Internationalization - Student exchange John Fürstenbach Chair, HUMANE Round Table Royal College of Music in Stockolm Contribution to the Arbeitsgruppe Fortbildung and HUMANE seminar The Bologna Process as a Challenge for University management and Administration Bonn July

Sweden Area: 450,000 km, third largest country in Western Europe –Forests: 53%, Mountains: 11% cultivated land: 8% Lakes and rivers: 9% –Longest north-south distance: 1,574 km Longest east-west distance: 499 km 9 million inhabitants Average temperatures –Stockholm: January -2.8 C°; July C° Daylight, sun above horizon –Stockholm: December 6 hours; June 18 hours

Higher Education HE sector of “high and equal quality” –14 Universities –6 HEI:s that confer PhD.s –20 HEI:s offering Bachelors and Masters –About 20 independent course providers Central Agency –Swedish National Agency for Higher Education Sector services provided by –National Agency for Services to Universities and University Colleges Private institutions…..

Present system Degrees ≥ 3 year Bachelor ≥ 4 year Master (Magister) + 4 year Ph D Points –1 point a week –Academic year 40 weeks ( 2 x 20 weeks semesters) –Autumn semester: end of August - mid January –Spring semester: mid January - early June Grades –Most courses rated fail, pass, pass with distinction

Bologna related problems Basic Rumour: –Sweden signed in the belief that it didn’t have to change anything? ECTS grades –A - G? - we don’t believe in those Quality Assurance –what for - Sweden is best What is advanced level in the 2nd cycle? –if it means depth in subject area - what is a subject? Bachelor 180 pts, Master 120 pts –Exactly! - not minimum? Learning outcomes –conceptually OK - but they derive a lot of work

Organisation of 1st and 2nd circle studies Courses –The student combines courses to meet degree requirements Programmes –A “package” of courses

EHEA European Higher Education Area Harmonization –Three cycles –ECTS (European Credit Transfer System, an Erasmus feature, existing before the EHEA) point system (60 per academic year) (this implies modularization?) ECTS grades (pass: A - F, fail G and H. A - F are relative, the difference between F and G is absolute!) Accreditation –Quality assurance through non-HEI agencies (and HEI is just another TLA!)

Bologna alignment effective from fall semester 2007 New system = 3 year Bachelor + either 1 year “Magister” or 2 year Master + 4 year Ph D ECTS points –60p academic year to be used (present system x 1.5) ECTS grades –Used on HEI:s own discretion Quality assurance –by the National Agency for Higher Education

Student mobility What for? –European identity? –Increased cultural and linguistic skills? –International employability? –Increased scholarly qualities? A possibility within the EHEA –Bologna - city in Northern Italy, European university 1088? Within a cycle –Exchange programmes –Free movers –Acceptance of credits (ECTS) Between cycles –An Americanization in the Bologna process –Acceptance of degrees -> accreditation of institutions

Within cycle Exchange programmes National –Often non EU, but possibly EHEA EU –Socrates –Leonardo General components –Travel subsidies/grants –Special administration –(Supposedly) acceptance of credits earned

Within cycle: Acknowledgement of credits Based on ECTS In exchange programmes –(Formally) agreed upon by institutions Free movers –A full cycle study often requires language skills –Course/semester students Can more often find English/German/French courses Accept bigger risks Risks that are reduced in the convergence process

Activities in support of student exchange Extra grants –Mobility programmes! –National grants Rules for acknowledgement of credits –Clear –Accepted –Adhered to –Agreed in mobility programmes Tuition in foreign languages? –Teachers fluent in French, or German, or Swedish? –Pertinent literature known to teachers? Available?

Between cycles Change of HEIs Opportunities –3 cycles, 2 crossroads –Higher degree of specialization (quality) in next cycle Prerequisites –Accreditation –Subject identity –Regular admission processes for 2nd and 3rd cycles Threats –What happens when, by numerus clausus, ”my” students are forced away? –Cultural difficulties

Facilitation of mobility Housing –Responsibility or possibility? Priority to dormatories Institution rents flats? Support –Students (“step parents”) –Faculty (“mentors”) –Administration (“international student offices”) –Language courses Curricula –Adherence to Bologna process goals and rules –Courses or even programmes taught in……… ?English?