May 26 - 28th, 2011, Wenner Gren Centre, Stockholm.
Background for the symposium
In the modern society trust and reputation have become increasingly important. This implies that not just commercial actors like corporations are focussing on their brand. The same is true also for other types of institutions. Even representatives of higher education institutions (HEIs) are to an increasing extent talking about their reputation and their brand (cf. e.g. Engwall, 2008, p. 41). This development can be understood as a response to increasing market pressures on HEIs. In order to attract students and research resources it has become important for academic institutions to communicate positive images of their educational and research environment.
Even if there is a general tendency in the present day society with its media orientation to strengthen institutional reputation, it can be argued that HEIs institutions have particular motives to work actively with their trust. This is the case, since the two main activities of such institutions, education and research, are associated with very high uncertainty.
In terms of education at least three reasons can be mentioned for this uncertainty. First, by definition students who select an education should not know the content of a particular programme. Second, it takes a long time for most students before they really know whether their education was good for their career or not. Third, educational programmes seldom have openly dissatisfied customers, since negative views would be self-destructive for alumni.
Regarding research similar arguments can be raised. First, the outcome of research should be associated with uncertainty, i.e. it should in principle be new knowledge. Second, it is difficult in the short run to envisage the consequences of scientific findings. Third, scientists, like alumni, are reluctant to criticize the scientific system. This tendency of individuals is reinforced by the ambitions of scientific institutions to protect their reputation and therefore to withhold negative information.
Despite, or perhaps due to, the mentioned uncertainties, over time HEIs have gained considerable trust in society. This confidence can be explained by the successful careers that have been achieved by their alumni, which have made higher education attractive for younger generations. In addition, research during the post-war period has produced results which have led to innovations exploited by corporations and supposedly economic growth. As a result, politicians all over the world, nationally and locally, have found it crucial to invest in HEIs. The number of universities and university colleges has in this way increased considerably during the latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Four factors behind challenges of the trust in HEIs
The trust in HEIs is not unchallenged, however. In the public debate, critical voices can thus be heard regarding their position in society. At least four factors can be mentioned as explanations to this state of affairs: *The advance of information technology, *The strengthening of the media, *The increasing call for accountability, *The rising stress of utility.
As for the development of information technology, it has implied a revolution in terms of access to information. Information is now globally available through the Internet for wide audiences. This has led to the argument that HEIs have lost their raison-d’être. It is argued that electronic universities, like the University of Phoenix will drive HEIs out of the market. Some even question the Internet universities, since it is nowadays possible for any individual to seek the information they want to have. Nevertheless, it can be argued that HEIs so far to have a future due to its quality control but also by offering young people a stimulating environment during a very sensitive part of their life. Still, the expansion of the Internet implies strong challenges of the position of HEIs. While this questioning of HEIs is serious, it is even worse for their trust that the Internet provides opportunities for less scrupulous students and scholars to copy information from the Internet and use the texts of others as their own. As these cases of fraud increase and get generally known the trust in HEIs are likely to be seriously damaged.
Regarding media, it is evident that the post-war world has implied a considerable growth of different kinds of media. The latter part of the twentieth century saw the introduction of a number of new media as well as a deregulation of various media markets. At the same time we can notice a professionalisation of journalism and communication experts. This in turn has implied that all types of organizations nowadays employ people for communication purposes. As mentioned by means of introduction this is true also for HEIs. In universities strong communication departments close to the leadership can increasingly be observed (Engwall, 2008). These in turn may even imply a risk for “science through the media” rather than “science through the scholarly scrutiny” (cf. e.g. the cold fusion case at the University of Utah in 1989; Gieryn, 1999, Chapter 4 and Beaudette, 2002). In this way there are risks that the scholarly examination of research is set aside with a high risk of deceptive behaviour. However, also the review processes in scientific journals are now and then reported to have failed (cf. e.g. Peters and Stephen, 1982, and the Sokal hoax; Sokal, 1996a and b). As a matter of fact this is not completely surprising in times of a growing inflow of manuscripts to journals and an increasing competition among scholars. A result may therefore be an increase in fraudulent behaviour. The latter has of course occurred earlier (cf. e.g. Broad and Wade, 1985 and Judson, 2004), but the pressure on individuals as well as their institutions for bibliometric victories is likely to reinforce such misconduct. For the trust in HEIs, it will be devastating when detected. Therefore, teaching of ethics and the conduct of good practices is crucial in any academic training.
