The Urgent Need to Integrate in the Sector of Higher Education

The networking option that has been promoted as a result of the Bologna Declaration of June 1999 on the European Higher Education Area has stimulated the formation of local higher education networks of various kinds. The birth of one of these, the Network of Pedagogical Universities of the Caucasian Region, is described. Linked to the UNESCO‐Caucasus project, to the UNESCO Associated Schools, and to the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, this network looks forward not simply to promoting a constructivist approach to teaching and learning but to serving as a means of defusing ethnic tensions in this very ethnically and linguistically diverse region, the countries of which are undergoing transition.     

THE PRESENT CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN ACADEMIC EXCHANGE: THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO EUROPEAN CO‐OPERATION IN THE DOMAIN OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

This article outlines the activities of the Council of Europe in favour of inter‐university co‐operation and exchange. First, the role and tasks of the CC‐PU and then the work programme of the Council of Europe on higher education and research are examined. With regard to academic mobility and European inter‐university co‐operation, the Transfrontier Regional University Co‐operation Programme, the European Postgraduate Training Programme, and the Inter‐university Co‐operation Programme between Europe and Latin America are described. Finally, both the European Networks for Scientific and Technical Co‐operation and the Open Partial Agreement on the Prevention of, Protection Against, and Organisation of Relief in Major Natural and Technological Disasters and their constituent activities are evoked.     

QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION FROM AN INTERNATIONAL POINT OF VIEW: THE ROLE OF UNESCO

Although admittedly quality is very hard to define, UNESCO, particularly its European Centre for Higher Education and its Division of Higher Education, have undertaken a number of actions to further quality in higher education. Thus CEPES created EGAA (European Group on Academic Assessment) and the Division of Higher Education stressed the questions of quality in higher education in a recently prepared UNESCO draft policy paper. A strong component of the UNESCO UNITWIN and UNESCO Chairs Programme is directed at improving the quality of universities and university programmes in developing countries. The effort in favour of quality thus dovetails into other policies and actions of UNESCO, such as those in favour of the development of Centres of Excellence in the academic world. Yet quality improvement should not mean the imposition of one university model throughout the world but drawing upon what is best in local customs and indigenous culture.

     

CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS

The criteria and procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications are not sufficiently known to most evaiuators of foreign qualifications. This lack of knowledge results in inappropriate and incorrect evaluations and recognition decisions. The purpose of this article is to explain who evaluates and reaches decisions as to foreign qualifications, what the role of national recognition centres is, how such centres co‐operate internationally, and how international co‐operation has led to the advancement of agreed upon methods, criteria, and procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications. The biggest step forward in this respect is the Draft Recommendation on General Procedures and Criteria for the Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications that was recently developed by an expert group and which, in its final form, will be a subsidiary text of the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention.     

THE LISBON CONVENTION ON THE RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN REGION: AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL CO‐OPERATION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND UNESCO

On the eve of the adoption of the new Council of Europe ‐ UNESCO Convention, this article goes back to the first agreement between the two international organizations to step up their co‐operation in the field of academic recognition and retraces the different stages that led to the final completion of the legal text. It offers an overview of the entire process, analyzing the development of the basic concepts of the Convention, highlighting controversial issues, and demonstrating the complex process of consultation in a wider and diversified Europe that will be brought to completion at the Lisbon Diplomatic Conference. This article, in a slightly different form, will be presented as a background document at the Lisbon Conference.     

SHORT OVERVIEW OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LITHUANIA IN THE DOMAIN OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND RECOGNITION OF HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

This article describes current developments in regard to quality assurance and the recognition of higher education qualifications in Lithuania. With the aim of internationalizing its higher education system, Lithuania acceded to the UNESCO European Diploma Convention in 1994 and to the Council of Europe Convention on the Equivalence of Diplomas Leading to Admission to Universities in 1996. The Ministry of Education created the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education in January 1995. It has been very active in a number of directions since then. In addition, Lithuania has subjected its science to international evaluation, is a partner in the Baltic Higher Education Coordination Committee, and is participating in two PHARE projects for the development of co‐operation in higher education. The main obstacle to greater co‐operation in regard both to the recognition of academic qualifications and to quality assurance is lack of financial resources.     

