Regional

Qualifications Framework Approved by European Parliament

The European Parliament voted in favor of adopting the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) in October. The EQF is designed to increase the readability of qualifications across Europe by providing a broad outline of the learning outcomes expected of graduates at each level of the new European degree structure, which is being introduced as part of the Bologna reforms. Following the agreement between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the EQF will be formally adopted by the Council in the coming weeks. The EQF is also designed to help individual member states develop their own national qualifications frameworks.

The EQF outlines eight reference levels describing learning outcomes: what a learner knows, understands and is able to do regardless of where a particular qualification was acquired. The EQF is designed to shift learning from an input-based process (length of a learning experience, type of institution) by shifting the focus to learning outcomes, which in turn are designed to promote academic mobility, better integrate learning with the needs of the labor market, and facilitate the validation of non-formal learning.

– EUROPA
October 24, 2007

UK, US Universities Dominate World Rankings

University College London (UCL) and the University of Chicago were the two newcomers to the top 10 of the Times Higher Education Supplement’s 2007 world ranking of universities; a list populated solely by British and American universities. UCL jumped from 25 th in 2006 to rank ninth. The universities of Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and Yale retain the top four positions for the second year running.

The addition of the Netherlands sees 12 European countries featured in the top 50, compared to 11 in 2006. New entries in the top 50 include Amsterdam, Boston, Brown and Bristol universities, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Osaka University.

North America’s presence in the top 100 increased to 43 universities (37 in 2006) and there is one more Asian university in the top 100 than there was in 2006 (13 from 12). But the number of European universities has fallen to 35 from 41.

The top 50 universities in 2007 are as follows:

• Harvard University
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford
• Yale University
• Imperial College London
• Princeton University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• University of Chicago
• UCL (University College London)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Columbia University
• McGill University
• Duke University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Johns Hopkins University
• Australian National University
• University of Tokyo
• University of Hong Kong
• Stanford University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Cornell University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Edinburgh
• King’s College London
• Kyoto University
• Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris
• University of Melbourne
• École Polytechnique
• Northwestern University
• University of Manchester
• The University of Sydney
• Brown University
• University of British Columbia
• University of Queensland
• National University of Singapore
• Peking University
• University of Bristol
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• University of Michigan
• Tsinghua University
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
• Monash University
• University of New South Wales
• University of Toronto
• Osaka University
• Boston University
• University of Amsterdam
• New York University (NYU)
• The University of Auckland

– Times Higher Education Supplement
November 8, 2007

Cyprus

The Politics of Bologna and Northern Cyprus

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in October, and one little-mentioned item discussed was the exclusion of northern Cypriot universities from participation in the Bologna Process. The British Prime Minister promised to help the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to “engage” with Bologna, as part of a strategic partnership between the two nations – a promise being viewed with alarm on the southern Greek side of the island.

The Turkish Cypriots applied to join Bologna, but were rejected on the grounds that Northern Cyprus is not recognized as an independent political entity by any member of Bologna except Turkey. This, they say, is unfair, because it means that their academics and students at the republic’s six universities are prevented from enjoying the same rights to free movement as other countries in Europe.

The higher education system of northern Cyprus has thrived since partition in 1974, and currently 42,000 foreign students alone are enrolled in the tertiary sector. These universities believe that they will be handicapped, or even have their very existence threatened, if they are not able to offer their students the same mobility and recognition rights enjoyed in countries that have joined Bologna. Although these institutions were set up with Turkish help, they teach in English, charge fees, and are developing fast – in some cases using tuition income to construct impressive new buildings and start new programs.

So frustrated are the Northern Cypriot universities that they took their complaints to the Bologna meeting of education ministers that took place in London in May; however, no solution could be found to circumvent the politics of the island, and so the impasse continues. The Greek side states that the Northern Cypriot universities not be allowed to join Bologna because they are not accredited by a legitimate government organization.

– The Independent
November 8, 2007

Czech Republic

Research Sector Gets Boost from Government, EU Funds

The Czech Government has announced that it will provide funding aimed at transforming the nation’s best higher education institutions into research universities as part of a drive to boost the country’s science and research sector. Almost US$4.1 billion has been pledged to the sector for the period 2008 to 2010, amounting to annual increases of between 7 percent and 8 percent. The government funding comes in addition to an annual grant of $830 from the European Union.

– The Times Higher Education Supplement
November 23, 2007

‘Blue Card’ Would Target Skilled Workers

The European Commission has announced plans to introduce a Blue Card for skilled immigrants, based on the US Green Card. Under the scheme, suitably qualified people and their families would be permitted to live and work within the European Union.