In terms of accountability, it is, as pointed out by e.g. Power (1997) generally called upon in the modern society. It is requested that outsiders should be able to see what different institutions are doing, and that institutions should be able to show that they are efficient in their use of provided resources. In this world HEIs have a considerable problem, since both education and research are accomplished in relatively closed environments. As a result they have increasingly faced various measures of scrutiny: evaluation, accreditation and ranking. In these exercises publication indicators have come to play an increasing role through more and more sophisticated control systems of scientific impact. These have in various disciplines led to a critique of the research drifting away towards “more rigour than relevance”. This in turn may contribute to the undermining of HEIs by providing an image that their researchers are just doing research in their own self-interest as a l’art pour l’art. In addition, the strong emphasis of scientific publications may reinforce a view that faculty members ignore their students, thereby neglecting the quality of teaching.
The call for accountability is closely related to the call for utility, since it is nowadays widely requested that the output of research should not only keep up with high scientific standards but also make contributions to society. This demand seems to have increased in the last decades as a result of the tendency of politicians world wide to stress the role of HEIs as motors in the economic development of their countries. High ambitions are set with respect to the share of the populations going to higher education. In addition investments in research are pointed out as crucial for economic growth and welfare. Although, the rhetoric is not always translated into economic resources, these views on HEIs have led to high expectations on useful results. As such effects are not always possible to observe – particularly not in the humanities and the social sciences, but even so in the hard and applied sciences – the trust in HEIs is challenged. In addition, trust is threatened as HEI scholars are too closely related to economic interests in roles as consultants, co-owners or part-time employees of companies.

The central theme of this Forum is how (European) higher education relates to global development challenges. Global development challenges are, for instance, issues targeted by the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These refer, among other things, to the need to eradicate (extreme) poverty in the world, to ensure a decent life for all, to promote health and education for all, to ensure (environmentally) sustainable development, to create a global partnership in order to achieve these goals, etc. The goal of this Forum is to raise awareness of the position of higher education institutions within the arena of global development and to inspire participation within each institution’s capacities. Deadline for registration is 18 Feb 2011.
Topics
* Globalisation, global development issues and HE institutions
* The implications of globalisation for African higher education
* Global development issues and European higher education since Bologna
* University ranking and development engagement: can a globally competitive university afford development cooperation activities
* What can European HE institutions contribute to global development challenges
Target audience
Senior management of (European) higher education institutions, policy advisors in (European) higher education, representatives of agencies in international cooperation development, cooperation experts related to national Ministries or the EU with a specific interest in knowledge and HE.

L’état de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche 2010 permet de faire le bilan annuel chiffré du système d’enseignement supérieur et de recherche français, de le situer au niveau international et de suivre ses évolutions, notamment sur le long terme.  Financement, ressources humaines, accès au supérieur, réussite, qualification, insertion des diplômés, vie étudiante, recherche en biotechnologie ou nanotechnologie, participation au PCRD, publications, brevets, etc. sont les thèmes abordés dans les 35 fiches de cet ouvrage dont c’est aujourd’hui la 4e édition (2010). Télécharger la publication complète de l'État de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche.
Voici ce qui concerne l'indicateur 16: la Formation Continue
En 2008, la formation continue dans l’enseignement supérieur a accueilli 460000 stagiaires, délivré 65000 diplômes dont 38000 diplômes nationaux et réalisé un chiffre d’affaires de 350 millions d’euros. À nouveau au nombre de 4000 en 2009, les validations des acquis de l’expérience se maintiennent.
En 2008, la formation continue dans l’enseignement supérieur accroît son activité de 8% pour le chiffre d’affaires (CA) et de 3% pour le nombre des stagiaires, par rapport à 2007; malgré cela elle garde une place modeste au sein de la formation professionnelle réalisée en France (5% du CA total). Les fonds privés, entreprises ou particuliers, représentent 63% des ressources des établissements en matière de formation professionnelle, tous types confondus, et leur part atteint même 68% dans les universités, alors que les fonds publics se maintiennent à 30%.
Les formations proposées par les universités progressent en chiffre d’affaires comme en nombre de stagiaires, alors que le CNAM connaît une baisse de 12% des inscriptions en 2008, mais pour des stages nettement plus longs qu’en 2007 (180 heures contre 146).
Les IUT ne forment que 6% du nombre de stagiaires de formation continue des universités (22500) mais représentent 14 % du CA et 20% des heures-stagiaires en raison d’une durée moyenne des stages plus importante que dans les autres organismes de formation. De plus, la moitié des contrats de professionnalisation sont signés avec des IUT.
