Humanities master¡¯s to be shortened under ¡®radical¡¯ Danish plans

Universities and businesses in?Denmark have been knocked sideways by?government plans to?compress 바카라사이트 length of?some postgraduate programmes from two years to?one.

The reform would halve 바카라사이트 length of 35?per cent of?master¡¯s degrees, with 바카라사이트 squeeze being applied most heavily in?바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities, which would see 70?per cent of programmes compressed.

The changes, designed to ¡°prepare 바카라사이트 students better for 바카라사이트 labour market¡± in 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 education minister, Jesper Petersen, would leave 90?per cent of medical and 70?per cent of natural sciences and technical courses untouched at two years in?length.

¡°What kind of understanding of those programmes is that?¡± asked Hanne Andersen, rector of Roskilde University, linking 바카라사이트 uneven disciplinary squeeze to?long-standing pressure?on?바카라사이트 arts and humanities?by?recent Danish governments.

¡°It is quite a thing to change an education system which is part of Bologna and has quality in it, to think you can take away one year and it will be better,¡± she said, referring to 바카라사이트 intergovernmental process that has helped standardise three-year bachelor¡¯s and two-year master¡¯s across Europe.

She said one-year humanities master¡¯s would be ¡°less attractive¡± to students and would also be out of step with what companies want, citing a??commissioned by 바카라사이트 Danish Engineering Association that predicted a shortage of 16,000 social studies graduates by 2030, versus 13,000 for engineering, technology and?IT.

¡°We don¡¯t think that we could put genuine quality into a four-year university education,¡± said Jesper Langergaard, director of Danish Universities, which will represent 바카라사이트 country¡¯s eight universities in talks with 바카라사이트 Ministry of Higher Education and Science about 바카라사이트 ¡°very radical¡± proposals.

¡°I have difficulty seeing [how] 바카라사이트 ones who have difficulty getting jobs after five years?[will find it easier] after four,¡± said Mads Eriksen, head of education and research policy at 바카라사이트 Danish Chamber of Commerce.

He said one of 바카라사이트 strengths of 바카라사이트 current Danish system was its longer master¡¯s programmes, which better prepared graduates for work by allowing time for internships. ¡°It¡¯s actually 바카라사이트 balance between 바카라사이트ory and practice which is challenged with this proposal,¡± he added.

¡°If you¡¯re going to do a good Sunday roast, you cannot just put it in 바카라사이트 oven on 500?degrees and [hope] it will be ready in 20 minutes,¡± said Mr Langergaard. ¡°It takes time to prepare a good meal, and it takes time to get quality in education.¡±

In addition to 바카라사이트 new one-year master¡¯s programmes, 바카라사이트 government wants vocational master¡¯s, which allow 25?hours of work a?week alongside studies, to be available for all subjects.

While 바카라사이트 proposals were greeted with shock by many, 바카라사이트y come after a government-appointed reform commission recommended ¡°a?fundamental rethinking¡± of Danish master¡¯s programmes.

The seven-strong commission panel, which included five academics and 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 national accreditation council, said new postgraduate options were needed, noting that almost all bachelor¡¯s students continue to 바카라사이트ir subject¡¯s respective master¡¯s course, which 바카라사이트y said are best suited for training researchers or high-level specialists.

¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to hear 바카라사이트 minister say on national television that we are only educating for research,¡± said Roskilde¡¯s Professor Andersen, adding that universities were not collectively consulted on 바카라사이트 ¡°massive¡± reforms.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com