The EU says it needs 20 million skilled workers over the next two decades, and is very short of expertise in engineering and computer technology. The initiative, which is more restrictive than the US Green Card, would need the approval of all 27 EU member states.

According to BBC commentators, the proposal is controversial and some countries are sure to oppose it. Critics fear that Europe’s attempt to take the best and leave the rest will only encourage a brain-drain from poorer nations. British ministers say they are studying it, but are not entirely keen on the card, preferring to develop an Australian-style points system. To be eligible, new immigrants would need to show a recognized diploma and have at least three years professional experience. They would also need the offer of a job, for a minimum one-year contract, which could not be filled by an EU citizen.

– BBC News
October 23, 2007

France

Foreign Students on Scholarships to be Guaranteed a Quality Experience

France recently introduced a new quality charter aimed at ensuring the highest of quality standards for international students holding a scholarship from the French government. The charter contains 74 performance indicators which apply to all stages of a student’s experience in France, from information and counseling before departure, to accommodation and assistance once in France, and follow-up after students return to their home country. The initiative has been implemented at the behest of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in conjunction with CampusFrance, the organization responsible for promoting French education and providing counseling and information services around the world. The long-term objective is for the charter to be applied by all French institutions for all international students studying in France, and to increase France’s competitiveness in the international-student market.

For further information: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/Charte_p1a16_BAT.pdf

– ACA Secretariat Newsletter
October 2007

Students Again Hit Streets to Protest Sarkozy Reforms

French university students are maintaining an angry stance over a law introduced by President Nicolas Sarkozy that would make their schools more market-friendly. Classes were shut down at several campuses across France early in November and students mobilized to join nationwide protests later in the month.

The reforms, passed by lawmakers in August, will make all state-run French universities independent within five years, granting them the right to control their own budgets, raise tuition and accept private donations. Proponents believe the law will make French graduates more competitive in the global marketplace by improving facilities and reducing university dropout rates. Those who protest the coming changes argue that allowing private companies to fund specific departments will diminish funding for the humanities and erode near-equal access for everyone to higher education.

– The Associated Press
November 6, 2007

Country’s Newest and Smallest University Created

France’s 85th university has been established in the southern town of Nîmes, and, with an enrollment of 3,700 students, it ranks as the country’s smallest. Unimes has been upgraded from a previous status as a university center of training and research. It is the country’s first new university since 1995. The creation of Unimes bucks a trend that has seen universities in France merging to create bigger establishments as a means of increasing international research visibility. The new university will be a member of a future center for research and higher education bringing together other institutions in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

– University World News
October 14, 2007

Greece

Ministry Tries to Maintain Momentum of Reform Agenda

The process of implementing highly unpopular legislation is fraught with challenges, as Greece’s new education minister is finding out. Greece’s new university education law is proving a tough sell for Evrypidis Stylianidis who has been doing the rounds for the last couple of months to present them in a different light. Athens News reports that the minister attended the first session of the university rectors’ two-day council meeting in the Peloponnesian town of Kalamata in early November, and the new law topped the agenda. The minister met with academics to discuss some of the problems and to listen to proposals.

The new law, which was passed in March, restricts the amount of time students are permitted to complete their undergraduate degrees (to twice the duration of the degree program). The new law also changes how university rectors are appointed by granting all students the right to vote directly, rather than through student representatives. The law also obliges each university to draft its own internal rules and regulations and to submit a four-year strategic development plan. The education ministry now has the power to suspend state funding if a university does not submit this plan or if it fails to realize it.

Meanwhile students and professors are continuing to hit the streets in protest. Hundreds of students flooded the streets of downtown Athens on November 1 to protest the government’s university education reforms that ruling New Democracy bulldozed through parliament earlier this year, despite widespread opposition.

– Athens News
November 2, 2007

Ireland

Newspaper Claims Irish Students Being Shunned in Favor of Foreigners

In a somewhat sensationalist article, the Sunday Independent claims that Irish students are being forced to look for university places in Eastern Europe because non-EU students are snapping up high-demand places at Irish universities in fields such as medicine and pharmacy. Citing figures recently released by the Higher Education Authority, the weekly claims that the more than 12,000 foreign students currently studying at Irish universities are forcing Irish students with lesser secondary school qualifications to seek places abroad. According to the HEA figures, there are now 2,400 students coming to Ireland from the US, 1,130 from Malaysia and 1,100 from India and China.

– The Sunday Independent
November 18, 2007

Norway

Norwegian Students Staying Put

The number of Norwegian students opting to study overseas continues to drop. Statistics show that over the past four years the numbers have fallen by approximately 3,000 students. Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) believes that the high loan component, which students have to take to cover tuition fees, is partly to blame.

