Newsletter 1/2010. Example of Excellence for Joint (Degree) Programme Development in South Eastern Europe.

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1 Example of Excellence for Joint (Degree) Programme Development in South Eastern Europe 1/ THEMES: introduction, p.2 General Information on the project, p.2 university of graz, The project coordinator: p.3, AQA, Quality assurance in order to support the development of a joint external evaluation procedure for the Joint Programmes: p.4 Austrian national Union of students at the university of graz, The official students representation at the University of Graz: p.4 ESU european students union, p.5 Ludwig-maximilians-university munich, p.5 South-east european university, p.6 ss. cyril and methodius university In skopje, p.6 University of bamberg, p.7 University of barcelona, Working for excellence in European Joint Degree programs and strengthening networks: p.7, University of belgrade, Participation in the project: motivation, goals, expectations: p.8 university of bologna, p.8 Universitatea Babes-Bolyai Cluj-Napoca, Multilingualism, Multiculturality: p.9 university of groningen, Tempus as part of internationalization strategy: p.9 University of leuven, p.10 university of ljubljana, p.10 university of novi sad (UNS), in and about the Tempus JoinSee project: p.11 university of poitiers, p.12 university of sarajevo, p.12 university of shkodra, p.13 University of zadar, Towards further implementation of the Bologna process: p.14 University of zagreb, p.14 wus austria, p.15 university of macedonia In thessaloniki, p.15, university of sofia, p.16 project activities, p.16 Project members (alphabetical by institutions), p.19 IMPRINT, p.20

2 Introduction As Vice Rector for International Relations and Interdisciplinary Cooperation at the University of Graz, I am very proud and honored to be able to present this present newsletter, which introduces Example of Excellence for Joint (Degree) Programme Development in South Eastern Europe Join- See, a project coordinated by the University of Graz in cooperation with universities and institutions from all over Europe, with a special emphasis on participation from South- Eastern Europe. Internationalization is a university development which does justice to an increasingly mobile and multicultural society. It is an integral part of every academic field, and intercultural education is an essential component of every learning experience. With the JoinSee project, which has as its main objective the development and implementation of four Joint Degree programmes, the University of Graz wishes to contribute to the internationalization process and we are happy that we have found congenial partners who pursue the same mission and are willing to cooperate and share their knowledge and expertise within the JoinSee project consortium. Participating in a multi-country project like JoinSee requires members to be willing to transcend narrow institutional and national boundaries and enter into a wider context where cooperation, knowledge transfer and mutual exchange on a broad international level provide new opportunities and open up new horizons. This publication is a vital sign of the commitment of all partners in the project to exploring these new opportunities and horizons for the benefit of coming generations of students and researchers. I would like to thank the JoinSee members for this commitment and for their cooperation and mutual efforts in the course of the first project year. The results that have been achieved in this first project phase will form a sound basis for the challenges waiting to be tackled in the next two years, which, I am sure, will see the same commitment and enthusiasm from all project partners that has been evident already from the start of the project. Vice-Rector Maierhofer at the kick-off meeting Roberta Maierhofer, Vice-Rector for International Relations and Interdisciplinary Cooperation, University of Graz General information on the project The project Example of Excellence for Joint (Degree) Programme Development in South Eastern Europe aims at transferring multi-lateral know-how in the development of curricula for joint or double degree programmes by developing and implementing four joint (degree) programmes in the Western Balkan region. The implementation process will be accompanied by activities ensuring sustainability and quality assurance of the joint programmes and providing for a best practice model in the Western Balkan region. As an added value an already existing thematic network on Joint Degree management of the Utrecht Network will be extended and will benefit from mutual knowledge-transfer. The project has been granted for a period of three years: it started on January 15th, 2009 and will run until January 14th, The consortium. The project is constructed as a multi-country project. The consortium of the project is composed of 18 universities, 2 student organisations, 1 higher education organisation and 1 Quality Assurance Agency of higher education. The 8 partner universities in South Eastern Europe represent 5 countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia and Serbia). The 10 EU-partner institutions represent 9 countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Spain). The objectives. According to the results of the problem analysis done during the preparation phase of the project, a common model of joint curriculum development will be of great importance for the universities in the Western Balkans on their way to the European Higher Education Area. This includes a concise implementation of the Bologna reforms, including the learner-centred approach. Curriculum development includes, on the one hand, the scientific aspects of the specific thematic field. On the other hand, there are a number of administrative and academic aspects which have to be tackled in the development process. For this project the following aspects were defined as the most important: administrative issues and promotion of (new) study programmes; student involvement and student services; issues of quality assurance; questions of the recognition of programmes and degree awarding, and finally, the issues of student mobility, possible work placements and internships. Jointly working on these topics allows the project partners to establish a common basis of expertise, to engage in a process of knowledge transfer and contribute to the success of the project in accordance with their strengths and fields of expertise. The main objective of the project will be the development and implementation of the following four joint (degree) programmes on master level: Joint Master s Programme in Cultural Sociology Joint Master s Programme in History of South-Eastern Europe Joint Master s Programme in Modern Language Teaching Interdisciplinary Joint Master s Programme in South Eastern European Studies The fields have been selected carefully by taking into consideration the relevant focus in research of the partner institutions to ensure that all the available resources are used as efficiently as possible. Considering the high complexity of joint (degree) programmes due to different legal and structural pre-conditions and/or starting points, members of the four different joint programme consortia are supported in their work by five task forces dealing with various issues essential for curriculum development. Task forces have been established in the following key areas: TF 1: Administrative issues and promotion TF 2: Quality assurance of joint programmes TF 3: Student services and student involvement TF 4: Curriculum development, recognition and degree awarding TF 5: Mobility, work placement and internships University of Graz, main building Depending on the relevant focus area they will examine the actual status of the respective institution by analysing the existing procedures, structures and legal preconditions and develop a best practice model by publishing concrete