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The new unified French evaluation agency for The new unified French evaluation agency for research and higher education: research and higher education:

a direct consequence of the international a direct consequence of the international rankingsrankings

Pr. Alain Menand, Director For Higher Education Pr. Alain Menand, Director For Higher Education Programmes and Awards of AERESProgrammes and Awards of AERES

- Agence d’Evaluation de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement - Agence d’Evaluation de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur-Supérieur-

20, rue Vivienne - 75002 Paris20, rue Vivienne - 75002 Paris

December 12December 12thth 2007 2007

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The French universities place in The French universities place in international rankinginternational rankingss

The The “Shanghai ranking” (Liu, 2003, Liu et al., 2004, 2005…) is probably not the best one (if any), but it is the one which have got an incredible media attention.

France which is the world's fifth (or sixth) largest France which is the world's fifth (or sixth) largest (economic) power obtain only three universities in (economic) power obtain only three universities in top 200.top 200.

The best university, Paris-VI, holds 45th place in The best university, Paris-VI, holds 45th place in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University list.the Shanghai Jiao Tong University list.

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The French universities place in The French universities place in international rankingsinternational rankings

Ranking may be done using parameters in a different way taking into account the size.

For instance in “The Top 100 Global Universities” The Ecole Polytechnique holds 43rd place and 43rd place and ENS 79ENS 79thth but they are the only two French HEIs but they are the only two French HEIs whereas UK places 14 HEIs.whereas UK places 14 HEIs.

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May be the problem lies in the May be the problem lies in the French university system itself.French university system itself.

There are two main possibilities :

The research itself is not good

The organisation of HEIs and research

institutions is not appropriate

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The organisation of research and HEIs and is not appropriate

What are the main characteristics of the French system ?

Highly centralized

Egalitarian (supposed to be)

Highly complex

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A highly complicated systemA highly complicated system

An example the Grenoble site : Three HEIs : The Joseph Fourier university (Grenoble 1) The Mendes-France university (Grenoble 2) The Institut National Polytechnique de GrenobleTwo major research institution centers of : The CNRS The CEA+……………

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A highly complicated systemA highly complicated system

Another example with Lyon : Three universities Lyon 1 (Claude Bernard), Lyon 2

(Lumière), Lyon 3 (Jean Moulin) and the two ENS LyonTwo major engineering schools : Ecole Centrale INSA+………All with research laboratories mixed with the CNRS

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A highly complicated research A highly complicated research systemsystem

Research institutions :

Universities (85)

other HEIs (mainly engineering shools)

National research institutions :

CNRS, CEA, INSERM, INRA, INRIA,

Some with mixed laboratories with universities, mostly CNRS and INSERM

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A highly complicated system A highly complicated system also for evaluationalso for evaluation

The national research institutions, CNRS, CEA, INSERM, INRA, INRIA……., had all their own evaluation system.

The universities labs were evaluated by the ministry of research if not associated to a national research institution.

The universities and the institutions were evaluated by the CNE and CNR every XX years.

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The organisation of research and HEIs is not appropriate

Highly centralized

Egalitarian (supposed to be)

Highly complex

The new Law, LRU, Liberty and Responsibility for Universities will move the system to a decentralized and more simple one.

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More autonomy implies more ex post evaluation

Agence d’Evaluation de la Recherche

et de l’Enseignement Supérieur

Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education

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Agence d’Evaluation de la RechercheAgence d’Evaluation de la Recherche

et de l’Enseignement Supérieuret de l’Enseignement Supérieur

20, rue Vivienne - 75002 Paris20, rue Vivienne - 75002 Paris

December 12December 12thth 2007 2007

PresidentPresidentPr. Jean-François DhainautPr. Jean-François Dhainaut

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The AgencyThe Agency

• PresentationPresentation• Founding texts• Status• Organisation and operation

• Its missionsIts missions• Its aimsIts aims• Its objectivesIts objectives

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Founding textsFounding texts

• Law (April 18th, 2006) on Research (“Pact for Research”)

• A decree (November 3d, 2006) specifies how the Agency is organised and ruled

• Actual setting upActual setting up: March 20th, 2007

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Status and organisation

• StatusStatus: independent administrative authority• OrganisationOrganisation

– President, chairman of the board – Agency Board: 25 members

• 8 qualified personalities, • 14 appointed members, • 2 members of Parliament.

– 3 departments: 3 Directors

– 1 General Secretary

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OperationOperation

• Three departments in charge of the evaluation of:Three departments in charge of the evaluation of:– Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Research

institutions - Also assesses evaluation procedures for personnels ;

– Activity of Research Units ;– Programmes and awards of HEIs.

• Supported by:Supported by:– 3 Advisers– Permanent staff (58): administrative and research staff– 42 fulltime Scientific Advisers positions.

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MissionsMissions

• Expansion of the missions of:Expansion of the missions of:

– CNE,

– CNER,

– MSTP.

• New missions:New missions:

– Assessment of evaluation procedures of personnel

– Evaluation of all public research units and institutions

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PrinciplesPrinciples

• An independent AgencyAn independent Agency– Its evaluations are shielded from any pressure group– Clear distinction between the evaluation process (the

agency) and the accreditation decision process (ministry)

• A transparent AgencyA transparent Agency– CV of its members and experts are public– Procedures and evaluation reports are published (Web)– Dialogue with the entities under evaluation (visiting

committees)

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SpecificitiesSpecificities

• A single body integrating in a comprehensive A single body integrating in a comprehensive way the various fields of evaluationway the various fields of evaluation

• An evaluation procedure linked with the 4-year contract procedure

• Methods and criteria in compliance with international standards

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The aims of the Agency (1)The aims of the Agency (1)

• To promote the HEIsTo promote the HEIs

• To help them improve in all sense of termsTo help them improve in all sense of terms

• To evaluate their capacity to carry out the To evaluate their capacity to carry out the missions defined by the law and the aims they missions defined by the law and the aims they determined themselvesdetermined themselves

• To assist decision makers (Ministry, institutions, To assist decision makers (Ministry, institutions, students, …)students, …)

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The aims of the Agency (2)The aims of the Agency (2)

• To accomplish its mission on a high level of To accomplish its mission on a high level of expectations:expectations:Through the development of internal quality assurance mechanisms, checking:– The consistency and the relevance of evaluation procedures– The feedback of evaluation programmes, in order to enhance

methods– The training of its experts and its staffThe training of its experts and its staffFully committed to the Bologna Process:– The Agency will be externally reviewed in 2009, for ENQA full

membership– And will seek international acknowledgment (registration on

the European Quality Assurance Register - EQAR)