UNESCO'S PROGRAMME ON HIGHER EDUCATION AS ADOPTED BY ITS 19th GENERAL CONFERENCE

The promotion of the rôle of higher education in society will continue to be one of UNESCO's main objectives in its actions in the area of higher education over the next six years.

Special attention will be given to four groups of problems: the importance of higher education in community development; the development of inter‐university co‐operation and collaboration with the United Nations University; the improvement of mobility of teachers and students in higher education; the increased international comparability and recognition of studies, degrees and diplomas.

These are the results of discussions and decisions of the 19th UNESCO General Conference which was held in Nairobi from 26 October to SO November 1976. The discussion of the UNESCO programme was based on the Draft Medium‐Term Plan (1977‐1982), and the Draft Programme and Budget 1977‐1978. Below we recall the relevant elements from these two documents and give a summary of views expressed during the conference concerning the UNESCO programme in the area of higher education.     

THE ROLE OF THE ACADEMIES IN EASTERN EUROPEAN CO‐OPERATION IN SCIENCE AND IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES

In order for developing countries, particularly the former socialist countries undergoing transition, to make progress in science, they must co‐operate among themselves. One way to stimulate such co‐operation is to create a network of eastern European Academies. Such a network would share information, facilities, and equipment; sponsor and direct work on joint projects of value to the sub‐region as a whole; and serve as a bulwark against brain drain. Such a network should be of interest to UNESCO and to other intergovernmental organizations.     

Transferable Intellectual and Personal Skills

Although many employers recruit graduates, often on an any discipline basis, there is an apparent mismatch between employer needs and educational response.

Possession of a degree indicates ability to think at a certain level, but is insufficient. Selection criteria, advertisements and training courses run to make graduates fully effective show that employers need skills in communication, co‐operation and teamwork, and positive personal qualities such as the will to set and meet objectives and to be innovative also.

American experience indicates that although there is no complete and generally accepted classification of generic intellectual and personal skills, at least some are identifiable and are developed in the process of higher education. The College Outcomes Measures Project identified three ‘process areas’ (communicating, solving problems and clarifying values). The American Programme Evaluation Project identified communication, quantification, analytic and synthesising skills and values clarification. Some individual institutions have developed their own, useful, classifications and curricula which develop them. Efforts to improve these skills enhance both the academic work of the students and their employabil‐ity.

Interest in these areas in the UK is less advanced than in the United States and is piecemeal, but the UGC and NAB regard them as important.     

RECOGNITION INSTRUMENTS IN EUROPE

The various academic recognition instruments in use in Europe are presented and described. These include the oldest ones, the Council of Europe Conventions and then the so‐called Prague Convention, the two UNESCO Conventions concerning Europe, particularly the UNESCO European Convention, and most recently, the General Directives of the European Union for recognition with regard to regulated professions. Because Europe has undergone major political and social changes since the first of these conventions was signed, and higher education itself has undergone great diversification, the time has come to seriously consider the establishment of a joint Council of Europe‐UNESCO Convention. Whereas the Council of Europe Conventions con‐centrated on outcomes and the UNESCO European Convention focussed on recognition processes within the framework of a divided Europe, a combined Convention should be oriented toward acceptance for given purposes. It should include the establishment of a code of conduct and involve the participation of subject‐oriented networks and a system of intermediate classification. It should also rely on a combined system of information networks.     

THE ACADEMIC CO‐OPERATION ASSOCIATION (ACA)

The role and functions of the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) are outlined. Intended to support, enhance, and analyse academic co‐operation within Europe and between Europe and other parts of the world, the organization will also devote much of its efforts to the furthering of co‐operation with regard to quality assurance and evaluation in the broad areas of international higher education.     

Bringing in Bourdieu's theory of social capital: renewing learning partnership approaches to social inclusion

Abstract

This article considers the concept of ‘team’ in a second‐level school setting, in the context of the priority given to teams in the implementation and co‐ordination of a variety of programmes (The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme; the Leaving Certificate Applied; The Transition Year Programme and the Junior Certificate School Programme) in post‐primary schools. Having proposed a definition of ‘team’, which speaks to the moral purpose of education, the article identifies the competition for appointment to posts of responsibility leading to the co‐ordination of such programmes as a factor which, potentially, works against the creation of successful teams. The creation of co‐ordination posts has the potential to redistribute power and influence in schools, and create impediments to the realisation of a team culture based upon respect, autonomy and equality. For this reason, consideration needs to be given to the separation of team formation and the competition between individuals for career advancement and promotion.     

