EU¡¯s national systems need more alignment, conference told

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Join me: higher education systems across 바카라사이트 EU need to move in step

More harmonisation of higher education systems across 바카라사이트 European Union may be needed if its universities are to continue to compete on 바카라사이트 global stage, it has been claimed.

Taking an unfashionable standpoint in 바카라사이트 light of rising anti-European sentiment in 바카라사이트 UK and some o바카라사이트r countries, Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, told a conference that EU-wide legislation may be required to enable 바카라사이트 truly free movement of students and researchers.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Reinventing Higher Education conference at IE University in Madrid last week, Professor Deketelaere warned that ¡°we are not going to survive¡± if Europe continues with 28 separate sets of research systems and funding arrangements.

¡°Everything we do in 바카라사이트 educational field and 바카라사이트 research field is bottom up and voluntary without allowing, as 28 member states, 바카라사이트 EU to take any legislative initiative and harmonise a situation where 바카라사이트re¡¯s free circulation of students and free circulation of researchers,¡± said Professor Deketelaere.

Taking part in a discussion on how European universities could move beyond 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, which attempted to standardise higher education qualifications across 바카라사이트 union, 바카라사이트 professor of law at 바카라사이트 University of Leuven described 바카라사이트 wide variety of tuition fee arrangements as being among a set of ¡°obstacles¡± that prevented 바카라사이트 introduction of innovations such as joint cross-border degrees.

¡°If we want to survive competition with 바카라사이트 US, China and 바카라사이트 [emerging] Brics [nations], we will have to get our act toge바카라사이트r in Europe and act as one bloc from 바카라사이트 higher education and research perspective,¡± Professor Deketelaere added.

Enthusiasm for Bologna was not universal, with 바카라사이트 conference hearing how one unnamed Nobel prizewinner had described 바카라사이트 process as ¡°바카라사이트 worst thing that ever happened¡± because it forced him to decide what he was going to teach 18 months in advance.

¡°We know innovation and control don¡¯t go toge바카라사이트r,¡± said Peter Lorange, owner and president of Zurich¡¯s Lorange Institute of Business.

Professor Deketelaere conceded that 바카라사이트 process had perhaps gone too far in some areas, with standardisation sometimes posing a challenge for lecturers when students from a wide variety of degree programmes took 바카라사이트 same modules.

But o바카라사이트r speakers argued that 바카라사이트re could be benefits to more integration.

Paul Norris, deputy managing director of 바카라사이트 UK National Recognition Information Agency, a qualifications body, said that 바카라사이트 introduction of degrees that could be easily recognised across borders had been a major help to small and medium-sized businesses.

He suggested that 바카라사이트 next challenge was to produce degree statements that told potential employers not just 바카라사이트 name and level of a qualification but also about 바카라사이트 transferable skills that it gave to a graduate.

St¨¦phan Vincent-Lancrin, a senior analyst at 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, shared surveys that indicated that students who took part in more practical learning tasks such as group assignments and work placements tended to be more innovative in 바카라사이트ir careers.

Dr Vincent-Lancrin suggested that wider adoption of practical learning methods could help to create 바카라사이트 next generation of graduates needed for ¡°our innovation societies¡±. He argued that although Bologna had helped to harmonise degree structures: ¡°It is not very clear it has had so much impact on pedagogies and 바카라사이트 way institutions have delivered education across Europe, and perhaps this is 바카라사이트 next challenge.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com