guidelines. Continuous communication between the task forces and the programme consortia will assure the practicability of the guidelines. The Future. The project will support the setting-up of a network of excellence in joint (degree) programme development in South-Eastern Europe. This network will focus on the exchange of best practice and bad experience concerning the management and organisation of Joint Degree programmes. Furthermore, the members of the network are responsible for planning further activities such as the organisation of intensive courses or summer schools in the frame of the Joint Degree programmes, provide for an expert pool for peer reviews of existing or newly introduced study programmes or accompany further cross-boarder cooperation in the field of curriculum development in South-Eastern Europe. This will insure the sustainability of project activities and results. The project coordinator University of Graz Austria The University of Graz, acting as the JoinSee project coordinator, is located in Austria s second-largest city, which presents itself as a centre of science, industry, commerce and culture as well as an important gateway to South-Eastern Europe because of its geographical location. This location has brought Graz many synergies that have influenced the development of the city and it has contributed to its international reputation. Furthermore, it explains why the University of Graz has chosen South-Eastern Europe as its strategic focus and has gained profound experience in the implementation of projects in cooperation with partners from that focus region. With the advancement of the goals of the Bologna Process in mind, the development and implementation of Joint Degree Programmes has been a strategic project for the past five years and has allowed the University of Graz to gain extensive experience both on the academic and administrative level. With the support of the regional government the university is developing eight joint programmes of which six have already successfully started. The University of Graz has also gained impressive competence in implementing the numerous Tempus projects which led to many formal partnership agreements between the University of Graz and universities in the SEE region. The University of Graz has started the JoinSee project with the aim of facilitating cooperation and knowledge transfer between South Eastern European and EU universities in the field of Joint Degree programme development. The project and its results will pave the way towards closer cooperation in the field of internationalization, which many universities, in the light of the Bologna process, have chosen as one of their missions. The fact that the development, implementation and administration of Joint Degree programmes still poses a variety of challenges underlines the importance of the work done within the framework of the JoinSee project. JoinSee provides an opportunity to tackle these challenges and provide solutions for the future. : Ulrike Krawagna : Project coordinator Steering committee Task forces 1 and 4 JD Cultural Sociology JD History of South- Eastern Europe JD South Eastern European Studies The project coordinator 2 3

3 Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance (AQA) Austria AQA has been operating since 2004 for the entire Austrian higher education system. The Agency carries out quality assurance procedures in Europe and internationally. AQA is admitted to EQAR, full member of ENQA and certified by the German Accreditation Council. AQA develops and conducts: accreditation and certification procedures external evaluations (on programme level and institutional level) studies and system analyses support and advice for HEI s internal quality management AQA s independence is ensured by an international Scientific Steering Group and a Certification and Accreditation Group (ZAK). More detailed information is available at A project coordinator of AQA is responsible for the JoinSee project. The agency is engaged in Task Force II for quality assurance in order to support the development of a joint external evaluation procedure for the Joint Programmes. This is done in cooperation with representatives of the higher education institutions (HEIs) involved in Task Force II. The different partners concerning each JD programme agreed on an evaluation procedure for international accreditation and if possible national accreditation of the Joint Programmes. It would be a great opportunity for the higher education institutions involved if the different national authorities and agencies accepted the proposed international evaluation and accreditation procedure. The accreditation and evaluation would then lead to a national and international accreditation. AQA is interested in developing internationally accepted evaluation procedures for Joint Programmes. The different national rules and regulations make it very difficult for HEIs to cooperate. AQA s main objective is that internationally accepted evaluation procedures should lead to more mobility, more Joint Programmes and strengthen the mutual trust between HEIs. Evaluation procedures for Joint Programmes are usually very expensive and complex. Clear, focused and supportive procedures and guidelines are needed in order to enforce internationalisation and cooperation. National authorities should mutually agree on an internally accepted procedure especially for Joint Programmes. Several members of TF II suffer from recurrent changes in the national Quality Assurance rules and regulations. It seems to be difficult to join the EHEA, to broaden cooperation, to link up with European developments, because even within Europe there is no Europe-wide accepted procedure. Task Group II is working on an acceptable procedure for the consortium. Austrian National Union of Students at the University of Graz Austria Our institution. The students union at Graz University is part of the Austrian National Union of Students (ANUS) and the official representation of all students at our university. There is compulsory membership for all students and a current membership fee of Euro per semester. The four levels of the ANUS are elected every two years. The boards at study programme level and the board at university level are directly elected, while the boards at faculty level and at national level are composed of delegates elected by the boards mentioned before. The university board of the students union at Graz University currently consists of seventeen members belonging to five parties. In addition to the union s chair, there are fifteen thematic departments such as the department for social affairs. Furthermore, the students union at Graz University has six faculty boards with five to eleven members and 43 study programme boards with three to five members each. Our part in the project. The students union at Graz University was asked to participate in the project as it can offer a lot of knowledge and experience with regard to students involvement and services. Our student representatives are part of most boards and committees at Graz University and in addition support students with information on almost all aspects of student life. Therefore, we would like to bring in our expertise and hope that other universities will recognize that student involvement should take place at all levels of a university. Who we are. The students union decided to nominate three people for the JoinSee-project: There is Florian Ortner, member of the Senate and former president of the Union of Students at Graz University, Dietbert Apfelknab, former head of the department for higher education and politics, and Gerhard Schlacher, another experienced student representative. Florian Ortner Task force 3 Florian Ortner ESU European Students Union Europe ESU The European Students Union is the umbrella organisation of 49 national unions of students from 37 countries, representing more than 11 million students. ESU represents the