Life Is Risky, and So Is Studying Abroad

The university where I work, the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, better known as Sciences Po, and other universities that seek to provide students with an international experience have tried and tested procedures to deal with those sorts of emergencies. Unpleasant and regrettable as they are, they're simply a fact of life, and study-abroad offices are set up to deal with them.
Yet no amount of everyday experience has been sufficient preparation for the momentous events that have literally shaken the world in the past few months: the "Arab Spring" with its uprisings in several Middle Eastern countries, and Japan's disastrous earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent nuclear crisis.
At a time of growing student mobility worldwide, those events are higher education's version of the "black swans" described by the author Nassim N. Taleb, extreme incidents or developments for which nobody is adequately prepared. They highlight an uncomfortable truth: students can suddenly be confronted by dangers that are far greater and far less predictable than the ones universities are used to tackling. Talking to counterparts in the United States and elsewhere, it's clear that even the most risk-aware colleges with the best-oiled procedures have been sorely tested by this year's events.
A thick fog of confusion is part of the problem. Both the Japan crisis and the Middle Eastern uprisings have necessitated that snap decisions be made at a time when reliable information on which to base those decisions has been scant. That in turn is prompting us in Paris and many of our partners around the world to take a much closer look at how we manage risk.
But that's not enough. Given the scale of the developments and the extreme dangers that they have highlighted, it's time to ask some fundamental moral and legal questions about the nature of the relationship between a university and its students. Where ultimately does one draw the line between individual judgment and institutional responsibility? What level of risk is acceptable? Should the criteria for tolerating and managing that risk be any different just because the students are overseas? Who gets to decide? And how? As I sift through the arguments, three issues stand out.
Judging when danger is truly dangerous. The Middle Eastern uprisings have highlighted just how difficult it is to find reliable objective information on which to base contingency plans. At Sciences Po, we have relied on the official guidance of the French government, just as many American universities take their cue from the U.S. State Department. If the French government says it's not safe to stay somewhere, we'll pull our students out. But that system has its limits, as we discovered this year in the Middle East.
In Tunisia, absent official advice to the contrary, our students stayed put. As a result, they experienced some of the most exciting moments of that country's recent history, in safety, and will no doubt be profoundly marked by having done so. Egypt was different. There we also looked to the French embassy for guidance, but again officials made no specific recommendation for a withdrawal. Initially, we left it up to the students to decide whether they wanted to stay. After some intense internal debate, we decided to pull our students out. Why? Many other countries including the United States and Turkey were urging their nationals to leave, but the turning point came when French-speaking Egyptian police visited some of our students at their residence. Our Middle East experts, on the faculty and involved in study abroad, pulled the alarm cord, and the students flew back....
No Better Export: Higher Education