En 2008, sur 369000 stagiaires en universités, la part des salariés stagiaires inscrits à divers titres (plan de formation, contrat de professionnalisation ou congé individuel de formation) atteint 33%, leur nombre passant de 116000 à 119000. Les stagiaires inscrits à leur initiative (particuliers) passent de 166000 en 2007 à 183000 en 2008 et restent majoritaires (50%). Le nombre des particuliers membres des universités interâge ne représente plus que 45% des individuels payants, un peu moins qu’en 2007. Dans le même temps, la part des demandeurs d’emploi reste stable, soit 9% des stagiaires avec un total de 33000 stagiaires pour un volume de 8 millions d’heures stagiaires (19%) alors que le nombre des chômeurs indemnisés diminue de 2% et que celui des demandeurs d’emploi sans aucune aide progresse de 18% en un an. Au total en 2008, les 216000 individuels payants et « autres » (professions artisanales et libérales) représentent 59% des stagiaires et 41% des heures-stagiaires (19 millions).
En 2008, les stages courts qualifiants, d’une durée moyenne de 31 heures, attirent toujours davantage de stagiaires à l’université, soit 31% des inscrits. Un quart des inscrits préparent un diplôme ou un titre national et 19% un diplôme d’université. La fréquentation des conférences à caractère culturel reste stable avec 25% des inscrits.
Le nombre des diplômes délivrés dans le cadre de la formation continue universitaire a continué d’augmenter en 2008. Sur les 59 000 diplômes délivrés, plus de la moitié sont des diplômes nationaux (33 000), 41% sont de niveau II (licences et maîtrises), plus d’un tiers de niveau I (master), 15% de niveau IV, principalement le diplôme d’accès aux études universitaires (DAEU) et 11% de niveau III, essentiellement des diplômes universitaires de technologie (DUT) préparés dans les IUT. En 2008, la part des diplômes délivrés par les universités en formation continue sur l’ensemble des diplômes s’établit à 9% contre 8,3% en 2007.
La validation des acquis de l’expérience constitue un autre moyen d’acquérir un diplôme en faisant valoir son expérience professionnelle. Depuis 2002, ce dispositif se développe dans l’enseignement supérieur (universités et CNAM) en plus de la validation des acquis professionnels (décret de 1985) qui permet d’accéder à une formation par une dispense du titre normalement requis pour s’y inscrire. En 2008, environ 4055 validations ont été délivrées pour obtenir tout ou partie d’un diplôme dont 2154 diplômes complets.
Voir les articles du blog L'état de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (n°3 - décembre 2009) et L'état de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (n°2), voir sur le site du MESR L'état de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (nov. 2007).

The third country workshop of the EUIMA – Full Costing project took place in Paris. The event was organised jointly with AMUE (Agence de Mutualisation des Universités et Etablissements) and CPU (Conférence des Présidents d’Université), which were selected to host the event due to their important role and continuous engagement in promoting the development of full costing in French universities. More information about the country workshop in France is available on the event website. More information about the future activities of the EUIMA – Full Costing project is available on the project web page.
The workshop clearly demonstrated that full costing is a priority issue for French universities, which need to develop the right financial tools to facilitate their strategic management and support their increasing autonomy. Such efforts are strongly backed by the AMUE and CPU, and in particular by the new president of CPU, Mr. Louis Vogel, who spoke at the meeting.
The workshop, which presented international good practice, brought together more than 100 participants from 66 French institutions, including universities, funding bodies and relevant ministries. This allowed for a dynamic and critical discussion about the framework conditions needed to implement successfully full costing in France. Following the key findings from EUA’s work on this topic, and the recommendations from the participating international experts, the commitment of the university leadership was identified as the crucial factor in achieving this aim.
An important outcome of the workshop was the announcement of a series of further steps which will be taken in the next year to move towards the implementation of full costing in French universities. With full support of the CPU, the AMUE, as a body created specifically to support universities’ management, will organise follow-up events to highlight best practice in France as well as topic-specific workshops and training to support French universities in the implementation of full costing.

University of Granada, Spain, 25-27 May 2011. It's time to sharpen your pencils and prepare your proposals because the EUCEN 41st conference Call for Contributions is OPEN!
You have four different topics to choose from as the theme for your contribution, namely:
1- European targets for widening participation for minorities.
2- The role of European Universities in the developing World.
3- Supporting university staff in conflict zones.
4- Volunteering as a path to education.
All the details and instructions, as well as the submission form and deadlines, are in our Call for Contributions section. If you want to submit a contribution and have a chance to present your work/research, please, download the full Call and fill in the form within.
1- European targets for widening participation for minorities, Eric Agbessi Chair, Director UFR LACC - University Blaise Pascal, FR, Charo Romano Rapporteur, RUEPEP Steering comittee member, University Rovira i Virgilli, ES.
In the workshops of Topic 1, we will tackle a certain number of issues dealing with the following areas:
1. The meaning of supporting and promoting positive intercultural relations between minority and majority communities.
2. The limits of a European intercultural project based upon the contribution and participation of all communities.
3. The promotion of tangible projects on community development.
4. The motivations of European corporations to support a new diversity management: are companies prepared to take the necessary steps that would lead to a genuine overhaul of their corporate culture and improve race and gender relations at work?
