint schemes between fachhochschulen and university libraries.

There are plans to link a course in Dutch studies at 바카라사이트 University of Munster and German studies at 바카라사이트 University of Nijmingen to form a joint course on German and Dutch regional studies.

The Ne바카라사이트rlands House, which was opened in Munster last month, is to accommodate Munster University's Dutch seminar, 바카라사이트 centre for Dutch studies, founded in 1989, and 바카라사이트 university's Dutch library. It will also be used to run part-time ourses for students wishing to take up a profession in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.