In his State of the Union address, President Obama, who has emphasized the importance of higher education in our nation, said we must "out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. ... That's how we'll win the future." From my perspective, a crucial element of winning the future is an increased focus on exports—and among our most valuable exports is education.
This week I have been joined by recruiters from 56 colleges and universities across the country, from Columbia University to the University of Texas at San Antonio, for a weeklong education mission to Jakarta, Indonesia, and to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam. The purpose of the trip is to explore opportunities for student recruitment and partnerships with higher-education institutions in those two countries. In each city, we are meeting with students and their families, and the participating American colleges will promote their international-study programs in the United States. We have also organized networking sessions and education symposia to promote university-to-university partnerships, such as faculty exchanges, student exchanges, and research projects.
Why do this? Why now?
At the International Trade Administration, in the U.S. Commerce Department, my primary objective is to spur job creation and aid the nation's economic recovery by doubling U.S. exports within five years. You might not think of students as part of our export strategy, but, in fact, higher education ranks among the country's top 10 service exports, right between environmental services and safety and security. We are the largest destination for international students seeking higher education; tuition and living expenses paid by those students and their families brought nearly $20-billion to the U.S. economy during the 2009-10 academic year. According to the Institute of International Education, that dollar figure is expected to continue rising.
More than 20,000 students from Indonesia and Vietnam are already enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States, and most of them pay full tuition. That opens opportunities for more American students to receive financial aid and scholarships. The purchasing power of international students who study in the United States remains strong after they graduate and return home. And as they become part of the growing middle class, regardless of where they live in the world, they will have a better understanding and appreciation of American products and services, and will be more likely to remain our customers.
We are focusing on Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi for a number of reasons
Expanding educational opportunities for students in emerging economies like Indonesia's and Vietnam's is critical to developing a middle class in those markets. The new middle-class consumers emerge with increased resources to participate in both local and global markets, including that of the United States.
In Jakarta, education is the No. 1 priority of the U.S. Embassy, and doubling the number of Indonesian students in the United States by 2014 is one of its top goals. This mission will help meet that goal and ultimately benefit both our educational institutions and our economy. We used our domestic network to recruit colleges and universities that are interested in exploring international partnerships and working toward a global educational approach on their campuses.
In Vietnam, with a population of 86 million, a steadily increasing per capita income, and the high value placed on education, there are significant opportunities for American providers of education services. Vietnam has more than 20,000 students studying abroad, paying about $200-million in tuition and fees every year. It ranks ninth among countries sending students to the United States.
Expanding the educational opportunities for Indonesian and Vietnamese students will provide direct benefits to U.S. companies doing business with those critical markets in the future. Many of them seek out U.S.-educated distributors overseas because of their understanding of American culture, their English-language skills, and the resulting increased ease of doing business with them. This is a part of a long-term strategy to set America on strong footing in emerging global markets.
However, international competition is fierce, and the United States has seen a 30-percent decrease of its market share in the past decade, reinforcing the importance of its efforts to maintain its position as the world's leading higher-education destination. Building ties with international students not only helps American students gain a greater level of international understanding—a vital skill for success in the 21st-century global economy—but also familiarizes future global leaders with the American people and U.S. society. As we look to "win the future," I see no more valuable export than that.
International Bologna Conference – The Social Dimension
Research - teaching - student affairs and services: these are the pillars of well-performing higher education systems. Excellence in education calls for excellent social infrastructures and support mechanisms for students. The social dimension is a key factor for the success of the European Higher Education area.
The European Higher Education Area is shaped by student affairs and services – referred to as the social dimension - but they are organised differently, depending on educational concepts, the structure of universities, and the way the social support of students is organised.
The diversity of this situation holds the potential for benchmarking and exchange of good practice, and for mutual learning outcomes in the context of exchanges between student services/affairs professionals.
The conference therefore aims to:
* analyse the social and economic situation of students in Europe
* take stock of existing student affairs and services models
* discuss challenges and future perspectives for student affairs and services
* define the contribution that student affairs and services can make to improve the competitiveness of the European Higher Education Area
* strengthen the social dimension of the Bologna process
Beginning with an analysis of the social and economic situation of students in Europe, and current developments of higher education institutions, the needs of universities and students are analysed in order to draw conclusions on the effects on student affairs and services.
Looking at different situations in various countries, the stocktaking of student affairs and services in Europe is done in case studies, looking at relevant practices, existing models, strengths and weaknesses as well as challenges for student affairs and services.
Based on current research on the effects and impacts that they have on students’ academic success and educational development, the strategic role of student affairs and services will be discussed. In conclusion, experts in student affairs and services from other continents will be asked to reflect on the social dimension of higher education in Europe.
The conference shall end with conclusions and a communiqué on the further development of student affairs/student services in the European Higher Education are.
See also: Bologna-Seminar: “The European Dimension of Quality Assurance”.
ENQA workshop on Quality Assurance and Lifelong Learning

ENQA, in cooperation with FIBAA, will organise a workshop on Quality Assurance and Lifelong Learning to be held on 16-17 May 2011 in Bonn, Germany.
The workshop on Quality Assurance in Lifelong Learning - Recent Developments and Future Perspectives provides a platform for discussion and exchange of experiences among the main stakeholders in quality assurance. Specifically, the workshop will be of interest to ENQA member agencies, rectors and vice-rectors responsible for QA, students and employers.
The workshop aims to contribute to joint understanding of the quality assurance in Lifelong Learning (LLL) between all stake holders, to disseminate information on good practice of external quality assurance in LLL, and to discuss standards and procedures for external a quality assurance in LLL.
This workshop will be held on 16-17 May 2011 and hosted by the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA). The event will take place in Bonn, Germany, at the University Club Bonn.
PROGRAMME
The draft programme for the workshop can be found here.
REGISTRATION
Registration for this event is open. The deadline is 15 April, 2011 or until the workshop is fully booked.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about the event, please contact Maria Stalter (maria.stalter@enqa.eu) or Nathalie Costes (nathalie.costes@enqa.eu) at the ENQA Secretariat.
See also: Quality Assurance and Learning Outcomes, L’AERES, évaluée et reconnue par l’ENQA, 6th European Quality Assurance Forum.
6th European Quality Assurance Forum