While answering the questions listed above we will try to analyze the role of European universities in the promotion, development and implementation of policies on diversity.

2- The role of European Universities in the developing World, Soledad Vieitez Chair, University of Granada, ES, Oliver Janoschka Rapporteur, EUCEN's Projects Director.
European Universities and those in developing countries have established academic partnerships for decades now. However, we need to address more carefully the role of European Universities to improve higher education and University lifelong learning (ULLL) in the developing world in order to understand the advancement of human rights, such as the right to education and its role in the strengthening fundamental freedoms. In doing so we must also document and explain the context in which European University cooperation with developing countries has been built. Europe has established relationships with the developing world mainly through development and international cooperation with a minimum impact on higher education so far. Thus colonial ties between some European countries and the developing World have been notorious, being European languages (French, English, Portuguese; even, Spanish) official in most developing countries of Africa, Latin America or Asia.
The current context of higher education in Europe allows for renewed and improved partnerships between universities to work towards education and, generally, human rights by European Universities in the developing world. In this session we shall address this current situation on both sides by offering global perspectives, providing specific and detailed cases, sharing best practices, reflecting upon distinctive institutional experiences, or making recommendations on policy for organizations at the national and/or the international level. Contributions to Workshop or Poster sessions may offer the following (or combinations of them): case studies, research results (whether final or work-in-progress), surveys or comparative analyses, and/or critical reviews reflecting upon the already mentioned issues.
Suggested focuses of abstracts and/or paper are the following:
* What has characterised the partnerships between European Universities and developing higher education institutions historically? Discussion of specific cases is encouraged.
* How have European Universities contributed to improve higher education and University lifelong learning (ULLL) in different settings of the developing world? Discussion of distinct experiences and/or regional comparison is most desirable.
* Which obstacles, barriers and/or challenges are to be considered regarding the advancement of human rights and the right to education in particular countries, and the specific role of European Universities in those?
* Which good practices, lessons to learn and/or success stories are we to find in this regard? What models, if so, are to rescue behind those experiences?
* Who are the beneficiaries of these programs and how can cooperation be extended further? Are University curricula, as well as skills and knowledge provided, sufficiently adapted to developing countries realities and to the demands of their specific labour markets?
* To what extent can we think of renewed and improved partnerships between universities on both sides? In which terms? Again, discussion of particular cases is encouraged.
3- Supporting university staff in conflict zones, Erwin Wagner Chair, Director of the Centre for Learning Enhancement, Hildesheim University, DE, Javier Villoria Rapporteur, International Relationships vice-dean, Educational Sciences Faculty, University of Granada, ES.
There can be found a lot of mutual relationships, forms of collaboration and joint efforts between university staff from European Universities and those in developing countries or otherwise outside Europe. Sometimes these may be established academic partnerships some may just be temporary links in projects or other programs. As in many regions universities, academic work and university staff are suffering from crises and conflicts, however, we need to address more carefully specific needs, conditions, sources, patterns and frameworks to support colleagues, consortia and networks under such circumstances. This is not only meant to help colleagues and partners; it is about caring for basic conditions of international collaboration and networking in ULLL throughout the world we are living and working.
Still the issue may not be sufficiently or well treated through declarations or additional money (if feasible at the end). Very often mere communication has to be kept alive, meeting should be possible over time or access to necessary information and technology may be in danger. The agenda thus may not only include scientific or research topics but also moving targets, infrastructure, adjustments, reorientation, breaking links, safety and diplomacy. How to survive and how to be successful in times of crisis and conflict may become a core topic of University lifelong learning.
Suggested focus of abstracts and/or papers in slots 1 and 2 may address the following issues:
Slot C in this strand will be used for a workshop to reflect the previous presentations and discussions and aiming at the conceptualisation of strategic and practical proposals to improve and to increase supporting university staff in conflict zones and times – going beyond Europe in different approaches.
* Which kind of experience do we have in supporting university staff in conflict zones/times?
* Which frameworks and relationships can support/sustain collaboration?
* What does university staff/what do colleagues in ULLL really need in conflict zones/times?
* To what extent can what kind of policy and diplomacy, which kind of networking and collaboration links offer support needed in conflict and/or crisis?
* Which professional, social and /or cultural approaches seem to be appropriate in supporting university staff in ULLL in conflict zones?
* Do we find good practice and success stories in this area?
* Are there interesting new approaches or projects to be presented and learnt from?
* Are there any certain lessons to learn?
4- Volunteering as a path to education, Alison Hughes, Chair, Continuing Education and Professional Development Officer, University of Liverpool, UK, Inmaculada Sanz Sainz Rapporteur, Modern Language Centre Director, University of Granada, ES.
Universities can often be perceived as exclusive institutions that do not always fully engage their communities. Some people may find that they do not suit academic learning, can feel that universities are inaccessible or may have been socially excluded from formal education in the past. ULLL, however, can provide opportunities for such people and can appeal to a more diverse group of people. It can provide a ‘second chance’ education and can help make education more socially inclusive. Universities in Europe are actively pursuing this agenda - as demonstrated in the Universities’ Charter on Lifelong Learning. Universities are aware that they need to embrace a wider and more diversified student base.
Volunteering has a central part to play in this. ULLL is increasingly linking with volunteers and organisations that involve volunteers. This can be through teaching partnerships, lectures, accreditation and training for volunteers. In turn, the volunteers gain new skills and qualifications, increase their confidence and self-esteem, and make new contacts.
Further benefits of linking ULLL and volunteering include: helping people learn about citizenship; improving someone’s employability in the job market; developing intercultural dialogue and fostering links between different communities; and providing opportunities for older people to be actively involved in education rather than risk being excluded from society.
Suggested focus of abstracts and/or papers in slots 1 and 2 may address the following issues:
Slot C in this strand will be a focused discussion/workshop reflecting on the themes brought out in the earlier 2 slots and also referencing the work of the VALUE project.
* To what extent can linking University Lifelong Learning and volunteering help counter the idea that universities are exclusive institutions?
* Who benefits and how from linking University Lifelong Learning and volunteering?
* What barriers to greater cooperation between University Lifelong Learning and volunteering need to be addressed?
* How can universities best respond to the rich learning that arises from the volunteering experience?
* Is there a sufficient match between skills and knowledge being developed by volunteers and University curricula?
* What type of awards or courses are most appropriate for volunteers?
* What sort of models might be appropriate for University-Volunteering interaction - centralised/devolved?

Le Rapport "Evaluer la performance économique, le bien-être et la soutenabilité" du Conseil d’analyse économique et du Conseil allemand des experts en économie.
Ce rapport est un travail commun du Conseil d’analyse économique et du Conseil allemand des experts en économie. Il répond à une commande de la Chancelière fédérale d’Allemagne et du Président de la République française lors du Conseil des ministres franco-allemand du 4 février 2010... La principale contribution de ce travail est donc de proposer un tableau de bord de vingt-cinq indicateurs couvrant les trois domaines de la performance économique, de la qualité de la vie et de la soutenabilité (économique, financière et environnementale) du bien-être. L’examen de la situation française et allemande au regard de ces indicateurs permet d’illustrer l’intérêt, mais aussi la difficulté de l’emploi de tels indicateurs, notamment pour des comparaisons.
Parmi les indicateurs "Qualité de la vie" se trouve l'Education: Étudiants âgés de 15 à 24 ans en pourcentage de la population du même groupe d’âge. En voici le contenu:
Education
135. Apart from its immediate contribution to a high quality of life, education exerts indirect effects, since it enables people to intensify the positive experiences of other dimensions. For example, a higher level of education broadens the scope of personal activities that a person can potentially carry out, is usually associated with higher levels of health and reduces economic insecurities by increasing job stability. Therefore, it is important to capture the skills and knowledge of a society’s members with appropriate individual indicators. As (Giovannini et al., 2009) forcefully point out, the focus should thereby be on output measures instead of input measures like education expenditures. Among output indicators, years of schooling or the percentage of people participating in education and training are problematic candidates, as the quality of the respective forms of education is not known and hence international comparability is not ensured.
136. The best output indicators that capture skills and knowledge are probably obtained through testing of achievements in literacy and numeracy. While these output measures do exist in quite some detail for younger age groups, coverage of the whole population is more limited. But since we are interested in an indicator for education as a source of current quality of life, the education level of all age groups is relevant. Among the available (composite) indicators that capture a broader sample of the population, those based on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and its successors appear to be the most promising starting point.
At the heart of this endeavour lies the understanding that literacy is not a zero-one distinction between those who can read and write and those who cannot, but rather a continuous, multifaceted phenomenon. Specifically, literacy is defined as the ability to use “printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential” (Kirsch, 2001). The IALS asks a representative sample of people between the age of 16 and 65 to read, understand and interpret various texts, covering prose literacy (continuous texts like medicine labels, descriptions, manuals), document literacy (noncontinuous texts as in figures or tables), and quantitative literacy (calculations based on information from continuous or non-continuous texts). The results are ranked on a scale from zero to 500, and five proficiency levels are derived. IALS was conducted in 20 countries in the years 1994, 1996, and 1998.