INTER‐UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL CO‐OPERATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The situation with regard to the development of academic co‐operation, both at the national and at the international levels, between European and Chinese universities, is introduced. Some suggestions are made with regard to the future development of such co‐operation.     

Concerned Technology

Abstract

In May 1988 UNESCO set up a Regional Seminar ‐‐ ‘New Technologies for Handicapped in Special Education’ ‐‐at the Wenner‐Gren Centre at Sveavagen in Stockholm, Sweden. This short paper reflects initial draft statements on the conference and is included here to identify the extent of common apprehensions and expectations. It covers the areas of information services, studies and research activities, international co‐operation through staff exchanges and conference activities, and looks briefly at future trends.     

Educational planning,administration and management in Africa

Has worked as a consultant to UNESCO, the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA), the Swedish Agency for Research and Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in a number of countries in Africa and Asia. Author and co-author of several books and articles.     

UNDP and educational development: An institutional policy analysis

The role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in shaping educational development has been considerable. For more than half a century, the scale and reach of UNDP education projects have been significant, yet have not been adequately researched. For both UNDP and its precursors, the evolution of policies for development and for educational development is traced. UNDP's project priorities in education are considered, as is the role of UNESCO as a key implementing agency for UNDP. The rationale underlying UNDP's recent abandonment of education as a designated priority sector is also examined, as are its implications.     

BUDAPEST: INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

An International Seminar on Educational Technology, organized by the Hungarian National Centre for Educational Technology with the support of UNESCO and the United Nations Development Prograrrme (UNDP), was held in Budapest from 4 to 9 October 1976. The seminar adopted various recommendations concerning the improvement of information exchange on educational technology, the research in this field, and the possibilities for international co‐operation regarding educational audio‐visual material. We give below information on the main topics of discussion and conclusions at this meeting. (For CEPES participation at this meeting see page 33 in this issue.)     

The Impact of Satellite Telecommunications on the Infrastructure of a Provincial University System

Abstract

Modern communication technology is being applied increasingly by post‐secondary systems throughout the world to deliver a variety of learning experiences to people residing at a distance from the main campuses of institutions of higher education. The implications of this phenomenon for the future development of post‐secondary education have yet to be assessed. At present, distance education activities at many institutions are perceived by scholars, as well as administrators, to be of lesser importance and appendages of the primary functions of the academic community. Such a myopic vision of the future is inconsistent with the incremental changes in organizational structures, delivery systems and administrative procedures occurring in many post‐secondary systems to accommodate a more personalized form of higher education. This article examines the impact which experiments with satellite communication have had on the organizational structures of a Canadian provincial university system. The findings derived by this exploratory analysis suggest that co‐operation, collaboration and communication are going to be essential elements of resource management, programme planning and knowledge delivery in post‐secondary systems by the 21st century.     

Discriminant and incremental validity of self-concept and academic self-efficacy: a meta-analysis

Two studies examined the discriminant and incremental validity of self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Study 1, which meta-analysed 64 studies comprising 74 independent samples (N?=?24,773), found a strong mean correlation of .43 between self-concept and academic self-efficacy. The domains of self-concept and self-efficacy, and the domain matching between them, moderate the strength of the correlation between self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Global self-concept was associated with weaker correlations than were academic and subject-specific self-concept. Academic self-efficacy had higher incremental validity than self-concept. Study 2, which examined data-sets from Programme for International Student Assessment 2000, 2003 and 2006, found that the mean correlation ranged from .31 to 54. Self-concept sometimes had higher incremental validity than academic self-efficacy. The higher incremental validity of self-concept may result from the wording and domain of self-concept measure as well as specificity matching between self-concept and academic achievement.     

ON RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The role and functions of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, the oldest (1979) of the three European international academies, are described. Working with UNESCO, it is helping to establish a network of Academies of the Mediterranean Countries. It is also co‐operating with the Institut de France in the setting up of the Academy‐Third World Project. By working through the international academies, the national academies increase their participation in international activities.