Financial Agreement number

Curricular Reform Taking Shape

Learning Outcomes and Competences in Higher Education

Brussels, 16 June 2006
European Commission - Charlemagne Building, Room S3

Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 170 (Metro Schuman)

AGENDA
MINUTES OF THE MEETING (JMT)
09.30 Welcome by Peter van der Hijden, DG Education, Training and Culture, European Commission

36 European countries, with Russia and Ukraine + 18 several Latino-American countries

Education important for G8 meeting

Important contribution of Tuning for reform of Higher Education

70 000 000 people, not so qualified in the 25-European Union countries => improve long-life learning, and involvement of people in Higher Education.

Only 5.5 researchers per 1000 people in Europe (about 10 in Japan and US) => PhD students don’t work in the Research field.

Important points: see documents enclosed (pages 34 to 44 of the document TuningBxlsEducationResearchInnovation.pdf to be downloaded from the website of the project “Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities: Education, Research and Innovation:

http://www.eie-surveyor.org/UPLOAD_FILES/TuningBxlsEducationResearchInnovation.pdf)

1. 
   Break down the barriers around universities in Europe
   
2. 
   Ensure real autonomy and accountability for universities
   
3. 
   Provide incentives for structured partnerships with the business community
   
4. 
   Provide the right mix of skills and competencies for the labour market
   
5. 
   Reduce the funding gap and make funding work more effectively in education and research
   
6. 
   Enhance interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity
   
7. 
   Activate knowledge through interaction with society
   
8. 
   Reward excellence at the highest level
   
9. 
   Make the European higher education area and the European Research area more visible and attractive in the world
   

09.35 Opening address by Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilinguism

10.00 Learner-centred and competence-based curricula: a universal approach of Tuning by Julia González, Joint co-ordinator of Tuning Europe and Tuning America Latina

Reflection on the way to teach competences (instead of knowledge) + reflection on evaluation of this methodology.

Some keywords: Quality assurance, accreditation, competences

Conference on “Competence-Based Learning”, Use of ECTS, Tuning 4 (2006-2008)

10.15 Tuning America Latina: Structure, process and outcomes by César Esquetini, Director Académico of the Consejo Nacional de Educación Superior (CONESUP), Ecuador

Experience in Latin America

Latin America and Europe are close, as far as the missions of University are concerned.

In America Latina, there is also a lot of work in order to harmonize the recognition of degrees and diplomas, and some reforms are running in the various countries.

10.30 Latin American and European perspectives on generic competences by Jon Paul Laka, University of Deusto, Billbao, Spain

10.45 Tuning Europe: European and National Qualifications Frameworks and the contribution of Tuning - an overview of project outcomes by Robert Wagenaar, Joint co-ordinator of Tuning Europe and Tuning America Latina

11.00 Roundtable: Bologna Process and Lisbon Strategy - the role of Higher Education Institutions in Mobility, Recognition, Employability and Citizenship. Convenor: Maria Sticchi-Damiani, Member of the Tuning Europe Management Committee

• 
  Guillermo Morones – ANUIES (México)
  
• 
  John Reilly – National Agencies (University of Kent, Canterbury)
  
• 
  Lesley Wilson – European University Association (EUA)
  
• 
  Stefan Delplace – EURASHE
  
• 
  Colin Tück – ESIB (German student studying in Slovenia)
  

Discussion on the management of the Bologna process: help of Tuning, because it is student-centered (mobility, recognition, employability, citizenship).

L. Wilson (institutions): conflicting objectives:

- Excellence (research, teaching, innovation), and also to expand access

- 45 countries in the Bologna process, reinforcing the European dimension

S. Delplace: at the European level, one strength is the good economic level, in correlation with a social inclusion.
Discussion on the fact to be competitive, and also the co-operation between universities (contradiction?)

Afternoon session