The IALS was replaced by the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey conducted in 2003 and 2006 in a subset of these countries. ALL differs from IALS in its third field. Instead of quantitative literacy, ALL features a numeracy scale that covers proficiency in estimation and statistics.
Furthermore, it includes a fourth field problem solving. The OECD picks up these developments in its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey. It is projected that the first results of this survey will not be available before the end of 2013 and will include the domains literacy, numeracy, problem solving, and information and communication technologies.
137. Studies based on panel data using skill assessments similar to IALS and its follow-ups document the fact that a lack of skills in the respective domains indeed exerts an adverse effect on many features that are associated with a high quality of life (for example, Bynner and Parsons, 1997). In particular, the positive correlation between low levels of literacy and numeracy and the risk of being unemployed, separated or divorced, physically ill, and less engaged in public activities appears to be robust and rather high. Subject to the condition that the OECD uses an appropriate data collection methodology to ensure reliable information, we propose to present the average scores of the PIAAC survey as the composite indicator of the education dimension. Moreover, it would be desirable to increase the survey’s continuity by carrying it out at least every two years and basing it on a survey design that ensures comparability over time. Reference to associated costs was already made in the first chapter.
138. Until such time as a sufficiently long time series exists, we have to rely on an interim indicator that best serves our purpose. Given our focus on regular reporting and coverage of a broader group of the populace, we propose to use students aged between 15 and 24 years as a percentage of the population of the same age group as an interim indicator. Indicator values are steadily improving in Germany, while values for France show a slight decrease over time.
139. In addition to discussing our preferred composite indicator, we conduct PCA for the education dimension. Ideally we should use output data that directly measure the increase in skills obtained in the educational system. Yet these data are difficult to collect because the skills of an individual are not directly observable and the available achievement surveys have not been evaluated frequently enough to allow a PCA. Therefore, we have to rely on other data sets. Specifically, we use Eurostat data for the period 1999-2007 for Germany and 1998-2007 for France. The data cover variables of participation rates, graduation rates and the share of early school leavers (share of individuals aged 18-24 years who have a lower secondary education or less). We use two participation variables: students aged between 15 and 24 years and students aged over 30 years, as a percentage of the respective population of the same age group. And we employ two graduation rate variables: the number of graduates who finished the first or second stage of tertiary education (ISCED 5-6) aged between 20 and 29 years per 1,000 people of the population, and the percentage of the population aged between 25 and 64 years who hold at least a higher secondary school qualification.
Variables capturing the quality of the educational system (output variables) should be used as soon as a reliable data collection procedure is discovered and its data quality is ascertained to be high. In future, output variables from the PIAAC study could be added as further variables to a PCA analysis. The first wave of PIAAC will be available at the end of 2013, but it will take a long time until these variables could be used for PCA because a relatively long time series is needed.
For the variables used in our analysis, an increase of the share of students aged between 15 and 24 years, the number of graduates between 20 and 29 years and the percentage of the population with at least a higher secondary school qualification tends to indicate an increase in the educational level of a society. Thus, the weights of these variables should be positive.
For the variable “students aged over 30 years” the direction is unclear, because this group tends to be very heterogeneous. The corresponding weight should be positive when the variable mainly captures mature adults engaging in further education. Conversely, it should be negative if the variable mainly reflects the share of long-term students. Finally, an increase in the share of early school leavers is an indication of a decrease in educational performance and therefore the weight is expected to be negative. According to our descriptive results, except for the share of students aged over 30 years, for Germany the variables indicate an improvement in the educational level. For France the overall tendencies are not that clear-cut because the share of students aged 15 and 24 years decreases.
140. As before, we conduct separate PCA for France and Germany and for various subsamples, achieving sensible and robust results (Table 11). As, for France, the number of graduates aged between 20 and 29 years (ISCED 5-6) per 1,000 people of the population is collected irregularly, the results for France are less reliable than those for Germany. Except for the indicator of the relative share of students aged over 30 years where the direction is unclear, all other signs of the weights turn out to match our expectations. The first principal component yields an explanation of the variance of 70 % for Germany and of 93 % for France. According to the KMO value of above 0.65 for Germany and 0.67 for France, the data set warrants a PCA.
140. As before, we conduct separate PCA for France and Germany and for various subsamples, achieving sensible and robust results (Table 11). As, for France, the number of graduates aged between 20 and 29 years (ISCED 5-6) per 1,000 people of the population is collected irregularly, the results for France are less reliable than those for Germany. Except for the indicator of the relative share of students aged over 30 years where the direction is unclear, all other signs of the weights turn out to match our expectations. The first principal component yields an explanation of the variance of 70 % for Germany and of 93 % for France. According to the KMO value of above 0.65 for Germany and 0.67 for France, the data set warrants a PCA.

