Cluster Meeting “Higher Education Capacity Building in Structural Tempus & Erasmus+ Projects: Current Outcomes” (17.11.16, Kyiv, Ukraine)
What? Cluster meeting “Higher Education Capacity Building in Structural Tempus & Erasmus+ Projects:Current Outcomes”, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRUCTURE PROJECTS
Where? Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine, Collegium hall, 10 Peremogy Av., Kyiv
When? Thursday, 17 November 2016
Purpose: National scale implementation of the Structural projects’ outcomes through their use of Ukrainian Higher Education Institutions, Ministry for Education and Science of Ukraine, the Parliament’ Committee on Science and Education, Accreditation Body of Ukraine / National Quality Assurance Agency (NQAA), other stakeholders in the framework of Higher Education reforms.
Objectives: To gather Structural Projects’ outcomes into clusters according to content of the planned and achieved projects’ results, in order to define synergy and supplementary effect of potential impact and present / submit proposals to appropriate stakeholders and clusters.
Prepared Recommendations for national level implementation of the projects’ outcomes through its exploitation in the frame of the Ministry’ and Parliament’ working groups on legislative and others changing for support of higher education reforms – University Governance in context of Autonomy and Improving Student Services, QA system development and NQF implementation (incl. new HE standards and curriculum development, LLL, new accreditation procedures, training QA experts for NQAA), Third Cycle implementation, HE internationalization (incl. mobility), integration of research and HE.
Target Audience: Representatives of the Higher Education Institutions – partners of Tempus and Erasmus+ Structural projects, Ministry for Education and Science of Ukraine, the Parliament’ Committee on Science and Education, Accreditation Body of Ukraine / NQAA, Ukrainian Association of Rectors.
Follow up after 2015 event: Recommendations for Structural projects were prepared consisting of two parts: general recommendations and detailed recommendations to each particular project. Recommendations were sent Executive Agency of Education, Audiovisual and Culture, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, to project contacts and placed on the NEO web-site.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine become more pro-active in projects, they participated in projects events, placed information on their web-site. The projects reactivated cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; strengthened dissemination of their achievements via national and international conferences/ seminars/ workshops/fairs; publications in thematic journals and NEO/ universities/ projects web-sites. The project representatives are involved into the working groups on different issues on higher education modernization agenda. They cooperate with regional and local communities as well as business on activities to use capacities built by universities within Tempus projects (e.g. IT clusters, third age education, start-ups).
Stakeholders and clusters in details:
1 The Ministry for Education and Science of Ukraine (incl. Ministry’ working groups on legislative development, Commissions on Higher Education Standards development) implementing the Law On Higher Education, developing education reforms:
1.1 Quality Assurance (QA) system development
– National policy, regulatory frameworks (including standards and procedures), guidelines and procedures on establishment of QA systems (particularly for PhD programs);
1.2 Third Cycle implementation
– State-level regulatory frameworks for the functioning of inter-institutional cooperation in PhD training (regulations enabling inter-HEI transfers of state funds (payments for courses, co-supervision of students from non-host HEIs), recognition of transfer credits (both domestic and international), licensing and accreditation of inter-HEI joint PhD programs)
– Model Doctoral Schools as National Centers of Excellence in PhD training in line with Bologna principles: Code of Practice (incl. skills, methods, and thematic curricula and doctoral-level teaching methods, Learning Management System for Doctoral School) and Accreditation Guide for Doctoral School
1.3 National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) implementation and development of standards and study programs
– Sectorial qualifications frameworks and Standards for Informatics and Management (Bachelor and Master Degrees) in line with NQF
– National standard for Software Engineering Master programs that includes new courses on innovation and entrepreneurship
– Professional Standard of Culture Manager (Humanity Sciences field) in line with European Qualification Frameworks for Life Long Learning (EQF LLL)
1.4 Life Long Learning (LLL) development and Teachers’ training
– Cross-country LLL strategy incl. Quality LLL policies and programs and Plan for an implementation framework for LLL, LLL Centers, proposition of a legal and administrative framework within which the educational institutions can act
– Conception “Universities’ role in Leadership and Organizational Development” and normative documents on Human Resources (HR) Development
– Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education policy
– National network of promoters of Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education for the support and implementation of innovative education incl. Methodological and educational framework for the development and implementation of professional teachers’ training programmes in Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education, Resource guide on Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education and professional teachers training, Teacher Training programmes for Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education
1.5 University Governance in context of Autonomy
– Strategic frameworks and implementation plans for structural reform at national level for enhance Institutional and Financial Autonomy and Accountability of HEIs.
– Country-specific policy roadmaps, institutional toolkits and learning resources providing concrete guidelines and practical support.
1.6 Higher Education internationalization and mobility
– Policy documents for Universities’ International Relations Offices (IROs) and Quality Monitoring Division incl. University-wide policies and procedures for integration of international dimension into the teaching, learning and research, new approaches to curricula and research internationalization and Quality assurance of internationalization
– Public policy in the field of internationalization (Concept of virtual internationalization) as a good platform for a new qualitative leap and correspondence to the European strategy of Internationalization and Charter on Lifelong Learning for enhancement of students and teachers’ mobility
– Methodological framework for virtual and blended mobility incl. Mobility programs to students with disabilities (Methodology for students’ mobility capacity building; Methodological guide for teaching staff) runs encompassing guidance on best/good practices for key stakeholders (students, teaching and admin. staff of HEIs, public officers) at institutional and inter-institutional levels
1.7 University Governance in context of Improving Student Services
– Entrepreneur Alumni Networks (EANET) for students, scientists and alumni incl. fundraising structures
– Strategic framework for Ukraine which will ensure the spread of project’ ideas – Modernized recruitment process, Improved placement services, New management structure – Student Support Service Centre, Trained students in transferable competencies, Alumni Societies as a source of funding – on a national level and legal basis
– Regular networking events and offering an EANET Prize to especially active members
1.8 Integration of research, HE, business
– Concept for commercialization of innovations in the higher education system
– Implementation plan of activities in relation to integration of higher education, innovation and research
– IT Eureka Ukraine Competition for IT student innovations/start-ups
2 The Parliament’ Committee on Science and Education (working group on new Law On Education and legislative changing for support of higher education reforms incl. QA system development and NQF implementation):
– Recommendations on Sectorial qualifications frameworks in line with NQF, EQF LLL
– Proposition of a legal and administrative framework within which the educational institutions can act.
