1. Virtual University Initiatives and Challenges in the Baltic Sea Area April 7, 2005 Eija Ristimäki Head of Communications FVU Service Unit Baltic IT&T 2005 Forum, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005

2. Contents Eija Ristimäki, FVU Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 FVU – who are we? Northern eDimension Action Plan eSkills & eLearning action line Virtual University Initiatives in the Baltic Sea Area Scenarios for Co-operation Challenges

3. Who are we? Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 The FVU is a partnership of the 21 universities in Finland  to promote online learning and teaching  to provide online information resources  to develop compatible information systems  to develop the basic infrastructure of full- scale electronic access services Eija Ristimäki, FVU

4. Equality and accessibility as in-built work culture Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 FVU’s way of doing things - networked based education - electronic services enhancing collaboration Equality Accessibility Information Society Programme for Education, Training and Research 2004-2006 FVU’s strategy 2005-2010 Major curricula reform going on in Finnish universities European standards – Bologna process Eija Ristimäki, FVU

5. Northern Dimension as EU policy programme Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Northern Dimension Area

6. Northern eDimension Action Plan Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Agreed by the Heads of Government on the 5 th Baltic Sea States Summit in Estonia, 21 June 2004 Can play an important role in the follow-up of the Lisbon strategy to make the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society in the world with improved social cohesion and employment by 2010

7. eSkills & eLearning action line Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Focus areas Digital literacy for learning and for the labour market Virtual Campuses Following the application of recognition and validation schemes (ECTS) on eLearning Virtual universities for continuous training and professional development Stocktaking of e-learning opportunities in the Baltic Sea region

8. Virtual University Initiatives in the Baltic Sea Area… Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Seminar on Virtual University Education and Co-operation in the Baltic Sea Area, 21 March Organized by the FVU and the Finnish Ministry of Education Invited speakers from St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University Estonian eUniversity eUniversity at the University of Latvia Baltic Sea Virtual Campus FVU and Aleksanteri Institute - Finnish Centre for Russian and East European Studies

9. …Virtual University Initiatives in the Baltic Sea Area Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Baltic Sea Virtual Campus Pilot courses in Transregional Management - 33 students from Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden and Denmark - 5 modules finished, 5 in progress Industrial Engineering - 12 students - 3 modules - 6 seminars Eija Ristimäki, FVU

10. …Virtual University Initiatives in the Baltic Sea Area Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Finnish-Russian Cross-Border University Partners in Finland University of Joensuu Lappeenranta University of Technology University of Kuopio University of Tampere University of Helsinki Partners in Russia St. Petersburg State University St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University Petrozavods State University The European University at St.Petersburg

11. …Virtual University Initiatives in the Baltic Sea Area Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU Finnish-Russian Cross-Border University Joint programmes in International Relations Information Technology Business, Economics, Corporation Law Public Health History Forestry and Bio-energy

12. Scenarios for co-operation… Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU exchange of good practices exchange of e-learning tools exchange of e-learning material exchange of modules, learning objects joint courses joint master’s degree programmes University

13. … scenarios for co-operation Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU thematic networks common quality criteria standardization indicators: effectiveness & efficiency of eLearning technological co-operation … University

14. Challenges Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU how to cut costs Collaboration across the borders quality issues - quality costs money productisation differences in regulations what will happen after project period content issues cultural and semantic differences sustainability

15. Is there funding available ? Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Eija Ristimäki, FVU EU funding programmes IST Programme 6th Framework Programme Interreg III Tacis Nordic Council of Ministers International financial institutions

16. FVU portal – Further information Baltic IT&T 2005, eInclusion session: Developing eSkills, 7 April 2005 Follow-up and further actions at http://www.virtualuniversity.fi http://www.virtualuniversity.fi Eija Ristimäki, FVU