EUA is pleased to announce that the 6th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) will take place at the University of Antwerp and Artesis University College, Belgium, from 17-19 November 2011.
Based on the popularity of this event and feedback received from previous editions, the 2011 Forum, entitled “Quality and trust: at the heart of what we do”, will increase opportunities for exchanging experiences among colleagues, sharing institutional practices, and discovering new QA developments. Through a mix of plenary and parallel sessions, EQAF 2011 will aim to explore the impact and essence of both internal and external QA, and how QA can be further developed to serve these better. More specifically, the Forum plenary sessions will concentrate on reinforcing the idea that improving the quality of provision should remain the essential focus of QA, since it is this that will lead to trust-building among the stakeholders. See 5th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF).
The Forum organisers, ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE, have now opened a call for contributions from QA practitioners in higher education institutions and quality assurance agencies, students, institutional leaders and researchers in the field. Two types of contributions are sought: papers and workshops. The deadline to submit contributions is 1 August 2011. For more information, download the call here.
Accompagner la fusion des universités: une nouvelle activité de l’Amue
Dans la continuité de son activité d’accompagnement des établissements dans le cadre des responsabilités et des compétences élargies, l’Amue s’empare du nouveau chantier « des fusions d’établissements » en mettant en place une nouvelle fonction dédiée. Afin de répondre au mieux aux attentes, des rencontres Amue/Universités ont été initiées autour des organisations et des systèmes d’information, véritables enjeux du succès de la fusion.
Au terme de ces échanges, un partenariat avec les universités est mis en place sous la forme d’un protocole afin de définir le rôle de l’Amue, qui se positionne en tant qu’assistance à maitrise d’ouvrage aux cotés des universités et que fournisseurs de solutions techniques.
Le sujet des SI est traité plus spécifiquement autour des domaines de la scolarité, des finances et des ressources humaines sur :
* la mise en œuvre d’une base logicielle unique,
* les choix d’organisation, d’homogénéisation des règles de gestion et de paramétrage,
* la mise en place d’outils dédiés à la reprise des données.
Dans cette relation privilégiée, l’Agence s’engage à mettre à disposition un référent unique, à mettre en œuvre les moyens nécessaires des prestataires pour développer les outils nécessaires à la fusion des systèmes d’information et à communiquer aux établissements les livrables et les informations tout au long du processus de fusion. De leur côté, les universités s’engagent ainsi à déléguer des interlocuteurs dédiés, à réaliser les opérations dont elles sont responsables et enfin à communiquer à l’Amue toutes les informations utiles au projet.
Le paysage universitaire est en pleine mutation avec l’arrivée des projets Investissement d’avenir, du plan Campus, et la volonté d’être plus compétitif à l’international. Pour mieux appréhender ces nouveaux challenges, certaines universités se sont engagées dans un processus de fusion. C’est le cas notamment de l’université de Strasbourg (UDS) qui a franchi le pas en janvier 2009 en rassemblant les universités de Louis Pasteur, Marc Bloch et Robert Schuman.
En 2012, ce sera au tour des université de Provence, de la Méditerranée et Paul Cézanne de former Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), et aux universités Henry Poincaré, Nancy 2, Paul Verlaine-Metz et l’Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine de se fusionner en une seule université, l’université de Lorraine (UDL).
In continuation of its activities in support of institutions as part of the responsibilities and powers expanded, the new site takes Amue "merger of schools' by setting up a new dedicated function. To best meet the expectations, meetings Amue Universities have been initiated around organizations and information systems, real issues for the success of the merger. More...
Etudiants étrangers et classements internationaux: une notoriété relative selon les Espaces CampusFrance
Une précédente Note (n°13, parue en mai 2008) faisait le point sur les classements internationaux. Il s’agit ici non seulement de dresser un état des lieux et de montrer l’évolution de ces classements, mais aussi de mesurer leur audience, en particulier auprès des étudiants étrangers. Télécharger la Note n°30 de Campus France.
En interrogeant les Espaces CampusFrance, chargés dans le monde d’informer et d’orienter ces étudiants, on découvre que l’intérêt des jeunes étrangers pour ces classements internationaux est une question nationale et non régionale, liée à la culture du pays et aux types d’études auxquels ils se destinent, et qu’ils sont parfois plus intéressés par des classements nationaux dans la filière choisie que par les classements internationaux.