– Universitas
September 12, 2007

Sweden

80% of International Students Say ‘Yes’ to Sweden

Eight out of ten students from abroad would recommend to others Sweden as a study destination. According to a survey by the National Agency for Higher Education and the Swedish Institute, the three major reasons for choosing Sweden are high quality programs, English as language of instruction, and the absence of tuition fees. Another finding of the survey is that unique (often interdisciplinary) programs that have ties with research and industry are very appealing to international students.

– Swedish Institute
October 2007

Slovakia

All but 4 Universities to Introduce Tuition for Overseas Students

Only four of Slovakia’s 20 universities will refrain from introducing tuition fees for foreign students in any of their study programs, according to the Hospodárske Noviny daily newspaper. The four named universities are University of Economics in Bratislava, the Catholic University in Ružomberok, the Technical University in Zvolen and Košice-based University of Veterinary Medicine.

Most universities will announce their tuition costs at the end of December. Those that are already known range between US$530 and $1,460 annually.

– Hospodárske Noviny
October 31, 2007

United Kingdom

Overhaul of Britain’s Undergraduate Degree Classifications Imminent?

The way British universities classify undergraduate degrees is ready for an overhaul, according to a report issued in October by Universities UK, which represents British universities’ vice-chancellors, and the Guild of Higher Education, which represents higher-education colleges.

The current system grades degrees according to different classes: first, upper second (2:1), lower second (2:2), third, pass, or fail, and the system has been in place for more than 200 years. According to the report, Beyond the Honours Degree Classification, the system is “no longer fit for purpose,” saying it “cannot describe, and therefore does not do full justice to, the range of knowledge, skills, experience, and attributes of a graduate in the 21st century.”

With ever increasing percentages of students being awarded first and upper second degrees (now almost 60 percent), especially at top universities, concerned commentators increasingly have been warning of the perils of grade inflation. It is these voices that helped prompt the review, which began in 2004. The report recommends that a new Higher Education Achievement Report be carried out by 2010. The new classification would provide a detailed two-page breakdown of marks in exam papers and courses, akin to a U.S.-style transcript, as well as the European Diploma Supplement, which British universities are required to introduce as part of the European higher education reform movement, or Bologna Process. To begin with, the new Higher Education Achievement Report would coexist with the traditional honors classifications.

– BBC News
October 16, 2007

University Renamed

The University of Central England in Birmingham has been renamed Birmingham City University.

– Birmingham City University news release
October 2007

Malaysian University Begins Classes in London

While generations of Malaysians have studied in Britain or followed British-style degree programs at home, in October Britain’s first Malaysian university opened its doors in Picadilly in the heart of the capital. Not only is Limkokwing University opening a campus in London, but earlier this year the Kuala Lumpur-based institution opened a large branch campus in Botswana (see January issue of WENR). That campus was opened by film star Mel Gibson and already has an enrollment of 5,500 students. In addition, the international university has a campus in Beijing and Jakarta, while also looking at opportunities in Phnom Pen, the capital of Cambodia. It also has reportedly had invitations from other African countries and the small European nation of Macedonia.

The inaugural student roll in London counted 300, and officials are looking to grow that to 800 within three years. Students pay annual tuition fees equivalent to US$13,500 for degree programs ranging from animation and games technology to journalism and interior architecture. The university has several British staff and already collaborates with UK institutions – Thames Valley University for music, Bedfordshire (media) and Anglia Ruskin University (business and ICT).

The 6,000 students at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Kuala Lumpur come from 150 countries, mostly from the developing world, but increasingly from Europe, where governments like those of Denmark and Germany are keen to expose young people to the culture and business of Asia.

– The Guardian
October 24, 2007

New Diploma on the Horizon, Confusion Abounds

According to recent OECD figures, just 78.5 percent of Britain’s 15-19 year olds are still in education, either full-time or part-time; below the OECD average of 81.5 percent and even further below the EU average of 85.2 percent. In a bid to appeal to those dropping out after their GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), the government is getting ready to introduce a new qualification from next year: the Diploma program. However, the British public reportedly knows little about the new qualification, despite the fact that 40,000 places will be on offer from next year as an alternative to GCSEs and A levels.

The Diplomas will be taught in secondary schools and colleges, and are to be academic in style but related to vocational themes. The BBC says the stakes for the Diploma are high, stating that the “prize is a solution to many of the problems in secondary education.” However, the news outlet warns that “it could all go wrong, leaving behind yet another failed initiative aimed at 14-19 year-olds.”

