Eramus Mundus:Translating policy in actions

1

Ehancing the Quality and

Attractiveness of

EuropeanHE

Promoting intercultura

l understand

ing

Improving he

development of human resources

Erasmus MundusProgram

me

EUExternal Relation

Policies

Bologna

Lisbon / EU

2020Strateg

y

Erasmus Mundus - key elements

Action 1 - Joint Programmes (including scholarships)

Action 2 - Partnerships (including scholarships)

Action 3 - Promotion of European HE

3Action 1- Joint Programmes

• Integrated Joint Programmes at Masters or Doctorate level– Min 3 EU HEIs, open to non-EU HEIs (optional)– Specific courses / disciplines– Mandatory mobility component– Joint recognition (double/multiple/joint degrees) – Open to students from all over the world

• Full-study scholarships / fellowships• Funded for 5 consecutive editions / cohorts

– Between 3 and 5 M€ per Joint Programme for the entire period.

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses (EMMC)Since 2004,•approx. 600 universities from all over the world (2/3 EU, 1/3 non EU)•have developed 123 joint masters courses,•attended by over 10000 students and 2000 academics (95% non EU nationals)•in a very wide range of disciplines.

Erasmus Mundus - thematic disciplines

Agricultural and Forestry Sciences Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning Art and Design Business Studies, Management Science Communication and Information Sciences Education, Teacher Training Engineering, Technology Geography, Earth and Environmental

Studies Health Sciences Humanities Languages and Philological Sciences Law Mathematics, Informatics Natural Sciences Social and Cultural Sciences, Economics

Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses:Bologna in practice

Contributes to the convergence process and the creation of a European Area of HE

Supports mobility, in and beyond Europe Fosters de creation of joint degrees Promotes excellence and the

development of common QA mechanisms Support HE in a global context throught

intercultural dialogue and cooperation

How is quality in Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes taken care of?

Competitive selection ofJoint Masters and Doctoral programmes

(independent experts, high-level academic Selection Board)

Students / doct. candidates by Joint Programme Consortia

Quality monitoring (periodic reports, visits) by the Executive Agency

Erasmus Mundus Quality Assurance Project - EMQA

Erasmus Mundus Quality Asssement (EMQA)

A process to understand the EMMCs “journey to excellence”, identifying and sharing good practices

Launched in 2008 and managed by a Steering Commitee (incl. EC, consultants, acad. experts, EMmc representatives, ENQA, EM alumni, ESN)

21 EMMCs visited so far, on a voluntary basis (more that 50 visits in total to co-ordinators and partners)

Selection of EMMCs based on consortium composition, disciplines, course structure and objectives

Search

What EMQA is not

An “evaluation” exercise (all EM courses are subject to regular monitoring and annual reporting requirements)

An attempt to impose pre-defined quality standards on EM courses

A new QA framework at European level (HEIs and study programmes are subject to their national QA systems)

EMQA Methodology

EMQA: 4 Components of Excellence

• Quality of Teaching and Learning (QATL)

• Facilities, Logistics and Finance (FLAF)• Quality of Leadership and Institutions

(QUIL)• Joined-Up Practice and Integration

(JUPI)

EMQA - 4 “Components of Excellence”Quality of Teaching and Learning (QATL) Designing an excellent and well balanced curriculumSharing course objectives and outcomesEnsuring coherence of teaching (content and practice)

and assessment methodsDeveloping student competencies and skills (learning ,

entrepreneurship, linguistic, etc.)Addresssing the international learning and working

environmentLinks to research, innovation and students

employability (e.g. through internships)

EMQA - 4 “Components of Excellence”Facilities, Logistics and Finance (FLAF)Students application processPreparing students academically prior to arrivalAddressing “third-country” students needs for travelling to EuropeIntroducing students to EU academic practiceManaging mobility between partner institutionsManaging Student finances (/scholarships)Communicating and consulting with studentsEnsuring students networking and benefitting from alumni

EMQA - 4 “Components of Excellence”Quality of Leadership and Institutions (QUIL)

Providing the highest quality academic teamCreating a strong course “brand”Securing and maintaining institutional commitmentInstitutional commitment to international teaching and researchCourse continuity and leadership successionFinancial sustainability

EMQA - 4 “Components of Excellence”Joined-Up Practice and Integration (JUPI)

Selecting studentsConsortium information systemPolicy for course feesDivision of labour across the consortiumA consortium-wide quality assessment processManaging the consortiumPolicy for awarding the master degree

EMQA - the key players

EMQA Visits led by consultants with academic experience

Visit team includes EC/Agency, academic experts, student, representative of national QAA where possible

Involved key EMMC actors : Academics, Vice-Rectors, IRO, Admin. and Support Staff, EM students

EMQA - The Visits (1)

Prior preparation and self-assessment questionnaire (filled in by coordinator, partners, acad. and admin. ataff, students)

Visits on the basis of confidentiality and openness

Celebrate and acknowledge excellence

Learn from failures and challenges - share non-critically where the course can improve

EMQA - The Visits (2)

Agenda structured around the “4 Components of Excellence”

Build trust via an internationally-acknowledged

subject expert a student with EM experience academic peers as lead consultants EC / Agency staff who affirm the non-

judgmental nature of the visit process

EMQA - Outputs

Quality Handbook offering guidance to existing or prospective participants

Online Self-Assessment Tool Products based on practical feedback from

those who have actually been involved in delivering EM courses

EM Excellence website - http://www.emqa.eu

EMQA - Self-Assessment Tool

Users assess their strengths or weaknesses in relation to the “ 4 Components of Excellence”

Each assessment criterion is based 5 levels of descriptors

Courses participate in a collaborative process, building and sharing experience, raising the levels of quality and refining the Tool

Potential applicants can benefit from learned practice, existing courses can accelerate their quality improvements

EMQA Website - registrations

1138 registrations- 55 % EUR- 25 % Asia- 10 % America

1138 registrations- 55 % EUR- 25 % Asia- 10 % America

EMQA - conclusions

Understand better the flexible and innovative nature of EM courses

Moving towards a process where a course is following a structured set of practices that has been determined as maximising the chance of delivering an excellent course

Complementary relationship between national QA systems and EMQA project

Future of EMQA

Aim to contribute to long-term sustainability of EMMCs

Further refinement and updating of tools, identification of additional good practices

Present EMQA outputs as a support resource to a wider community of quality practitioners (in higher education, among socio-economic actors and elsewhere in the world)

Other QA initiatives under the Action 3 of the EM Programme

• AQUARIUS : Assuring quality in internationalisation of study courses and course guidance (2004-2006)

• ACTIVE ASIA : Asia / Europe Credit Transfer in Virtual and Distance Education (2007-2010)

• FASTQUAD : Facilitating students' mobility service including quality insurance dimension (2007-2010)

• LEANES : Linking European and Asian academic networks in the field of Environmental Science (2008-2011)

• JISER-MED : Joint Innovation & Synergies in Education and Research – Mediterranean region (2010-2012)

• JOQAR : Joint Programmes - Quality Assurance and Recognition of degrees awarded (2010-2013)

Erasmus Mundus Website http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/

index_en.php

EMQA http://www.emqa.eu

Erasmus Mundus Selected projects http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/

results_compendia/selected_projects_en.php

Erasmus Mundus Functional Mailbox EACEA-Erasmus-Mundus@ec.europa.eu

Jose.gutierrez@ec.europa.eu

Erasmus Mundus Programme – Useful links