Il semble certain que ces classements internationaux influent sur la politique nationale de la France en matière d’enseignement supérieur. Le développement des PRES en est un bon exemple, comme étant une conséquence de la nécessité d’avoir une taille suffisante pour apparaître dans le palmarès, tout comme la loi relative aux libertés et responsabilités des universités (loi LRU) qui cherche à donner les moyens aux universités d’entrer dans la course aux meilleures places.
En résumé
L’intérêt des étudiants pour les classements internationaux est une question nationale et non régionale, liée à la culture du pays et aux types d’études auxquels se destinent les étudiants.
• Pour certains étudiants c’est une des questions prioritaires qui vient en deuxième ou troisième position dans l’ordre des questions adressées à l’Espace. C’est le cas pour la Colombie, le Chili ou l’Inde.
• Au Chili, le classement de Shanghai est même pris pour référence dans l’attribution des bourses. Ceci commence à apparaître en Amérique Centrale et en Arabie Saoudite où le fait de choisir un établissement figurant dans le classement de Shanghai est un atout pour obtenir une bourse.
• A l’inverse, certains étudiants ne s’en préoccupent pas, par exemple au Brésil ou en Russie, en tout cas en-dehors de Moscou. En Russie, en effet, comme en Chine pour d’autres raisons, la connaissance et l’intérêt des étudiants pour les classements varient selon les villes.
• Les étudiants qui s’orientent vers des formations en commerce sont souvent plus intéressés par les classements internationaux et connaissent notamment celui du Financial Times, c’est le cas dans certaines villes ou pays, à Shanghai par exemple, ou en Argentine.
• D’autres encore connaissent l’existence des classements et peuvent les évoquer, mais c’est une question secondaire par rapport à un projet préétabli. Cela peut être le cas à Taiwan ou en Chine.
Panorama des classements
• The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), classement de “Shanghai”, Chine - Date de création : 2003. Depuis 2003, l’université Jiao Tong de Shanghai (Chine), publie un classement de 500 universités à travers le monde, l’Academic Ranking of World Universities, plus connu sous le nom de classement de Shangai.
• Le classement du Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE) publié par Die Zeit Allemagne - Date de création : 1998. Il s’agit d’un classement réalisé par le Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung3. Depuis 2007, le CHE élabore un classement dit d’excellence qui concerne les programmes européens de niveau Master et Doctorat en biologie, chimie, physique, mathématiques. Ce classement s’est enrichi en 2009 de programmes en sciences politiques, en psychologie et en économie. Au total, en 2010, le CHE compare des universités européennes dans 19 pays, dans sept disciplines.
• Le World University Ranking du Times Higher Education, Royaume-Uni - Date de création : 2004. Depuis 2004, le Times Higher Education (THE), magazine anglais spécialiste des questions liées à l’enseignement supérieur, publie un classement des 200 meilleurs établissements du monde. La nouveauté en 2010 vient du changement de méthodologie, suite à la rupture de partenariat entre le Times et QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).
• Le European business schools, classement du Financial Times, Royaume-Uni - Date de création : 2006. Le Financial Times publie quatre classements d’établissements supérieurs à travers le monde tout au long de l’année: MBA, Executive MBA, Formation continue et Master en management. A partir de là est construit le classement des meilleures business schools européennes, d’après les quatre précédents palmarès.
• Le Full Time MBA, classement de l’Economist, Royaume-Uni - Date de création : 2001. L’Economist publie un classement des 100 premiers Full Time MBA basé sur des critères liés aux opportunités professionnelles et aux salaires (comptant pour 55%), sur des critères de développement personnel/expérience scolaire (35%) et de réseau professionnel potentiel (10%).
• Classement international professionnel des établissements d'enseignement supérieur, classement de l’Ecole des Mines de Paris (Mines ParisTech), France - Date de création : 2007. L'Ecole des Mines de Paris (Mines ParisTech) a lancé en 2007 un classement international professionnel des établissements d'enseignement supérieur, établi à partir du nombre d'anciens étudiants figurant parmi les dirigeants exécutifs des 500 plus grandes entreprises mondiales.
• QS World University Rankings™, classement général des 200 meilleures universités mondiales. Suite à la rupture de partenariat avec le Times Higher Education, QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) s’est tourné vers d’autres partenaires médias pour la publication de son classement, notamment Le Nouvel Observateur en France.
• Classement de Leiden, Pays-Bas - Date de création : 2007. Basé sur des indicateurs bibliométriques, le classement de Leiden propose quatre classifications correspondant à quatre critères différents.
Nota preċedenti (Nru 13, ippubblikat f'Mejju 2008) ħadet kont tal-klassifiki internazzjonali. Dan mhux biss biex iħejju inventarju u juru l-evoluzzjoni ta 'dawn klassifiki, iżda wkoll biex ikejlu l-udjenza tagħhom, partikolarment fost l-istudenti. Download Nota Nru 30 ta 'Franza Campus. More...
Le Passeport Formation