educational, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level towards all relevant bodies, in particular the EU, Council of Europe and UNESCO. ESU is a member of the Bologna Follow Up Group and its Board. ESU also has extensive expertise on the Modernisation Agenda of the EU, currently completing a project that involved training students on items related to the Education and Training 2010 work programme. We work to bring together, resource, train and inform national student representatives on European developments, particularly in fields of higher education and youth. ESU is ensuring student participation in European policy making; it supports members by organising seminars, training and conferences relevant to students and conducts European-wide research and co-operation projects and publishes handbooks and newsletters. ESU has carried out several projects with European funding in the past years, such as the Bologna II project, the Lisbon and Students Project, the Towards 2010 Which goals do we reach and how project, the Towards an EQF project and Equity in higher education from a student perspective project. ESU has a secretariat consisting of three staff and 22 elected volunteers to enthusiastically manage its projects. Natalia Tarachiu Task force 3 Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Germany The Institute of German as a Foreign Language at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich collaborates with the curriculum design within the JoinSee-project. Our institute has close to 1000 students, about 25 staff and undertakes investigation in linguistics, language acquisition, language teaching and curriculum design. Here Germany s most important online-portal for foreign language learning, www. deutsch-uni.com, is hosted. The institute is represented by its acting director, Prof. Dr. Jörg Roche, and a senior lecturer, Dr. Ulrich Bauer. Both have been working recently on intercultural didactics, language acquisition and the theory of Landeskunde, and both are involved in many other projects, too. We participate in the project because we are convinced that it is a matter of responsibility to share our knowledge, because we are glad to cooperate with close neighbours in Europe, because we hope to be able to cooperate in the future with our partners and develop projects of investigation from this process and because we hope to develop exchange possibilities for our students in the future. Our expectations concerning project results focus on the creation of a good and sound partnership which should last for many years. We also expect as results new, modern curricula which could serve as models elsewhere. The possibility to start a new programme always includes the opportunity to thoroughly review already existing programmes. We can only judge our own working environment and this particular Joint-Degree-working-group is an exceptionally well working and constructive group where it is a pleasant task to work through the agenda, where discussions are rich and bolstered with lots of special knowledge from every participant, and where professionalism and a spirit of cooperation reign. Jörg Roche Ulrich Bauer Barbara Mitterauer Task force 2 Logo of the ÖH Uni Graz Barbara Mitterauer 4 5

4 South East European University Tetovo, FYR of Macedonia South East European University is a new private-public, not-for-profit university established in year 2001 with initial funds by European Commission and OSCE Countries, US Government through USAID and Government of the FYR of Macedonia. At the heart of the university s mission aims are the promotion of inter-ethnic understanding, to ensure a multilingual and multicultural approach to teaching and research and to develop its teaching programs in a broad international and European perspective. In aligning the Bologna principles with the mission aims, the new trend of building Joint Programs fits this challenge. The experience that SEEU participants in this project will gain, by developing the Joint Programs together with the universities from the region and sharing the experiences with European partners, is expected to be very helpful in increasing overall institutional capacity for curriculum design and development in keeping the pace with a rapidly changing environment. These projected outcomes of the project are also in line with our existing experience in the field, because the SEE University has now for several years offered Master Programs in Balkan Studies, Education Management and English Language Teaching. The first project year is confirming the expectations. The active participation in the tasks forces, training sessions and curriculum design and the coordination of the reports at our University have created an important pool of knowledge for The Department of Political Science is part of the Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus of the Ss.Cyril and Methodius University, the oldest and largest university in the FYR of Macedonia. It is a leading institution of political science in the country, educating students at all three cycles, in full compliance with the ECTS. It is the only institution in the FYR of Macedonia delivering MA programmes on EU Institutions and Policies and Political Management entirely in English language. The Multi-media Research Center and the Center for Political Research and Analysis are an integral part of the Department of Political Science, thus integrating teaching, applied learning and research. With its established cooperation with think-tanks, state institutions, domestic and foreign NGOs, the Department offers its students numerous possibilities for internships and employment possibilities. The Department is a partner institution of the Open Society Institute Higher Education Support Programme, and employs scholars who have acquired masters and doctoral degrees at renowned universities in the EU and the US (so called Returning Scholars). further integration of the experiences gained in the University infrastructure. All the events and the communication coordinated by the grant holder have been organized very successfully, and thus an efficient, collaborative environment to coordinate work in this very complicated task has been created. Diturije Ismaili Diturije Ismaili eration in higher education and research has remained as a legacy from the former Head of the Department of Political Science, now President of the FYR of Macedonia, Prof. Dr. Gjorge Ivanov. Zoran Ilievski South East European University, campus Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Skopje Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus, Department of Political Science FYR of Macedonia Steering committee Doc. Dr. Zoran Ilievski, Head of Department of Political Science University of Bamberg Germany The University of Bamberg, which was established as a full university in 1735, offers degree programmes in 7 faculties History and Geography, Catholic Theology, Education/ Philosophy/Psychology, Social sciences and Economics, Languages and Literatures, Information Systems and Applied Computer Science at two locations with humanities and cultural sciences forming a special focus in research and teaching at the university. Research at the University of Bamberg is characterized by a high degree of interdisciplinarity and networking. It has a strong European and international focus in its study and research programmes. It has over 40 partners in Europe, North and South America as well as in the Middle East and Asia. More than a third of the approximately students complete a part of their studies at a foreign university and participate in one of over 140 exchange programmes. The international orientation of the university is also demonstrated by the many courses it offers with an international emphasis. In addition, research in many disciplines in all faculties is devoted to European issues. Sebastian Kempgen Task force 4 University of Barcelona Spain Two UB vice-rectors are involved in