Eric Molinié président de la HALDE a participé au Conseil supérieur de la fonction publique de l’Etat le lundi 24 janvier. Il a présenté le 2ème bilan de la charte de l’égalité dans la fonction publique mise en place en 2008 en soulignant « l’effort enclenché pour des recrutements plus ouverts et plus diversifiés, avec par exemple le développement progressif de la professionnalisation des épreuves, la reconnaissance des acquis de l’expérience professionnelle et les classes préparatoires intégrées ».
Des progrès restent néanmoins à réaliser notamment au niveau de l’évaluation des procédures de recrutement et de gestion des carrières, de l’attribution des primes, des promotions au choix et des mobilités. La gestion des carrières des agents dans la fonction publique doit s’appuyer des procédures plus objectives, transparentes et traçables.
Le Président de la HALDE a annoncé deux axes de travail avec la DGAFP pour l’année 2011: la formation et la sensibilisation des personnels de l’encadrement à la lutte contre les discriminations, et l’égalité professionnelle entre les femmes et les hommes.
Dans une délibération du 13 décembre 2010, la HALDE rappelle le cadre juridique dans lequel s’inscrit l’accès à l’emploi des personnes handicapées dans la fonction publique et précise les pratiques pouvant être développées par les employeurs publics pour favoriser l’insertion professionnelle des personnes handicapées.
Les discriminations liées à l’état de santé et au handicap représentent 19 % des réclamations reçues par la HALDE. Et elles constituent la première cause de réclamations dans l’emploi public en 2010.
Télécharger: Bilan de la charte de l’égalité dans la fonction publique signée avec la HALDE et mesures pour l’emploi des salariés handicapés et Délibération relative à l’emploi dans la fonction publique des personnes handicapées.

By Ursula Lindsey, Amman, Jordan. Does the government of Iraq spend less on higher education now than Saddam Hussein did? Are most Iraqi academics suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder? Do female academics in Iraq need more support?
These and other issues were debated here this week as part of a unique conference designed to bring together Iraqi scholars in exile and education officials from the country. The meeting, "Reconstruction of Higher Education in Post-Conflict Iraq," drew 100 Iraqi academics, along with education-ministry officials and 22 university presidents. They discussed—sometimes heatedly—the present and future state of higher education in their country. The conference was organized by the Institute of International Education in coordination with the Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York. The New York-based institute runs the Scholar Rescue Fund, which awards scholarships to academics around the world who fear for their lives, helping them find positions at host institutions. A dedicated Iraq relief fund was established in 2007 and has helped hundreds of threatened Iraqi scholars find safe haven. Most of them have relocated to Jordan.
Iraq's once-renowned universities have been crippled by years of sanctions and the destruction that accompanied and followed the 2003 American invasion. Academics have also suffered from the ethnic, sectarian, and political violence that has rocked the country. Since 2003, at least 451 scholars have been the victims of assassinations.
One of the goals of this conference, say organizers, was to keep Iraqi professors outside the country in touch with the academic community back home, and make them aware of opportunities to go back.
While returning to his or her country of origin is each professor's choice, the administrators of the Scholar Rescue Fund say the program is designed to encourage academics to do so when they feel safe. In his opening remarks, the group's chairman, Henry Jarecki, said its goal was "brain protection, not brain drain."
Most of the academics The Chronicle spoke to—many of whom have faced attacks or abductions—say they are too afraid to go back to Iraq. Some point to cases of colleagues who were killed within days of returning to their hometowns.
Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, minister of higher education and scientific research of the Kurdish region of Iraq, said scholars should consider taking jobs in the region's now-booming higher-education sector. "Kurdistan is your home," the minister told the assembled professors. "You can come and be there until the rest of Iraq is ready for you."
The conference used scholarship to bring scholars and administrators together, said Sultan Barakat, director of the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit, a master's program at the University of York. When he first heard of the Scholar Rescue Fund, he said, "I felt there should be some focus on the future of Iraq." Mr. Barakat also notes that "there is very little research written by Iraqis about Iraq. The vast majority is written by Western academics." So, he said, the idea emerged: "Why not combine the rescue effort with a research component that specifically focuses people's minds on reconstruction?"
The conference was organized around a series of original research papers, which will eventually become a scholarly volume edited by Mr. Barakat. Several of the papers were collaborations between Iraqi academics inside and outside the country.
Given how riven Iraqi society is by sectarian and political divisions, it's important, say Mr. Barakat and the conference organizers, "to bring everyone together."