– Cross-country LLL strategy incl. Quality LLL policies
– Recommendations on the improvement of legislative basis for commercialization of University’ innovations in UA
3 The Accreditation Body of Ukraine / NQAA (new accreditation procedures, training QA experts for NQAA, etc.):
– Capacity building of National QAA, incl. training of staff of National QAA to use QA tools
– QA Models, practical mechanisms, procedures and tools ensuring effective functioning of external QA system at national (external evaluation) level
– Guidelines and procedures on establishment of QA systems for PhD programs
– Alignment tools and mechanisms for QA agencies to check alignment of academic programmes with NQFs
– National Portal as unified transparent framework for the quality assurance of the Ukrainian higher education system which is in line with the common European academic culture
4 Higher Education Institutions:
4.1 QA system development
– Internal QA Policies documents, Manuals, Internal QA models, tools and procedures on the level of HEI which are compliant with ENQA documents
– Recommendation on Student involvement in QA process incl. university self-assessment processes
– Self-assessment mechanism as an integral part of university functioning
4.2 Third Cycle implementation
– Model Doctoral Schools in line with Bologna principles: Code of Practice (incl. tracking enrolment, student progress, supervision, mobility, coursework, research results and publications, blended learning, skills, methods, thematic curricula and doctoral-level teaching methods, Learning Management System) and Accreditation Guide for Doctoral School
– inter-HEI subject-specific research networks (Political Sciences, Education Policy, Finance, Informatics, Biochemistry)
– Publication of Course curricula (transferrable skills, academic writing and speciality courses) according to EU “Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training” quality standards – validated with Cambridge Advanced English testing tools
4.3 NQF implementation and development of standards and study programs
– Mechanisms for HEIs to achieve alignment of academic programmes with NQFs
– Mechanisms for ensuring consistency of judgments on learning outcomes and their assessment mechanisms across institutions (incl. developing capacity of HEIs to write and assess learning outcomes that define the various types of student achievement and promote student-centered teaching and learning)
– Training centers devoted to development and implementation of study programs compatible with Qualifications Frameworks
– System of methodological recommendations that will increase the competitiveness of Humanity Sciences and involve social partners into it via upgrading Culture Management Master programs
– New curricula for Teacher Training for Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education
4.4 LLL development and teachers’ training
– Guidelines for the educational institutions to actually implement LLL
– Centers of Leadership (CLs) (in Education, Public Service, Entrepreneurship) (incl. methodology, manuals, certified experts on Leadership and Organizational Development, Web-environment, services on assessments of leadership potential and on institutional audits) for academic and administrative staff training
– Methodological and educational framework (incl. Resource guide) for the development and implementation of professional teachers’ training programmes in Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education
– Teacher Training programmes for Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education
– National network of promoters of Pedagogical Innovations in Inclusive Education for the support and implementation of innovative education
4.5 University Governance in context of Autonomy
– Framework for HEIs with more autonomy and better accountability mechanisms
– Сomplex integrated University Information Management system at the universities and Guidance on the principles and practices of construction and effective use of integrated information management system.
– Network of equipped Innovation and Education IT Centers of modern information management technologies for training university administrators to use infrastructure of complex integrated information management system.
4.6 HE internationalization and mobility
– Methodological framework for virtual and blended mobility incl. Mobility programs to students with disabilities (Methodology for students’ mobility capacity building; Methodological guide for teaching staff) runs encompassing guidance on best/good practices for key stakeholders (students, teaching and admin. staff of HEIs, public officers) at institutional and inter-institutional levels
– Students’ Mobility Offices for improvement students’ mobility governance at institutional level
– Mobility formats for PhD students to broaden their collaboration spectrum and improve research quality
– Policy documents for Universities’ International Relations Offices (IROs) and Quality Monitoring Division incl. University-wide policies and procedures for integration of international dimension into the teaching, learning and research, new approaches to curricula and research internationalization and Quality assurance of internationalization
– Open virtual platform “E-Learning Int. Clearing house”, incl. electronic store of training e-courses
4.7 University Governance in context of Improving Student Services
– Established Entrepreneur Alumni Networks (EANET) for students, scientists and alumni incl. fundraising structures
– Regular networking events and offering an EANET Prize to especially active members
– New management structure – Student Support Service Centre for providing a better student experience at Ukrainian universities (Alumni Societies as a source of funding to sustain Centers)
– Recommendations for modernizing recruitment process – closer links with secondary schools and the introduction of psychometric testing to attract the right students to the right courses
– Improved placement services at the universities – using modern information technologies and providing specially designed courses for both students and enterprises
4.8 Integration of research, HE, business
– Virtual Innovative Space for Ukrainian students, researchers and IT professionals
– Modernization of IT related educational programs for promotion of students’ creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
– Guidelines and recommendations for universities – company cooperation with a focus on student innovation and entrepreneurship
– Model of internal regulatory framework and explanatory Policy documents as a roadmap for commercialization of innovations for universities
– Mechanisms and a framework for commercialization of innovations by universities in collaboration with other stakeholders
– Regional Help-desks for Knowledge Transfer