TRAINING FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION Conference 6X4 UEALC MERIDA, Mexico, 29/2-2/3 2004 Prof. Luc...

TRAINING FOR RESEARCH AND

INNOVATIONConference 6X4 UEALC

MERIDA, Mexico, 29/2-2/3 2004

Prof. Luc WEBER, University of Geneva

Vice-President of CD-ESRMember of the Board of EUA

1-2 March 2004 Weber: 6X4 EULAC, Training for Research and Innovation 2

Introduction Transformation of the world concerns Latin America as

well as Europe! Globalization, scientific and technological progress Knowledge society Increased competition and mobility

European reaction: (Council of Ministers of EU countries, Lisbon 2000): Europe should become the most competitive economy in the world by 2010 thanks to the development of the knowledge economy

For HiEd&R, strong acceleration over the last 4-5 years: main lines of political discussion and action:

Improve the competitiveness of Europe thanks to the promotion of knowledge (mainly under EU leadership)

Improve the efficiency of the sector and of each institution Reaffirm the central role of universities for the creation of

new knowledge, the transfer of knowledge and the training of researchers (main university preoccupation)


Content

A case study: the Reform of the European Higher Education and Research system

Improving Research training

Annex: EUA missions, membership and activities


A CASE STUDY:THE REFORM OF THE

EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AND

RESEARCH SECTOR


Characteristics of Europe European political organization:

Council of Europe: 45 States (out of approx. 50) and 800 millions inhabitants

EU: 6 countries in 1957: 15 members today, enlarged to 25 in Mai 2004. One currency for 12 countries since 2002

Characteristics of European HiEd&R Binary and unified systems Nearly exclusively public institutions in the west; more

than 1000 private institutions in east and central Europe Basic research in universities and/or research centers Size from 100 to more than 100’000 students (one

“research”(?) university for 500’000 inhabitants) Over Europe, teaching in more than 20 different

languages Numerous barriers to mobility


Main reforms

Two political initiatives in HiEd&R (1) European Higher Education Area (EHEA)

without border in 2010 (2) European Research Area (ERA): Council of

Ministers of EU in Lisbon (2000)


The European Higher Education Area EHEA)

The Bologna process Launched in 1998 by the Ministers of 4 countries

(F, UK, D and I) Confirmed in 1999 with the Bologna Declaration

(29 countries) Follow-up ministerial conferences in:

Prague, 2001, enlarged to 33 countries, and Berlin, Sept. 2003, enlarged to 40 countries) Bergen 2005

Aim: Create a transparent higher education space Promote the mobility of students and teachers Develop the European identity Improve the attractiveness of Europe for

“overseas” students


Tools: Creation of a transparent system based on a bachelors

and masters system and, since Berlin, doctorates (PhD) Bachelor: preparation to a professional career and to

further university studies Master: specialization (academic and vocational) Doctorate (PhD) (link between EHEA and ERA)

Generalized introduction of a credit transfer and accumulation system (improvement of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)): BA 180-240 credits, MA 90-120 credits, with a total of 300 ECTS for the MA; PhD level still open

Development of the Diploma supplements Promotion of the recognition convention of UNESCO-

COE)


Difficulties: The process is extremely decentralized, as it is

applied in 40 sovereign countries by one thousand autonomous universities

There is no leader: succession of leading countries and uneasy role for the EU

Each country, and even each university, and even each department, is implementing the Bologna declaration with its own interpretation

Many universities do not realize that it is a fantastic opportunity to revise the programs’ pedagogy: in particular move from teaching to learning


The European Research Area (ERA)

Idea launched in 2000 European council meeting: Europe should become

the most competitive economy in the world by 2000 thanks to a knowledge economy

Tools: create a European research area without border

Integrate the EU and the national research programs Improve the EU Framework Programs (FP6)

Networks of excellence Integrated projects


Accompanying measures to solve the European paradox: the level of fundamental research is excellent, the transfer of knowledge is lagging behind

Reduce the barriers to the mobility of researchers Promote the transfer of knowledge (European patent?) and

clarify the ownership of the intellectual property rights Find new ways to finance research (and higher education) Develop a set of rules to secure a fair collaboration

university-industry (research ethic, sharing of the results) Accompanying measures to promote the research

volume and quality Increase the priority given to research (compared with

agriculture) Promote research (3% of GDP), including fundamental and

curiosity driven research Main forthcoming issue: creation of a European Research

Council, mainly to finance fundamental and curiosity driven research at a European scale


Main related reforms Quality audit and assurance

In particular create a culture of quality Autonomy, governance, leadership and

managementThe changing environment, budget shortage and increasing dissatisfaction on the part of the political proposal force institutions to streamline the decision process and to make decisions. This concerns mainly

Secure University autonomy (implies accountability) University governance, in particular creation of boards Leadership Management


IMPROVING RESEARCH TRAINING


The knowledge society challenges Research and Universities

Statement (reminder): Transformation of the world concerns everyone, Latin America as well as Europe! Globalization Scientific and technological progress,

Knowledge society Increased competition and mobility


European reaction (as an example) Aim: (Council of Ministers of EU countries, Lisbon 2000): “Europe

should become the most competitive economy in the world by 2010 thanks to the development of the knowledge economy” (!?)