this project: Vice- Rector for Teaching and Science Policy, Dr. Teresa Anguera Argilaga, who will either appoint a person to be officially in charge of her part in the project or else assume that role herself, and Vice-Rector for International Relations and Deputy Rector, Dr. Carles Carreras Verdaguer, who has delegated the participation in the task force 5 team, which addresses the areas of mobility, work placements and internships, to the Head of Office at Mobility and International Programs, Ms. Esther Martra. Finally, from the UB s Agency for Quality Assurance, which is managed by Mr. Gaspar Roselló Nicolau, Ms. Olga Pujolràs is also taking part in the present project. Ms. Pujolràs works in the task force 2 team, which addresses the quality assurance of joint programs. Our main objectives in this project are to share our knowledge, expertise and experience, and to harness the good practices of all parties involved to consolidate the UB s international educational policy. The project members also hope that, in the long term, one outcome will be the participation in one of the four Joint Degree programs being implemented in the Western Balkan region and that the project s efforts will help to strengthen cooperation in all the partnerships and promote active participation in new international networks. Our contribution will be mostly provided by the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Science Policy, who will participate at an academic level, and by the two UB administrative units, the Agency for Quality Assurance and the Office of Mobility and International Programs, taking advantage of the former s acknowledged quality and reputation and the latter s expertise over the last two decades. Teresa Anguera Argilaga Task forces 2 and 5 Dra. Teresa Anguera Argilaga Universitat de Barcelona Internationalization and excellence being the highest priorities of the Department, we are proud to participate in the JoinSee Project. Our strong commitment to European coop- Faculty, outside view Faculty, inside view Classroom of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Skopje Historic Buildings 6 7

5 University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences Serbia The Faculty of Political Sciences (FPS) participates in this project on behalf of the University of Belgrade. Teachers from two faculty departments (Political Science and International Relations) are involved, together with a part of the administrative staff and the Dean. Three teachers and two administrators have been appointed to the project s task forces while the Dean is a member of the. In addition to duties within task forces, the whole team, headed by the official contact person, works on the preparation of the joint MA in Interdisciplinary SEE Studies. The main goal of the FPS is to develop the SEE studies at graduate level, filling the existing gap within the Faculty s curricula. That would enrich not only the academic standards of the Faculty, but also its growing offer to prospective students from Serbia and the region. We expect to achieve long lasting cooperation with foreign academic institutions, leading in the first step to a joint diploma within these MA studies, and later possibly to the development of new teaching and research projects. FPS main building University of Bologna Italy The University of Bologna, Alma Mater Studiorum, is one of the most important institutions of higher education across Europe with more than enrolled students, 23 faculties, 69 departments, 3200 academics and 3000 administrative staff. Internationalisation, both for teaching and research is one of the political priorities of the University of Bologna (UniBo), which is today the most internationalised of all the Italian universities. At the moment, UniBo is the first university in Europe for participation in the Erasmus Mundus programme (two projects as coordinator, 6 projects as partner including grant management). Thanks to the huge involvement in the Erasmus Mundus programme, UniBo has started an internal process to review its governance system in the management of joint and double degrees. A task force has been created involving the administrative areas of International relations, didactical affairs, accounting and student policies and services. This task force is going to offer support services in all the steps required for the design and the implementation of joint programmes within the JoinSee project, from the possible source of funding to the signature of the The project is innovative and ambitious in its complexity, with as many as four MA programmes in preparation and five task forces working in parallel. This by definition brings diversity that hasn t always been easy to handle by the project s management. It is to be expected that the coordination of multiple tasks planned until the end of the project will be more consistent. The biggest obstacle to success is, however, unequal contribution to the project coming from different partners. s Gordana Ristic Jovan Teokarevic FPS Dean I.Vujačić welcomes Ms. B. Prammer, President of the Austrian Parliament Jovan Teokarevic recognition agreement and the joint management of the student careers. At the moment the University of Bologna is managing almost 15 joint programmes, most of them have been carried out at the second cycle of the Bologna process involving mainly European universities. Some initiatives have been also developed with extra European universities, in particular with US, Latin American and China higher education institutions. Filippo Sartor Task forces 1 and 3 JD Cultural Sociology FPS logo Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai Cluj-Napoca Romania Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai is the oldest academic institution in Romania, which embodies the entire academic tradition in Transylvania, inaugurated with the Jesuit College founded by Prince Stephan Bathory in Universitatea Babeş- Bolyai brings together the cultural, scientific, and religious traditions in Transylvania, having developed a multicultural educational programme according to the legislation in force in Romania and according to European values. The multicultural system transformed our University into the largest and most complex university in Romania. The participation in the Joint Master Program History of South-Eastern Europe is therefore a logical consequence of the multicultural character of our institution. The units involved in the development of the programme are the Department of History, where the academic coordinator is Vice- Rector Prof. Dr. Rudolf Gräf, and the Office for International Relations, Ioana Florea being responsible for the administrative aspects of the programme. Within the programme students are provided with professional education and training, special attention being paid to mobility, which contributes to broadening one s horizon and also deepens intercultural understanding. In addition, the programme s international dimension enhances the graduates competitiveness on the job market. The main strength of the programme is that students are able to draw on the expertise and focus of all the partners involved as well as the fact that at the successful completion of the programme students will be awarded a jointly conferred master degree automatically recognized in the countries of all consortium partners. The positive experience of the programme so far leads us to believe that the future development will establish a programme based on a high quality international curriculum with regional aspects. Rudolf Gräf The main building of the university. Rudolf Gräf University of Groningen The Netherlands, JoinSee project: part of the internationalization strategy The University of Groningen is a research university with education and research organized in 9 faculties (www. rug.nl) and graduate schools. The general university policy on internationalization is supported and structured by the International Relations Office