Focusing on job-related learning in areas such as engineering, construction, IT, and health, the Diplomas were originally described as vocational and as “specialized.” However, that notion might cause the new Diploma to be seen as second-class. Therefore, the government decided to drop the “specialized” from the name and insist they are “academic” not “vocational” qualifications.

The BBC states that a “simple, clear message is urgently required … and if pupils and parents don’t start to hear about, understand, and most importantly respect, the Diplomas, they will not choose them.” A review planned for next year, which was expected to recommend that A-levels be withdrawn completely and replaced with a diploma system modeled on the International Baccalaureate, has been delayed until 2011. The two sets of exams will now run side by side for at least five years.

– BBC News
September 21, 2007

Look to Middle East or Miss ‘Golden Opportunity’

Universities in the United Kingdom have been urged to evaluate campus options in the Middle East’s Gulf states or miss a “golden opportunity,” according to an expert on Middle Eastern higher education interviewed by the Times Higher Education Supplement. Chris Davidson is concerned that British universities are not making the most of the current opportunity to move into the region’s growing higher education market for fee-paying students and says the UK needs to act quickly if it is to capitalize on the market ahead of the US.

“There is a golden opportunity inextricably linked to very fresh demands for a knowledge economy,” said Dr Davidson, a lecturer at Durham’s School of Government and International Affairs who has acted as a consultant for the Dubai Government. Dr Davidson highlighted opportunities in the UAE capital – Dubai – and Qatar, which have both built large dedicated education zones for foreign universities to operate in.

He said that, although Middlesex and Heriot-Watt universities had opened campuses in the Dubai Government-backed Knowledge Village and Academic City, none of Britain’s top universities had taken up the challenge. “It needs to be done as soon as possible if the UK is not to lose out. There will be a major US university in the UAE within one to two years, maximum,” Dr Davidson said. Meanwhile, the Qatar Government-backed Education City on the outskirts of the capital Doha includes five US university campuses but no British presence.

– The Times Higher Education Supplement
November 9, 2007

New Checks Imposed on non-EU Researchers

As of November 30, foreign science students are required to apply for approval if they want to study “proliferation-risk” subjects, which has some worried that students could be deterred from studying in the UK. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme requires that non-EU graduate students who need a visa and want to study “proliferation-sensitive” subjects for more than six months apply in advance for a “clearance certificate” online. Previously, the Foreign Office was alerted by universities voluntarily about applicants from “countries of concern”.

This affects some fields of biological and physical science, engineering, mathematics and computer science. In 2005-06, approximately 124,000 graduate students came to study in the UK, 22,630 of whom studied in the fields affected – but not all in “proliferation-sensitive” areas. The system will look at where the students come from, what they want to study and what they intend to do with the knowledge. It will run alongside the existing visa system but those who are not given clearance are unlikely to be successful in their visa applications.

The registrar of the Royal Society of Chemists, Tony Ashmore, told his organization’s own publication Chemistry World in March that there was a security issue that needed to be addressed. But he said the UK must remain “open to students and academics from around the world” and that they were extremely important to the country’s international competitiveness. He said, “It really depends on how the Foreign Office implements the new system.

“If the vetting is restricted to a small number of countries that attract relatively few students, then the impact might be quite small. “But if the scheme catches large numbers of students indiscriminately it could put people off coming to this country.”

– Border and Immigration Agency
November 13, 2007

International Students Worth $17 Billion to UK Economy

A record 157,000 overseas students began classes at British universities and colleges last year. The Home Office said in November that total international enrollments boosted the British economy by almost £8.5bn (US$17 billion) a year. More than 25 percent of immigrants to Britain are students, compared with 20 percent five years ago. The number of first-year foreign students has doubled since 1998, when 77,000 arrived. Last year’s total was an 18,000 increase on 2005. Each foreign student is estimated to be worth more than £15,000 to the UK in fees and living expenses. But there are fears that the income stream may slow as new rules on student visas come into force next year.

– The Independent
November 16, 2007

Scotland

‘World Class’ Center for Engineering Research to be Created

A major new research partnership was launched in Scotland in November as the nation bids to ensure its future as a leader in engineering research. A new center for research is to be created through the collaboration between 10 Scottish universities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee, and with financial backing to the tune of more than US$55 million from the Scottish Funding Council over the next five years. A further $210 million will be invested by the participating universities, which will pool their expertise, resources and industry connections to create the center. The other universities taking part are Heriot-Watt, Napier, Glasgow Caledonian, Paisley and Robert Gordon.

– The Herald
November 8, 2007