Implications: knowledge society and innovation culture must become a major priority for Europe and national governments

For European Research Increase investment in Research: 3% of GDP (2/3 born by industry) 500-700’000 additional researchers!

For European Universities: The universities are the key players Train these additional researchers Improve the quality of research Improve the transfer of knowledge

Also a serious challenge for other regions of the world Asia (Japan and now China, Korea, Singapore, Thailand) is

seriously on the track; a serious threat for everyone! A must for Latin America


Three aims, multiple means

Train more doctorate students Improve the efficiency and the quality

of doctorate education Improve the carrier opportunities of

doctorates. The period after the doctorate is crucial (desert crossing!?)


Train more doctorate students

Train more doctorate students The doctorate is and will remain the best - if not the

only way - to train researchers Great opportunity for an advanced student to

Work for a long time, largely independently, at the frontier of knowledge

To use systematically the tools available in his (her) discipline To gain a depth of thought on a scientific topic as well as the

necessary deep experience of research We need more doctorates in industry, business,

research lab and in universities (research and replacement of retiring professors)

Universities are aware of this need; what about the industry and business..??


The doctorate should be made more attractive Women in particular should be encouraged to do a

doctorate Necessary to improve the image of science (hard

and life sciences, as well as social sciences and humanities)

The curiosity for science should already be raised at school level and

at the BA – and obviously - the MA levels A much greater attention should be given to the

status of doctoral students/candidates Are they students, junior staff, researchers, etc.? Is their salary or their grant reasonably attractive? What are their social security rights? Does the spouse/husband receives also an authorization to stay

in a foreign country?


Improve doctorates education

Improve the efficiency and the quality of doctorates education We need doctorates who are both

strong in theory and methodologies as well as creative (innovative) In some disciplines (for ex. in computer, engineering or business

sciences, we can also consider professional doctorates) In Europe (and in Latin American countries?) there are

great differences regarding all aspects of doctorate studies

Prerequisite (MA or not) Level of requirement Structure (structured courses and thesis or only thesis?) Length Conditions of completion And others…


EUA project Aim of “Doctoral Programs for the European Knowledge

Society”: to examine further the links and the interaction between the EHEA and the ERA, in particular

to establish a definition of doctoral programs as the third cycle in the Bologna Process

to study the training and career development of young researchers.

The project will: assess how universities are educating and training the

next generation of researchers and professionals, collect examples of good practice make recommendation in relation to structural

developments that are needed to make the career paths of future researchers more attractive and transparent.

Means: create two types of networks: Institutions cooperating on joint doctoral programs Institutions interested in benchmarking PhD studies


A few principles (proposals) The objectives:

Encourage curiosity and creative thinking (originality) Implement the tools and methodologies of science Encourage interdisciplinary work Pushing the frontiers of science Allow for professional doctorates in some circumstances

(making a synthesis of the best practice) Necessary conditions before the doctorate

Research content of BAs and in particular MAs If the level of MA is low, necessity for an additional year

(super MA or “Doctorate colleges”?) Link MA-PhD

Should MA be compulsory? Should a first year of structured courses be

compulsory?


The length : tendency to shorten doctorate studies (approx. 3 years full time)

Required by the fast development of knowledge Required by the labor market (in industry/business as well

as universities) The curriculum

Structured training depends on prerequisite Thesis; a must (original research work and drafting of the

results) Possible alternative: compendium of a few research papers

published in top ranked scientific journals The tutoring of doctorate students (the mentoring role of

the supervisor(s)): PhD or equivalent must be based on high quality supervision

Responsibility of faculty or department, selection of an international jury!

Avoid possible negative consequences for the doctorate students of a bad personal relationship with his (her) tutor or that he (she) is used only as a research assistant!


Promotion of doctorate students: recognition of the title for the promotion to professorship

Doctorate is a necessary, but not sufficient condition Doctorates should publish and continue to do

research (list of publications is the final criteria) However, avoid requesting an “habilitation” (more

or less second doctorate). Appointment and promotion procedures should be

more flexible Promotion should be done on a competitive basis!