of the university, working directly for the Board. The University of Groningen has identified several countries and regions in Europe and the world as its focus countries/regions. Among those are the Western Balkans. The aim is to increase and support mobility of students and staff with institutions in SEE. Increased knowledge of the region and its universities is essential for doing just that, and participation in this Tempus project opens up a way to learn more about some of the best universities in the region. The institutional coordinator of EU programmes at the University of Groningen IRO, Regine van Groningen, is involved in and holds the chair of Task Force 5 on Mobility. Internationalization takes shape in all parts of the university. Our faculties offer 8 international Bachelor degree programmes, entirely in English, and 70 Master degree programmes in English. Several of the EM Master Courses are offered at the Faculty of Arts, and with the aim to establish more joint programmes, the English language department decided to take part in the JoinSee project. It is a way to form an interesting consortium with EU and SEE universities and share knowledge and experience with those partner institutions. Dr. Marjolijn Verspoor represents our university in the Joint Programme Modern Language Teaching and is its chair. The Tempus JoinSee project is one of many European projects the university is involved in. Complicated law on higher education makes it necessary for all people involved to remain up-to-date on new developments. The work done in the project teaches us more about the problems involved in establishing Joint Degrees. It adds to the knowledge we hope to gain from other projects and activities, as e.g. activities of the Coimbra Group network, as well as from workshops and conferences on the subject. Regine Van Groningen Task force 5 Academy building Groningen: a students town Regine van Groningen 8 9

6 University of Leuven Belgium University of Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy Serbia The University of Leuven has students, of which 11% are of foreign origin professors and researchers work at the university as well as administrative and technical staff and University hospital staff. The University of Leuven, which has 14 faculties, offers 62 undergraduate programmes and 164 post-graduate and specialisation programmes, 60 of them in English. About 600 students from Leuven go abroad every year under exchange programmes and a comparable group of students come to Leuven. The University of Leuven participates in several projects of Tempus Cards, Tempus Tacis, Alfa, Asia Link, EU-Canada and also in 1 EU-Japan project and 1 EU- Australia project. Since 1990 the university has participated in over 50 Tempus projects, coordinating more than 10 of them. The University of Leuven has been awarded the ECTS label in University of Ljubljana Slovenia The University of Ljubljana possesses a rich tradition. It ranks as a very large university, with more than 63,000 graduate and postgraduate students. Approximately 4000 higher education teachers are employed in the 22 faculties, 3 arts academies and one university college. The university was founded in 1919 on the basis of centuries of educational tradition, remaining the only Slovenian university for half a century. The University of Ljubljana has many objectives by which it desires to contribute towards higher quality, cohesion and a reduction in the time between creating, obtaining, transferring and applying knowledge. One of the more important among them is for sure the strengthening and enhancing of international cooperation. The University of Ljubljana is trying to be very active in the common European higher education and research sphere. It forges links with the best comprehensive universities in Europe. To this end it is also trying to aim to secure a coordinating role in joint education programmes and research projects and promote inclusion in international research networks and international projects. By now we have more than ten accredited joint programmes at the University of Ljubljana and still more in the development phase, but every programme is a story of itself and for every one we have to find solutions on the way. Because of our very positive experience with the implementation of the Joint Degree»History of South-Eastern Europe«, established on initiative and with cooperation of the University of Graz, we were very enthusiastic to accept the invitation by Graz University to participate in the JoinSee Tempus programme, as we believe we can learn much more on joint programmes and at the same time share our previous experience with those who are starting the path. Coordination of JoinSee project activities at the University of Leuven are taken care of by Ms. An Huts, head of the International Policy Unit, who has already gained a lot of experience in managing European projects. An Huts Task force 3 programme as we gained a lot of new knowledge and experience on Joint Degree Programmes and most of all it was great to meet all these people, with different backgrounds who seem very devoted to the programme. It will be very interesting to see the final result of our work and I believe it will be a big help for new-comers in joint programmes, so every effort is entitled. s Urška Ravnik Marko Štuhec Task force 1 Urška Ravnik Founded in 1960, the University of Novi Sad is the second largest state, non-integrated university in Serbia. It comprises 14 faculties located in four towns. The Faculty of Philosophy, founded in 1954, is one of two oldest faculties at UNS. Currently the Faculty has over 4000 students and over 300 staff. The Faculty consists of 17 departments which conduct 42 accredited study programmes at three levels of study. The Faculty Council is the managing body of the institution, while the operating body is the dean with the dean s consortium. The executive bodies are the Elective Council, Teaching and Scholarly Council and Student Parliament. The Faculty of Philosophy has had a long and successful cooperation with various foreign HE institutions, but still does not run any joint programmes and the student exchange is at the very low rate. That is why this project is our means of enhancing student mobility, broadening the scope of cooperation with foreign HE institutions, building and sustaining partnership networks and developing joint programmes. We hope the project will end with the Faculty having its first joint master programme run and with it establishing a solid background for the development of future joint programmes. Also, we expect this project to contribute to a more successful student exchange. Partner institutions have shown great interest and readiness to deal with the issues raised concerning the development of Joint Degrees. With the efforts all the partners are making we have no doubts that the outcomes of the project, even if achieved partially, will benefit us all as well as other Western Balkans HE institutions which are to set out for joint programmes in the future. Ljiljana Subotić JD Cultural Sociology Prof. Ljiljana Subotic, Ph.D, Dean of Faculty of Philosophy The city of Novi Sad New Year s Eve in Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy It was a pleasure to participate in the first year of JoinSee 10 11

