Formation Continue du Supérieur

The objective of the call is to provide structural support, referred to as operating grant, to European non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) and EU-wide networks active in the field of education and training or in the field of youth and pursuing several aims (multiplication of EU action, increase stakeholders participation  and commitment, etc.) Deadline: 17 march 2014.

UNESCO has launched on 29 January the latest edition of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, aimed at providing key data on progress in the six “Dakar” EFA Goals defined in 2000 at the World Education Forum (including for instance targets in adult literacy or equal access to education). This edition is in particular focused on equity, quality (with a particular emphasis on the teacher training) and funding of education.

The OECD has published a new working paper on “Promoting skills for innovation in higher education: a literature review on the effectiveness of problem-based learning and on teaching behaviours”. The research investigates the development of skills for innovation in higher education, notably through problem-based learning that seems to effectively develop transversal skills such as critical thinking, behavioural skills or creativity among students, who are also better than others at applying this knowledge to real-world situations.

The Slovenian act on short cycle higher vocational education has marked some changes in November 2013. The amendments to the Act will bring about more autonomy for higher vocational colleges regarding curriculum implementation. The process of accrediting new programmes has been simplified, but still remains the responsibility of a special committee nominated by the Council of Experts for Vocational Education of the Republic of Slovenia. The changes are also expected to increase the flow of knowledge from industry to education institutions since field experts are now easily able to teach in higher vocational colleges. Further collaboration with social partners regarding practical education has been ensured by introducing a procedure for nominating relevant chambers of commerce and industry and consequently securing funds for practical education.
Traditionally in Slovenia short cycle higher vocational education is provided in vocational colleges and is very responsive to the needs of labour market demands as well as focused on high employability of its students.

In 1981, France implemented a policy (the “priority education policy” aimed at strengthening education provision in the most underprivileged areas This is done by allocating additional resources, both in terms of teaching personnel and finance to all primary and secondary schools based in these areas. It is estimated that this policy affects about 20 % of pupils in France. However, studies conducted by the Department of Education reveal that pupils enrolled in the schools benefitting from the “priority education policy” continue to suffer from learning difficulties (Depp, Note d’information n° 13.07, mai 2013. Moreover PISA 2012 results illustrate that France is the OECD country in which a pupil’s socio-economic background is most likely to determine their academic performance and that this situation has in fact deteriorated since 2003. In short, the “priority education policy” does not seem to bring about sufficient results. Because of this, the Minister of Education decided to reform the implementation of the “priority education policy” (eligibility criteria, responsibilities, funding, etc.), while reaffirming its underlying principles. Consultations were organised (the "Assises de l’Education prioritaire" and are now underway (November-December 2013) in the académies. In early 2014, the Minister of Education and the Minster responsible for educational attainment will make the results of the policy reform public. Meanwhile, the government has implemented a number of measures from the beginning of the 2013/2014 school year to improve the learning environment in the most socio-economically underprivileged areas.

On 6 November 2013, the government of the French Community of Belgium has voted the decree on the general reorganisation of the higher education landscape.

The reform is centred around three key words : excellence (of research), consistency (of training provision) and quality (of teaching), with the willingness to promote student’s success.

The core element of the reform is the creation of an umbrella structure : the ARES (Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur). The ARES will be an “Academy” gathering the main higher education stakeholders, in order to complete and better coordinate Higher Education provision in the French Community. The aim is to move from a competitive approach towards stronger collaborations and synergies at institutional level. Higher Education will be organised in 5 geographic clusters. Apart from these structural aspects, the reform focuses on organisation of the curriculum. The guiding thread of the project is the student, his status, the promotion of academic success, the diversity of provision (including proximity for first cycles), and quality of the curriculum. The project also aims at following the international evolution based on excellence, personalised and lifelong curricula, international and pluridisciplinary openness, teachers and students mobility, etc. While the current organisation too often tends to focus on academic failure, the reforms aims at promoting achievement and success.

The implementation of the reform is planned for September 2014.

Eurypedia offers comprehensive descriptions of 38 European education systems, usually at national level, but sometimes also at regional level. All information is available in English with some national information available in the language of the country or region concerned.

Aiming at providing the most accurate picture of education systems and latest reforms in Europe, Eurypedia is a resource tool which is regularly updated and completed by the Eurydice Network and its National Units. Powered by MediaWiki, it involves education experts and national ministries responsible for education from across Europe.

Created in 1980, the Eurydice Network is a reputable European-wide information provider on education, analysing European education systems and policies and contributing to spreading knowledge in the field. As of 2013, it consists of 40 national units based in all 36 countries participating in the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme (EU Member States, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). It is co-ordinated and managed by the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in Brussels, which drafts its studies and provides a range of online resources.

Please note that EACEA does not hold any responsibility regarding Eurypedia content.

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Eurypedia is a new Eurydice product that aims at presenting the most comprehensive and accurate picture of education systems and reforms in Europe. The site covers 38 European education systems within the 33 countries participating in the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme (all 28 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey).

By choosing a country from the interactive map, you will gain access to specific national education system information, either in English or in the language of the country. The information is provided by the Eurydice National Unit, working with the relevant education Ministry and national experts.

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Welcome to the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years, based on the highest performing young institutions in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings®. Filter the ranking to find the top universities under 50 years old in a particular country or world region, and sort the table to see each university’s founding year and overall position in the QS World University Rankings. To find out more about each university, click on the table row or use the 'Compare & Meet' function to compare two or more institutions. More...

The new edition of the QS Top 50 Under 50 is released today, a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities under 50 years old, based on the highest ranking young universities in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings®.
This is the third time QS has published the ranking, which aims to highlight relatively newly established universities already making a big impact in the global rankings. This feat is particularly impressive as the ranking is compiled based on factors including international reputation, research citations and international diversity of students and staff – all of which typically take a significant period of time to establish. More...