Update of European Commission initiatives in transparency

Transcription

1 Update of European Commission initiatives in transparency Endika Bengoetxea Unit C.1 - Higher Education; «Erasmus» DG Education and Culture European Commission

2 Outline A. EU Context: the Modernisation agenda for Higher Education B. Overview of EU-supported transparency initiatives: rankings being one of them C. Towards a Multi-dimensional Global Ranking 2 2

3 A. EU-context: EU Modernisation agenda EU 2020 EU political agenda for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth through an economy based on knowledge and innovation Youth on the Move [1] ; An agenda for new skills and jobs [2] ; Innovation Union [3]. [1] [2] [3] Higher education and research are high on the EU agenda. Reforms are needed to allow universities to play their full part in reaching policy objectives 3

4 Policy messages and transparency: Worldwide competition and tightening budgets will challenge universities increasingly to modernise further and to diversify on the basis of their strenghts. Institutions can excell in different areas, not just on research. The diverse missions and performances of our universities should be made transparent to all stakeholders. 4 4

5 Policy messages and transparency: More transparency will make it easier for students, teachers and researchers to make an informed choice on where and what to study and where to work. More transparency would also serve university management to better position themselves and improve their developments strategies, quality and performances! 5 5

6 An EU agenda for the modernisation of higher education Europe needs more graduates Quality, relevance and employability Higher education s contribution to economic recovery and long-term growth 6

7 Modernisation Communication: Diversification and need for transparency Key policy messages (diversification): 1. Need more opportunities for study abroad and international co-operation 2. Strengthen education, research and business links 3. Governance that enhances transparency and empowers institutions to play to their strengths EU-level action: Improving the evidence base to support policy making and increase transparency 7

8 B. Several EU supported transparency initiatives European Data Collection project ( Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) Mapping diversity of university profiles ( Quality Assurance (ENQA, EQAR, ESG s) Feasibility study on a multi-dimensional global ranking ( 8 8

9 Rankings, one of the EU-supported transparency initiatives Rankings do not tell the whole story on quality. They provide a simplistic picture of performance, based on some indicators However, so far rankings are the only instruments able to give a clear comparative picture of institutions performances. Rankings provide a useful «first picture» on how institutions perform and where they stand, compared to other institutions in- and outside their country Based on this first picture, the different users (institutions, students, employers, governments) need to gather more underlying (qualitative) information which meets their specific demands 9 9

10 C.. Towards a Global Multi-dimensional University Ranking Various rankings have their own purpose and target groups. There is no such a thing as an objective ranking! Shortcomings existing rankings: - tendency to focus on research in hard sciences performance in other areas like humanities and social sciences? other missions such as teaching quality, innovation, internationalisation and community outreach? - focus on entire institutions, not on programmes/disciplines - Delivered as a «league table» Use of rankings for strategic decision making? 10 10

11 Another ranking concept Multi-dimensional and user-driven Covering othermissions of higher education institutions Different users and target groups can choose an own «smart ranking» (no league tables) Ranking both at institutional and disciplinary-level Independent (not run by governments or universities) Global (covering institutions in Europe and other continents) 11 11

12 Commitment #2 Innovation Union In 2011 the Commission will, on the basis of the current preparatory work, support an independent multidimensional international ranking system to benchmark university performance. In 2011 further steps will be proposed in a Communication on the reform and modernisation of higher education. 12

13 Modernisation Communication: New initiatives U-Multirank information and ranking tool Quality framework for traineeships Erasmus Masters Degree Mobility student loan guarantee Knowledge Alliances for stronger interaction between universities and business European Industrial Doctorates 13