7 University of Poitiers France Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugenius IV and granted charter by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers is one of the oldest universities in Europe. The university is located in the historical city of Poitiers ( inhabitants) with its prestigious inheritance, which the city has managed to preserve and enhance through the centuries. The University of Poitiers, with its prestigious 500 year history, is multidisciplinary and its potential and ability to adapt are built on its rich diversity. It offers over 200 national diplomas. The University of Poitiers welcomes about students and among them more than 3800 students from over 105 countries. The range of curricula undertaken at the University of Poitiers is based on excellence in research. This link between education and research offers the students high standards of teaching at the forefront of scientific knowledge. The University of Poitiers supports research and actively participates in the transfer and diffusion of its findings and develops partnerships with innovative companies. University of Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina The University of Sarajevo was founded in 1949 and represents the first University of modern type in B&H. All relevant scientific fields are covered at the University of Sarajevo, including social sciences, humanities, natural and technical sciences, medicine and arts. The founding of the University of Sarajevo was a testimony to the general social and cultural progress of B&H and represented a vital constant of its sovereignty and development. Today, the University of Sarajevo incorporates 20 faculties, 3 academies and 2 associate members, the National and University library of B&H, the University Clinical Center and a students organiza- Rectorate tion the Students Parliament. There are three University centers, among which is the Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduates Studies, where Joint Degree programmes will be implemented. There are around students enrolled at the University, the teaching and scientific process involves 1640 professors and ca. 900 administrative staff is employed. The University of Sarajevo joined the JoinSee project in order to develop instruments for a new Joint Degree programme, within which we would like to offer a science-based study. Christian Cormier Moreover, the University of Poitiers has signed academic and research agreements with over 270 universities in 52 countries. The University of Poitiers coordinates three Erasmus-Mundus Masters. Additionally, over the last 15 years it has coordinated or participated in several Tempus programmes with Central and Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries, the JoinSee project being the most recent. Several university departments are involved in this JoinSee project including four Faculties: Economics, Literature and Languages, Law, two University services: International Relations Office, Career Service and a cluster of human sciences research centres MSHS, where the meetings of the first JoinSee discussion platform will take place on February 8th -10th. Task forces 4 and 5 Christian Cormier Apart from that, the experiences gained through this Joint Degree will be used for the development of similar doctoral studies at the University of Sarajevo. We have followed up and implemented all tasks assigned, but we expect the full development of the project in the next two years. Our aspiration is also the establishment of an alumni network of students who attended the Joint Degree Programmes, as well as a university network that could implement similar study programmes in the future. Therefore, we will be strengthening the inter-university cooperation and developing students mobility. Samir Arnautović Task force 1-5 JD Cultural Sociology Prof. dr. Samir Arnautović University of Shkodra Luigj Gurakuqi Albania Faculty of Foreign Languages, Representatives: : Rector of Shkodra University: Prof. Dr. Artan Haxhi Joint Degree Modern Language Teaching : Head of the Department of English and American Studies: Dr. Meri Guli Task Force I: Head of the Section of Italian Studies: Dr. Alma Hafizi Task Force II: Head of the Department of German Studies: Dr. Esmeralda Kapisyzi Task Force III: Head of the Department of Romance Studies: Dr. Dhurata Hoxha Task Force IV: Section of French Studies: Dr. Angjelina Shllaku Task Force V: Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Rajmonda Kecira Aim of Participation: Modernize the teaching of English, German, Italian and French at the Faculty of Foreign Languages in Shkodra in order to build up a vanguard institution with respect to Albania s long-term integration into the EU. Expectations: Get expertise on curriculum development and establish study programs that will satisfy the needs of students who are being brought up in a transitory society. Establish the first international Joint Degree programme at our faculty in line with the guidelines of the Bologna Convention. Provide a model of modern language teaching to the other Albanian Foreign Language Faculties. Ensure the assistance of the Western European Universities and widen cooperation with the South Eastern European Universities. Project Experiences: In accordance with the project objectives, we have analyzed: The legal framework of higher education in Albania The present situation of accreditation The results of questionnaires addressed to students with regard to the kinds of service they get at our university The University curricula for BA (known as first-level diploma in Albania) Mobility conditions The courses for the Joint Degree programme and our faculty resources. Meri Guli Dr. Meri Guli View of the faculty building from across the street View of the classrooms and students from the inside View of the department office 12 13

8 University of Zadar Croatia Towards further implementation of the Bologna process. The University of Zadar, whose roots date back to 1396, was re-established in 2003 as a department-based institution, fully integrated in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna process. The University consists of 23 departments, mostly in the humanities and social sciences. There are currently over 6,000 students enrolled in 30 BA, 35 MA and 2 doctoral study programmes. In the JoinSee project, the University is represented by its Department of Sociology, considered by many to be one of the leaders in the implementation of the Bologna process in Croatia. The aim of participation in the project is to contribute to the internationalisation of the university s study programmes. In addition to creating a model Joint Degree in Cultural Sociology, a highly important component of the project is also to heighten the general institutional capacity to implement student exchanges. Likewise, it is hoped that a successful implementation of the Joint Degree developed within the project will set the stage for the development of new Joint Degrees at the university. The buildings of the University of Zadar University of Zagreb Republic of Croatia The University of Zagreb, founded in 1669, is the oldest one in the country and particularly rich in tradition. As a comprehensive Central European university it offers research and education in all scientific fields and a broad spectrum of courses at all study levels, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate. With 29 Faculties and 3 Art Academies it is the flagship educational institution in the country, a place where more than 7000 teachers and students develop knowledge and acquire skills. The University excels not only in teaching, but also in research, contributing over 50 percent to the yearly research output in Croatia. Within this project, the University of Zagreb participates in the creation of a model for the development and implementation of two joint programmes on the Master level History of South-Eastern Europe (local coordinator: Prof. Dr. Borislav Grgin, professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Interdisciplinary Programme on South-Eastern Europe (local coordinator: Prof. Dr. Josip Kregar, professor at the Faculty of Law) as well as in the task forces working on different aspects of curriculum development. The team of the University of Zadar is composed of the representatives from the University management, the senior faculty, working on curriculum development, and the junior faculty who in the departmental structure also administer tasks connected to student exchanges. The role of the junior faculty is considered very important for further dissemination and