Erasmus centralised actions
and higher education policy
Brussels, 23rd January 2012
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton
Endika Bengoetxea
Higher Education; Erasmus
DG Education and Culture
European Commission
Education EU programme 2014-2020
streamlined architecture: 3 Key actions
Existing programmes
Lifelong
Learning
Programme
International
higher education
programmes:
Erasmus Mundus,
Tempus,
Alfa, Edulink, Bilateral
Programmes
Grundtvig
Erasmus for All
1.
Learning
Mobility
Erasmus
Leonardo
Comenius
A single integrated programme
2.
3.
Co-operation Policy
projects
Support
Youth in Action
Programme
Specific activities:
Total budget: € 19 billion over 7 years (+ 70%)
• Jean Monnet
• Sport
Key Action 1: Mobility
Key action 1:
Key action 1:
Learning mobility of individuals
What does it mean for HE?
-Staff: teachers, trainers, school
leaders and youth workers
1.
International opening of
Erasmus: more mobility of
students and staff between
EU – non EU in both
directions (credit mobility
through NA)
2.
Joint Master courses of
high quality offered by
consortium of EU/non EU
universities to attract the very
best students worldwide
(degree mobility centralised)
3.
Student Loan guarantee to
boost degree mobility within
Europe
- Students: HE students (including
joint/double degrees) and VET
Students
- Masters Students: Erasmus Masters
via a new loan guarantee
mechanism
- Youth mobility: volunteering and
youth exchanges
-International dimension: HE mobility
for EU and non-EU beneficiaries
Key Action 2: Cooperation
Key action 2:
Key action 2:
Co-operation for innovation
and good practices
- Strategic partnerships between
education institutions (or between
youth organisations) and/or relevant
actors
What does it mean for HE?
1.
Erasmus Strategic Partnerships:
more intense cooperation between
institutions.
2.
Knowlegde Alliances: structure
partnerships between HEI and
businesses
3.
Specific support with
neighbourhood countries: More
cooperation between universities
for capacity building and more
student and staff mobility.
4.
Rest of the world: More
cooperation between universities in
the EU and rest of the world for
capacity building.
- ‘Knowledge Alliances’: Large-scale
partnerships between higher education
/ training institutions and businesses
- ‘Sector Skills Alliances’
- IT support platforms, including eTwinning
- International dimension: Capacity
building in third countries, focus on
Neighbourhood countries
Key Action 3: Policy Support
Key action 3:
Key action 3:
Support for policy reform
What does it mean for HE?
- Support to Open Method of
Coordination (ET 2020, EU youth
strategy) and EU 2020
1.
Support the OMC, Higher
Education Modernisation
Agenda, Bologna Process:.
2.
Support development and
implemenation of EU
transparancy tools and EU
wide networks
3.
Support Policy Dialogue with
third countries
- EU transparency tools:
valorisation and implementation
- Policy dialogue with stakeholders,
- International dimension: Policy
dialogue with third countries and
international organisations
EU policy and EU programmes:
Erasmus and Bologna


Easily readable and comparable
degrees (Diploma Supplement)
Two main cycles
(undergraduate/graduate)

Credit system, such as ECTS

Promotion of mobility

European cooperation in quality assurance;

Promoting European dimension in HE
EU policy and European programmes

‘Soft law’: non-legally enforceable instruments

Two main instruments for developing policy in Education:


Policy instruments: Open Method of Coordination in Education and
Training, Peer Learning Activities…
Financial instruments: European programmes, Tools and networks
from EU programmes…
European projects are an important
input for EU policy implementation
Main policy references
in European higher education
Better functioning labour markets; a more
skilled workforce; better job quality and
working conditions; and stronger policies
to promote job creation and demand for
labour.
To respond to the challenges young
people face and to help them succeed in
the knowledge economy
To improve conditions and access to
finance for research and innovation, to
ensure that innovative ideas can be
turned into products and services that
create growth and jobs.
• HE attainment: 40%
• Continuing training: 15% of adults
Bologna process – Leuven Ministerial 2009
5 main issues:
 Mobility
 Data collection and
reporting
 Widening access
 Transparency tools
 Global dimension
Key policy messages (1)
 Increase attainment levels
- Progression routes and recognition of prior learning and experience
- Outreach to underrepresented groups, guidance and
targeted financial support
- Reduce drop-out
 Improve quality and relevance
- Graduate employability
- Tailoring learning modes to a diverse student body
- Motivating and rewarding excellent teachers
- Programmes informed by and adapted to labour market needs
Key policy messages (2)
 Quality through mobility & international co-operation
- Learning mobility windows and moving between programmes
 Education, research & business for excellence and
regional development
- Stimulating entrepreneurial, creative and innovation skills and
environments
- Encouraging partnership and co-operation with business
- Involvement of HE institutions in regional development plans
 Governance and Funding to support strategic choices
- Empowering institutions to play to their strengths
New initiatives
• Multi-dimensional information and ranking tool for
universities
• Loan scheme for studying masters
• Quality framework for traineeships
• ‘Knowledge Alliances’ for stronger interaction between
universities and business
• ‘European Industrial Doctorates’
Policy references in Higher Education
EU2020 and E&T2020
benchmarks & targets
EU flagship initiatives
Youth on the Move, New Skills for New Jobs,
Innovation Union
New structure on Erasmus centralised actions
since Call 2011
Ex. New priorities on social dimension and
excellence in higher education
Modernisation agenda
for higher education
New agenda for
the Bologna process
Coverage of HE policy priorities by
Erasmus centralised actions
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
LLL in HE
Skills for new Recognition Transparency Mobility
Governance
jobs
in HE
strategies /
removal
barriers
2007
2010
2008
2011
Funding
2009
Quality
Employability Knowledge
Assurance
triangle
Social
dimension
Erasmus – updated priorities
Multilateral projects
•
•
•
•
•
Cooperation between HE and enterprises
Social dimension in higher education
Develop mobility strategies and remove barriers to mobility
Support to the modernisation of higher education agenda
Fostering excellence and innovation
Academic Networks
Accompanying Measures