Act at system and international levels The training of doctorate students

should be shared between institutions The specialization of science make it more and

more impossible for one institution to train his (her) doctorate students alone (the same may also be true for MAs)

This requires More mobility on the part of the doctorate

students as well as professors Development of networks:

local/regional/international collaboration (clustering) becomes increasingly important


Research networks provide the best environment to foster mobility and promotion

Collaboration networking should be dynamic and reconfigurable to ensure continued creativity–nodes of critical mass

Joint degrees (MAs and doctorates) are important mechanisms (encourages mobility and enlarge the breadth of thoughts)

More individual mobility requires an increased level of institutional commitment


EU (and EUA) is promoting the mobility of students and researchers

Erasmus/Socrates – Bologna process Tempus (with East Europe) Marie Curie Actions (training, mobility and career

development opportunities for researchers) Erasmus mundus (World) (joint masters) Joint Masters or Doctorates (France: co-tutelles

de thèses)


Collaboration with industry should be promoted

Facilitate the mobility of students between university and industry

Develop joint research projects University-industry/business

University-industry partnership should be based on trust (research ethic)

Industry should also encourage their researchers to do a doctorate and offer the necessary support (financial and working conditions)


Greater attention should be paid to the working conditions of doctorate students

The best: they are employed as teaching or research assistants with free time to work on their doctorate (Ex. University of Geneva)

Should have the opportunity to discuss their research in specific workshops facilitated by a mentor

Should be allowed and encouraged to spend some time abroad

Should be encouraged to participate to scientific meetings or do some consultancy work

Should be encouraged to publish intermediate results If doctorate students are mobile, money should

follow them! Should benefit from social security coverage


Improve the carrier opportunities of doctorates. The period after the doctorate is crucial (desert crossing!?) Doctorates should be encouraged to remain in

research A carrier path should be discussed with them, in particular:

Doctorates should be offered the opportunity to do post-doc research abroad. Implies

Financial support Administrative flexibility

Doctorates from other institutions (abroad) should have the opportunity to do research in your institutions and have the opportunity to teach

Contact should be kept with ex-pat. doctorates However, the promotion to tenure must be made on a

competitive basis (a weak point in most universities)


KEY ISSUES FOR DEBATE


Key issues for debate The attractiveness of doctoral studies The training of core skills (e.g. training in

research skills and techniques) and wider employment related skills (e.g. research management, communication skills, networking and team-working)

The funding of doctoral programs The mentoring role of the supervisor The status of doctoral candidates in different

countries (students, staff members, workers or even researchers)

The impact of this on their financial situation and social security rights

The organization of doctoral studies at system level


THANK YOU


Annex: EUA MISSIONS,

MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES


EUA’s Missions and Membership

Origin

Merger early 2001 of the “Association of European Universities” (CRE) and the “Confederation of the Rectors’ Conferences of EU countries”

Missions Promote a coherent system of Higher education and research in Europe through action at system and institutional levels Support to members

Membership

650 Individual Members ( must award doctoral degrees)

34 National Rectors’ Conferences


EUA related activities

The European Research Area: Conferences

Dubrovnik September 2001: “Knowledge Transfer” Bristol March 2003: “The Role of Universities in the

European Research Area” Maastricht 2004: “The Role of Universities in research

training for the knowledge society” EUA “Research” working group (policy group)

Meets 3-4 times a year Prepares EUA statements on EU communications or other

questions of general interest, as for ex. the project of a European Research Council


EUA related activities

The European Higher Education Area: EUA Convention of Higher Education Institutions

Salamanca, April 2001: preparation of the Prague Summit Graz, May 2003: Preparation of the Berlin Summit (summary of

statement in the next slide) Glasgow, April 2005: Preparation of the Bergen Summit

Conference on ECTS: Zurich, 2002 Joint masters: Cluj, October 2003

Other topics Marseille 2004: Universities and Society Torino 2004: Charting the course between public service

and communication: Prices, Values and Quality


Advocacy and support to members Program of institutional evaluation Management seminars for new Rectors (with IMHE) Forthcoming workshops on managing the University or

on research management Working together with partners


EUA’s Graz Declaration (Statement)

“The integral link between higher education and research is central to European higher education and a defining feature of Europe’s universities”

“Governments need to be aware of this interaction and to promote closer links between the EHEA and the ERA as a means of strengthening Europe’s research capacity and improving the quality and attractiveness of European Higher education”

Governments “should therefore fully recognize the doctoral level as the third “cycle” in the Bologna process”

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