achieving the project objectives. So far everybody in the team has learned a lot about the current situation of university education in the region and beyond. We are looking forward to further networking and exchanging of views, and of course, to a functional Joint Degree in Cultural Sociology that we see emerging at the end of the project! Mirko Petrić JD Cultural Sociology Mirko Petric Our university finds this project very important and emphasizes the need for the development of quality study programmes and learning culture at both national and international levels. Different legal requirements and educational cultures are special challenges and issues to be synergized in the development and implementation of joint programmes. To participate in such a project, embracing the different backgrounds and perspectives, and diversity in coherently structured programmes, but also common academic values, will be more than a valuable experience for our university. Katarina Prpić Katarina Prpić WUS Austria (World University Service Austrian Committee) Austria For more than 25 years WUS Austria has been dedicated to supporting the development of higher education (HE). In the last few years, our work was intensively focused on matters concerning university management, curriculum development and quality assurance in South Eastern Europe (SEE). Looking from that perspective, design and implementation of joint programs reflect all relevant knowledge and experiences. Most of the joint programs, mainly master programs, in SEE are professional masters and do not belong to the regular curriculum. In order to be competitive in the international HE market, which SEE is inevitably becoming part of, stakeholders in the region have realized that there is an urgent need for professionals in university management, curriculum development, internationalization, quality assurance and research and development. At most of the universities, the structures which would deal with joint and double degree programs do not exist. The participants in this project mostly come from involved faculties and not from centralized university service structures. The four joint master programs being developed through JoinSee will show if participating universities are capable of developing and conducting study programs respecting international norms. However, we hope that experience exchange with EU and other project partners will contribute to raising awareness of the need for further HE development, especially with regard to the professional university capacities to further impulses for university internationalization through specialized master programs defined in the project. Main roles of WUS Austria: Financial coordination and budget controlling Support in project evaluation Organisational support Involved staff and roles within the project: Mr. Almir Kovacevic, official contact person and SEE/HE expertise Mr. Clemens Juriga, financial coordinator Almir Kovačević Steering committee Financial management Almir Kovacevic, Executive Director of WUS Austria University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki Associate partner Greece The University of Macedonia of Economic and Social Sciences is the second and younger university of Thessaloniki, established by the government in It was at first formed under the name of The Graduate School of Industrial Studies of Thessaloniki, and it first received students during the academic year In 1958 it was renamed Graduate Industrial School of Thessaloniki. In 2007, the University of Macedonia celebrated its 50th anniversary ( ). At the present time, the University of Macedonia has 10 departments. The Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies is an inter-disciplinary department, founded by Presidential Degree in 1996, and welcomed its first students in September The main mission of the Department of B.S.O.S., according to its founding degree, is to cultivate and further the knowledge, the history and the culture of the Balkan, Slavic and Oriental countries and to study and develop the economic, social and political relations of these countries with Greece. One of the envisaged aims of this collaborative educational project is that it will promote the closer collaboration with other academic institutions in the region. This will strengthen existing collaborative research and teaching relations with participating institutions. It will enhance the exchange of views and knowledge-based experiences and lead to further activities of common concern to students and staff. In response to the widely documented student interest in engaging with research and study on the region of South- Eastern Europe, our aim is to promote even further this interest with a view to reinforcing and amplifying these current trends. The philosophy of interdisciplinarity, which currently characterises our department s curriculum, will be further cultivated, leading to the formation of well-rounded area specialists capable of staffing international organisations operating in the region of South-Eastern Europe. The aims of this collaborative educational initiative have been set at a high level and this is a serious challenge for participating institutions. In the case of our University, there is a strong administrative infrastructure positively supporting the whole educational effort. In addition, this collective effort has a strong added value for the integration of the Member States on the level of educational curricula. We see both of these challenges as compatible and enhancing the broader European idea of a common educational philosophy through the promotion of a synergy among academic institutions in the higher education area. Eftihia Voutira 14 15

9 University of Sofia Sv. Kliment Ohridski Associate partner Bulgaria The Faculty of History was one of the first academic centres of the University of Sofia Sv. Kliment Ohridski, which was founded in It is the oldest Bulgarian university and it has today more than students within 20 faculties. One of the main focus areas in teaching and research of the Faculty of History is Southeast European history (Balkan history). Project The management structure of the project is composed of the project co-ordinator, the financial co-ordinator, the steering committee as well as the leaders of the five task forces and the four joint programmes. The main planning activities are carried out by the steering committee, the project co-ordinator and the leaders of each task force and programme consortium. The following activities are planned over the three-year project period: Training sessions on curriculum development Two training sessions on curriculum development are planned for project year 1 and 2. They aim at preparing participating academics and administrators for guiding and supporting curriculum development and should encourage the implementation of central support mechanisms ( train the trainers ). The training sessions will be offered to 30 participants and provide a profound basis in learning-outcomeoriented curriculum development, modularisation, employability, quality assurance and accreditation procedures. The Department for Byzantine and Balkan history is the academic unit of the Faculty of History, which will take part in the JoinSee project. Dean of the Faculty is Associate Professor Dr. Plamen Mitev. Head of the Department is Associate Professor Dr. Ivan Parvev. The University of Sofia, through the Department for Byzantine and Balkan History, is a full partner in the consortium for the Joint Master s Programme in History of South-Eastern Europe. The Department has a MA programme European Southeast, which has been running successfully for more than 10 years. Within the BA study in History there are seven semesters dedicated to the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe. There is a four-year BA study programme Past and Present of South-Eastern Europe, which started in Thus the Faculty has experienced teaching staff and