Ce passeport formation vous appartient. Vous le remplirez, à votre convenance, tout au long de votre vie professionnelle. Il vous permettra d’être acteur de votre carrière professionnelle. Il est votre « journal de bord professionnel ».
Vous y inscrirez vos connaissances, vos compétences, vos aptitudes et acquis professionnels. Ce passeport formation n’est pas un CV, mais il peut vous aider à le construire si nécessaire.
Voir les articles du blog: Lancement du passeport compétences, Un nouveau site réservé au Passeport Formation, Voyage à travers le monde de l'entreprise: Passeport Formation, Qu’est-ce que le passeport formation?

Enquête sur les conditions de vie des étudiants

Cette enquête se déroule du 21 mars au 21 avril 2011 et vise à:
• Améliorer la connaissance locale des conditions de vie des étudiants, et notamment leurs usages en matière déplacements et de transports.
• Apprécier les points forts et les points faibles de l'offre actuelle services à la vie étudiante, selon les campus de rattachement et les lieux de résidence.
• Formuler des pistes d'amélioration des conditions de vie étudiante.
Participez à l'enquête !
Le questionnaire concerne les étudiants inscrits dans les villes d'Aix-en-Provence et de Marseille. Une tribune libre est proposée à la fin du questionnaire afin de permettre de formuler leurs suggestions et réactions.
Pour remplir le questionnaire, il suffit de cliquer ici : Enquête en ligne sur les conditions de vie des étudiants.

Inaptitude et CIF

Un salarié est déclaré inapte à son poste de travail. Durant la procédure de déclaration d’inaptitude, il a fait une demande de congé individuel de formation (CIF). Cette demande a été acceptée par l’employeur. A son retour, le salarié est licencié pour inaptitude par le nouvel employeur, le contrat du salarié ayant été transféré dans le cadre de l’article L. 1224-1 du Code du travail. Le salarié a contesté son licenciement et demandé également le versement de rappels de salaire pour la période de son CIF.
La Cour de cassation, confirmant la décision des juges du fond, a considéré que l’exécution d’un CIF par un salarié déclaré inapte suspend non seulement le contrat de travail, mais également l’obligation qu’a l’employeur de lui verser son salaire, en vertu de l’article L. 1226-11 du Code du travail, si passé le délai d’un mois le salarié n’a été ni reclassé, ni licencié. Télécharger Cass. soc., 16 mars 2011, n° 09-69.945 P+B.

An employee is disqualified from his job. During the process of declaration of unfitness, he made a request for individual training leave (CIF). This request was accepted by the employer. On his return, the employee is dismissed for incompetence by the new employer, the employee's contract has been transferred as part of Article L. 1224-1 of the Labour Code. The employee challenged his dismissal and also requested the payment of back-pay for the period of CIF. More...