Up for Debate
Yet there was also plenty of debate. A statistical analysis of higher-education financing, for example, was criticized by a number of attendees. The paper noted that although millions have been spent by Iraq, the United States, and international donors to reconstruct the country's higher-education sector, universities have suffered from a lack of coordination and strategic vision, and from "dramatic shifts in plans and allocation." In addition, the paper argued that the Iraqi government does not prioritize higher education, spending only 1.2 percent of its budget on it—a lower percentage than under Saddam Hussein's government. Higher-education ministry officials and university presidents questioned its accuracy, though, with some presidents arguing that academics who have fled the country haven't kept up with the significant improvements and investments that have taken place.
Other papers discussed the role of gender in higher education in Iraq; quality-assurance mechanisms; and the extremely high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder among Iraqi academics. The work presented highlights the contributions that Iraq's academic diaspora can make to the nation's reform of higher education. "Through displacement" the refugee scholars have "rediscovered academia, been exposed to new research methodologies," Mr. Barakat said. "They are more of an asset now than when they left." And "whether the scholars can go back or not," said Daniela Z. Kaisth, vice president for strategic development at the Institute of International Education, through collaborations and long-distance mentoring, "they can contribute."

Christian Charpy, directeur général de Pôle emploi, Philippe Rosay, Président national AGEFOS PME et Jean-Philippe Leroy, Vice-président national AGEFOS PME vienne de signer l’avenant POE de la convention cadre AGEFOS PME/Pôle emploi. La signature s'est déroulée en présence de Nadine Morano, Ministre chargée de l’Apprentissage et de la Formation professionnelle. En savoir plus sur la POE.

Nouveau dispositif pour un enjeu majeur
La formation des demandeurs d'emploi a franchi une nouvelle étape avec la signature de cette convention cadre sur la Préparation opérationnelle à l'emploi (POE) « renforcée ». « Je souhaite que la POE se déploie le plus vite possible et que les OPCA soient nombreux à se mobiliser. [...] C'est une rencontre entre l'offre et la demande, entre une entreprise et un demandeur d'emploi » à précisé la Ministre. Développer la POE est un enjeu majeur pour l'emploi et cette signature vient officialiser l’engagement politique et opérationnel du gouvernement, de Pôle emploi et d’AGEFOS PME. Le Fonds paritaire de sécurisation des parcours professionnels (FPSPP) consacrera pour sa part 25 millions d'euros à la POE.
AGEFOS PME, 1er signataire, affiche un objectif ambitieux
Les TPE-PME témoignent régulièrement de leurs difficultés de recrutement. Hors, leurs besoins doivent être pourvus rapidement et de façon adaptée. Pour AGEFOS PME, la POE est une vraie solution pour répondre aux besoins des TPE-PME. Elle permet, en effet, une logique d'intervention qui a fait ses preuves dans le réseau AGEFOS PME qui se décline en 3 points: *assurer un service de proximité auprès de l’entreprise, *approcher globalement ses besoins Emploi-Formation, *mobiliser les réseaux d’acteurs susceptibles d’y répondre.
« Nous nous engageons avec force et détermination dans le développement de la POE » précise Philippe Rosay, Président national, « et notre objectif est d’atteindre 5 000 POE conclues d’ici à fin 2011 ». La présence de la Ministre est un signal d'encouragement fort pour AGEFOS PME et démontre l'importance de la POE pour faciliter l’insertion ou la réinsertion professionnelle. La relation AGEFOS PME/Pôle emploi est au cœur de la réussite du développement de la POE, celle-ci s’inscrit dans un travail en commun engagé, en particulier en 2010, à travers la gestion de près de 15 000 parcours de formation dans le cadre de la CRP ou du CTP. « Pôle emploi n’a pas vocation à travailler seul. Il doit savoir s’entourer de tous les acteurs d’aide au retour à l’emploi pour en faire de vrais partenaires. Cette convention est l’aboutissement d’un travail engagé depuis plusieurs mois avec AGEFOS PME autour de la POE. Notre objectif commun est d’adapter les compétences d’une personne à un poste par un dispositif simple et souple » ajoute Christian Charpy, directeur général de Pôle emploi.
POE, un dispositif phare
A l'initiative de la CGPME et portée par les partenaires sociaux en 2009 dans le cadre de l’Accord national interprofessionnel du 5 octobre, la POE a trouvé sa place parmi les dispositifs et les financements actuels. « C'est la première fois que l'on signe une POE renforcée, qui permet la contribution financière d'un Organisme paritaire collecteur agréé (OPCA) à ce dispositif de mise en adéquation de l'offre et de la demande d'emploi », a également souligné la Ministre.
Un demandeur d'emploi peut bénéficier d'une formation allant jusqu'à 400 heures pour acquérir les compétences spécifiques identifiées par une offre d'emploi. La CGPME a été à l'origine de ce nouveau dispositif créé par la loi de 2009 réformant la formation professionnelle continue. Voir l'article Tout sur la POE sur le blog.