Internationale Konferenz zu Masterprogrammen in Europa

Bologna-Seminar “New Perspectives for Master Study Programmes in Europe. Implementing the Second Cycle of Bologna – A European Success story?” on 25-26 October 2011 in Berlin. Programme.
The German Rectors’ Conference and project nexus are jointly organising the Bologna Seminar “New Perspectives for Master Study Programmes in Europe” in preparation for the ministerial conference in Bucharest in 2012. It will take place on 25 and 26 October 2011 in Berlin, Germany.
The Bologna Seminar seeks to focus on the current state of Master programmes in the European Higher Education Area. Moreover, new developments for orientation and transparency on the rapidly increasing “Master-market” will be discussed. These include, among others, marketing of Master degree programmes, recruitment of students, and implementation of lifelong Learning. Finally, the participants will propose recommendations for the Bologna Follow-Up Group in preparation for the 2012 ministerial conference in Bucharest.
Please note that participation is limited. Registrations will be accepted in the order of their arrival. Please wait with any travel planning until your registration will be confirmed.
Programme
Workshop 1: The Emerging Master Market. The Importance of Recruiting and Marketing
Among the most prominent Bologna objectives is the development and implementation of the second cycle. The Master offers universities new chances: to ensure the availability of high level education to all citizens throughout their lives, to anticipate and satisfy the needs of a labour market demanding ever higher skills, and to contribute to economic growth by promoting research and innovation. Among the three cycles, the second cycle is probably the one most intensely marketed. This is also evidenced by the increasing number of Master programmes taught in English.
The Master can also be a platform for joint curricula and enhance the employability of graduates by providing extra education and training. Master programmes have become one of the most important tools for European universities for raising their international profile and attracting international students. Internationalization will not only prompt universities to draft more efficient marketing strategies; it is also an opportunity to generate added economic and social value for societies. The purpose of this workshop is to explore these and related issues and assess where we stand at present.
Workshop 2: How to match Students and Programmes. Assessment and Access
Although direct continuation from the Bachelor into the Master still prevails in a number of countries, the introduction of the Bologna 3-cycle system has opened up new learning pathways and offers great potential for a flexible transition from higher education to the world of employment. The TRENDS V Study found that: “It is at the second cycle level that institutions are becoming most innovative and creative, and the rise of new types of master programmes should therefore be seen as a basis on which to build specific institutional strengths in Europe”. But it is not only students who are faced with a bewildering number of different types of master programmes with various disciplinary, interdisciplinary and professional orientations. Institutions too find themselves having to choose from applicants with very diverse backgrounds. How does one respond to individual applicants and adequately assess the prior learning and experiences of each aspiring student? How does one ensure a diverse intake, but at the same time manage to assess the entry requirements efficiently and openly? The session will show how institutions make these responsible decisions.
Workshop 3: What facilitates international student mobility?
Mobility is an essential aim of the Bologna process. This workshop will therefore discuss strategies, instruments and curricular features that promote and facilitate international student mobility with a focus on the Master level. In this context competencies and learning outcomes are of special interest as expedient vehicles of mobility.
Key instruments such as the European Credit and Accumulation System (ECTS) as well as Diploma Supplements (DS) and issues with their implementation at higher education institutions (HEI) will be discussed in detail. Opportunities of HEI cooperation, joint and double degrees and the design of "mobility-friendly" curricula will also be addressed.
Workshop 4: What makes Lifelong Learning attractive? Distant Learning, Blended Learning and Face-to-Face Instruction
Many higher education institutions in various European countries do not yet run comprehensive lifelong learning systems. The Bologna second cycle, consisting of postgraduate pre-doctoral study, and the Master qualification, seems to be promising. There are three different types of Master-level courses available: those with a strong professional development application (available in full-time, part-time, distance and mixed modes), research-intensive programmes embedded into innovation and knowledge transfer (a sort of pre-doctoral studies for career researchers) and programmes of varying duration focused mainly to returning learners on in-service, executive release or self-referral bases. The workshop aims to discuss different strategies and measures, both at the level of curriculum and its institutional location, to integrate the lifelong dimension and the view of the adult learners and facilitate, inter alia, flexible learning paths and the recognition of prior learning.
Workshop 5: Types of Master Programmes: Similarities and Differences. Is there such a Thing as a “European Master”?
Master programmes in the European Higher Education Area can be characterised by a number of common criteria. They include length and workload in terms of ECTS credits, consistency with the Master level descriptors in the Bologna Qualifications Framework and by being described in terms of learning outcomes. However, these requirements are not always met and there are wide variations in how they are interpreted. Consequently, the Master is not always as easily "readable" across the European Higher Education Area as it should be. In this workshop we will discuss the current situation and formulate recommendations for a template for a "European Master" that will allow students, employers and other interested groups to grasp the nature and content of a programme at a glance.
See also on the blog Future of Higher Education - Bologna Process Researchers' Conference - Bucharest, ENQA seminar on Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes.