2 mai 2015

Focus on: Are adults interested in learning?

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death"  Albert Einstein
In the 1980s, the film Educating Rita struck a chord with many who saw adult education as a major cultural divide. Focusing on a young, working class hairdresser's aspiration to "improve herself" through education, the film revealed in a realistic and often humorous way that academic success for people from such backgrounds doesn't come easily. The obstacles are not a lack of talent, intellectual capacity or motivation – quite the opposite in the case of Rita – but come rather from the social environment and expectations of friends and family. Indeed, the main barrier for Rita comes from her husband's resistance to her aspirations, and his insistence on traditional social and gender roles. But the 1980s were a long time ago, and things have surely progressed a lot since then, haven't they?
Well, according to Eurydice's latest report on adult education, maybe not. Educating Rita was set in 1983 but in 2015, there are plenty of contemporary equivalents to Rita. Around 25 % of adults in the EU have not completed any formal education beyond lower secondary education and 6.5 % of these have not progressed past primary education. However, the real challenge to societies is that these adults with the greatest education needs are the least likely to benefit from adult education. More...

Eurydice website launched in April 2015

April 2015 marks the launch of the new Eurydice website. This has seen the integration of the Eurydice website where reports were available with that of Eurypedia, the European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems; a website that described European Education systems in detail. The main aim of the new website is to reach out to a wider audience within the educational field, as well as to harmonise the presentation and make the new website more user-friendly.
The website contains updated information on the Eurydice network and reaches a potentially wider audience through the use of language which is more web-friendly. We invite you to visit our new improved website where you can find detailed descriptions and overviews of national education systems, comparative thematic reports and factual reports related to education.
More about Eurydice. More...

EMJMD Catalogue - Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees

Below are listed all the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMDs) that will be offering EU-funded scholarships for courses taking place in the academic year 2015-2016. Most consortia will require applications to be submitted between October and January, for course starting the following academic year.
Students at Masters level can apply to a maximum of three different programmes. Both, students and potential scholars/guest lecturers should contact the relevant Consortium for more information on courses and application procedures. More...

Education ministers meet in Paris: education in the aftermath of the Copenhagen and Paris attacks

On 17 March 2015, education ministers from across the European Union met in Paris.
Under discussion was how education and training can best meet the challenges of social inclusion, radicalisation and citizenship so brutally manifested in recent terrorist attacks.
The perpetrators of recent shootings in Copenhagen and Paris were EU citizens, coming from migrant backgrounds.
It is in this context that Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, French Education Minister, organised the ministerial meeting.
In attendance at the meeting were François Hollande, the President of France, and Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
Member states shared their knowledge of tackling the problems of social inclusion , radicalisation, hate speech and, ultimately, violence that pose a threat across Europe.
The meeting highlighted the message that education is an important part of the solution and demonstrate solidarity between countries in the face of violence.
While education systems are responsibilities for national governments, there is room for cooperation to overcome these common challenges.
In a joint declaration(500 kB) , ministers affirmed that:
"The primary purpose of education is not only to develop knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes and to embed fundamental values, but also to help young people - in close cooperation with parents and families - to become active, responsible, open-minded members of society."
Existing EU tools could be targeted to reinforce social cohesion and to promote active citizenship and intercultural dialogue across and within countries.
Erasmus+ , the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport, provides scope for cross-border projects and can provide avenues for marginalised citizens to gain skills, experience and confidence.
The Paris meeting served as an informal discussion to be followed-up formally at the Education Council of 18-19 May, to be held in Brussels. More...

6th European University-Business Forum

The 6th University-Business Forum brought together 300 high-level representatives from Europe and beyond, including:

• higher education institutions;
• large companies;
• SMEs;
• national, regional, and local authorities; and
• organisations and associations.

The Forum was a unique opportunity to share and discuss experiences, exchange good practices, network and to learn from each other.
This year's Forum addressed topics related to entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial university, change and impact, people and innovation, social entrepreneurship and other major trends in University-Business Cooperation.
Further information on the event can be found on its website  where participants also have the option to provide feedback on the proceedings. More...

European higher education - Cooperation with business

With the European economy reliant on the creation and application of knowledge, strong links between the business sector and higher education are essential. Enterprises have become increasingly involved in European education and training programmes, with positive results for both sides, leading to long-lasting partnerships.
The relevant Erasmus+ activities for cooperation with business are:

European higher education - Cooperation between institutions

In the field of higher education, the following activities are supported:

European higher education - Staff Mobility for Teaching and Training

Erasmus+ provides teaching opportunities for the teaching staff of higher education institutions and staff invited from enterprises. Training opportunities are also available for teaching and non-teaching staff employed in a higher education institution.

Teaching
In the case of teaching assignments between higher education institutions in Programme Countries, both institutions have to be holder of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) and must have signed an inter-institutional agreement.
The partner higher education institution/enterprise must have agreed on the programme of activities to be undertaken by the visiting teachers (Mobility Agreement) prior to the start of the mobility period.
In all cases, the activities of staff undertaking a teaching assignment should be integrated into the curriculum of the receiving institution.
In the case of staff mobility from an enterprise to a higher education institution, the mobility is arranged by an invitation from the higher education institution to the staff member of the enterprise. The grant is always managed by the higher education institution.

Training
Staff members are selected by the sending higher education institution.
The sending institution and the receiving institution/enterprise must have agreed on the programme of the activities to be undertaken by the visiting staff member (Mobility Agreement) prior to the start of the mobility period. More...

European higher education - Traineeships

Students may go abroad from 2 to 12 months. The same student may receive grants for studying or being trained abroad totalling up to 12 months maximum per cycle of study.
Students must be registered in a higher education institution and enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree or other recognised tertiary level qualification (up to and including the level of doctorate). Erasmus students are selected by their sending higher education institution in a fair and transparent way.
Receiving organisations for traineeships can be any public or private organisations active in the labour market.
Prior to the departure the Erasmus+ student is provided with:

• A grant agreement covering the mobility period and signed between the student and his or her sending higher education institution;
• A “Learning Agreement” regarding the specific programme for the traineeship, approved by the student, the sending institution and the enterprise;
• The “Erasmus+ Student Charter” setting out the student’s rights and obligations with respect to his/her period of training/work experience abroad.

At the end of the period abroad:

• For a traineeship which is an integral part of the curriculum, the sending institution must give full academic recognition for the period spent abroad, by using ECTS credits or an equivalent system. Recognition shall be based on the Learning Agreement approved by all parties before the period of mobility starts;
• In the particular case of a traineeship that is not part of the curriculum of the student, the sending institution shall provide recognition at least by recording this period in the Diploma Supplement or, in the case of recent graduates, by providing a traineeship certificate. More...

European higher education - Cooperation outside the EU

European higher education institutions and individuals can work with partner institutions outside the EU through international mobility, joint degrees, and international cooperation partnerships, including capacity building and staff development in emerging and developing parts of the world.
Learning mobility and capacity building projects can improve skills, modernise higher education systems and institutions, and create better partnerships between the EU and education systems across the world. Opportunities given through Erasmus+, such as the high level Erasmus Mundus scholarships, can contribute to make Europe a more attractive study destination. More...