students, who are very familiar with the history of South-Eastern Europe. The general history of South-Eastern Europe has deep roots within the national histories in the region. These traces are often overshadowed by the narratives of nationalism, which insist on the uniqueness of a national past. A Joint MA Programme in History of South-Eastern Europe will surely widen the local horizon and will contribute to the much desired reconciliation in that area of Europe. The cooperation within the consortium of seven universities is going very smoothly and we are confident that the Joint MA Programme will start in 2011 as scheduled. Ivan Parvev Impressions of the JoinSee Kick-off meeting on 3r d of February 2009 Project year 1 Kick-off meeting Transparent analysis of the legal framework and structures in the respective countries Collection of information and documents on legal issues and internal structures concerning higher education policies and curriculum development Meeting with respective ministries and legislative bodies Analysis and processing of the available material Curriculum development of 4 joint (degree) programmes First curriculum development training Project year 2 First and second platform meeting Programme accreditation (passing through all the legal steps of programme approval) Involvement and participation of all relevant stakeholder groups (students, academic & administrative staff and senior leadership) Guidance and support by task forces Processing of information Preparation of the handbook by Task Forces Second curriculum development training Interim project evaluation Project year 3 Start of the programmes at the respective partner universities Implementation of programme organisation Evaluation of the project Final conference Co-operation meetings Project activities include two co-operation meetings per study field. These meetings will not only support a sense of jointness but are also essential for the correct and effective programme implementation. Task force workshops In three workshops the members of the five task forces will analyse the current situation, assess their challenges and needs, share best practices and bad experiences and produce tools such as a handbook and guidelines in the relevant key area. Continuous communication between the task forces and the programme consortia will assure the practicability of the guidelines. The first training on curriculum development took place in Skopje on September 11, The title of the training was Ingredients for the development of an internationally recognized quality study programme: qualification framework, modularization & learning outcomes, accreditation procedures, quality control. The training was held by two trainers from the Universities of Bologna (Quality Assurance Unit) and Graz (Educational and Student Services) Platform meetings Two platform meetings involving all project participants will take place in order to facilitate the dissemination of project material, interim reports and results but also to serve as an exchange basis for all project activities. The first platform meeting will take place in Poitiers, France, February 8-10, During the first platform meeting a first evaluation of project activities by means of questionnaires, feedback forms, interviews and monitoring reports produced by the steering committee and independent evaluators assisted by the project management will secure the proper and adequate implementation of the relevant project activities. The second platform meeting will be dedicated to the presentation of the implemented Joint Degree programmes, the discussion about programme organisation, and the evaluation of programme implementation procedures. The findings will be incorporated into the handbook and guidelines of which a draft version will be presented and discussed with a broad audience. During the meeting a second monitoring report will be produced using the same mechanisms as at the first platform meeting. Final Conference At the end of project year 3 all participants will meet at the final conference which will serve as a platform (1) for the presentation of the handbook, and the first evaluation report focusing on the development of the four joint (degree) programmes, (2) for the setting up of further network activities, and (3) for the evaluation of the project implementation and presentation of the final monitoring report. Participants in the project as well as all relevant stakeholder groups will be involved. Sofia University Sv. Kliment Ochridski 16 17

10 Dissemination In order to make the project results visible and available for the target groups and a wider public, a dissemination strategy which includes the following activities has been developed: project website ( publications platform meetings workshops & trainings involvement of relevant stakeholders press/media in project year one Kick-off meeting Cooperation Meeting Interdisciplinary Master Programme on South-Eastern Europe Cooperation Meeting History of South-Eastern Europe First training on curriculum development Cooperation Meeting Cultural Sociology Task force workshop Cooperation Meeting Modern Language Teaching Cooperation Meeting Interdisciplinary Master Programme on South-Eastern Europe First platform meeting Dates and Duration Feb 2-4, 2009 (3 days) Jun 5-6, 2009 (2 days) Sep 4, 2009 (1 day) Sept 11, 2009 (1 day) Oct 12-13, 2009 (two days) Oct 19-20, 2009 (2 days) Oct 30-31, 2009 (2 days) Dec 3, 2009 (1 day) Feb 8-10, 2010 (3 days) Venues Graz Belgrade Zagreb Skopje Zadar Zagreb Shkodra Bologna Poitiers The project coordinator Project coordination team at the University of Graz Ulrike Krawagna Sylvia Schweiger Elisabeth Zingl Project members (alphabetical by institutions) Mitterauer, Barbara Apfelknab, Dietbert Ortner, Florian Schlacher, Gerhard Hansson, Love Lïce, Anita Tarachiu, Natalia Bauer, Ulrich Roche, Jörg Dika, Zamir Eshtrefi, Luan Ismaili, Diturijec Kamberi, Lulzime Osmani, Rufat Pajaziti, Ali Sela, Ylber Selmani, Abaz Zhuta, Shtegtare Bozinovski, Vladimir Cenevska, Marija Damjanovski, Ivan Griovska, Biljana Ilievski, Zoran Markovic, Nenad Stefanovska, Snezana Herbold, Henrike Kempgenm, Sebastian Tiell, Marta Arias Costa, Laura Manonelles, Esther Martra Pujolras, Olga Kovacevic, Maja Pavicevic, Vladimir Podunavac, Milan Ristic, Gordana Simendic, Marko Teokarevic, Jovan Vujacic, Ilija Bianchini, Stefano Di Benedetto, Serena Santoro, Marco Sartor, Filippo Florea, Ioana Gräf, Rudolf Heppner, Harald Kmezic, Marko Krawagna, Ulrike Lantschner, Emma Maierhofer, Roberta Marko, Josef Marko-Stöckl, Edith Müller, Elisabeth Prisching, Manfred Salmhofer, Gudrun Scherke, Katharina Schweiger, Sylvia Weidacher, Georg Zingl, Elisabeth van Groningen, Regine Verspoor, Marjolijn Huts, An Proesmans, Klaartje Kranjc, Janez Ravnik, Urška Stuhec, Marko Aggelopoulos, Giorgos Lagani, Irini Stamatopoulos, Dimitris Tsibiridou, Fotini Voutira, Efi Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance Austrian National Union of Students European Students Union Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich South East European University Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje University of Bamberg University of Barcelona University of Belgrade University of Bologna Universitatea Babes-Bolyai Cluj-Napoca University of Graz University of Groningen University of Leuven University of Ljubljana University of Macedonia (Associate Partner) Crveni, Ljiljana Györe, Zoltan Jerkovic, Višnja Markovic, Maja Sekerus, Pavle Simunovic Beslin, Biljana Sljukic, Srdan Subotic, Liljana Zivancevic-Sekerus, Ivana Cormier, Christian Duchet, Jean-Louis Nacouzi, Salwa Robuchon, Christine Touze, Sebastien Arnautovic, Samir Basic, Hazim Bosnjovic, Jasna Burak, Senad Dizdarevic, Belma Filipovic, Kenan Maric, Damir Mujkic, Asim Pusina, Neal Seizovic, Zarije Smajlovic, Dijana Guli, Meri Hafizi, Alma Haxhi, Artan Hoxha, Dhurata Kapisyzi, Esmeralda Kecira, Rajmonda Shllaku, Angjelina Parvev, Ivan Barada, Valerija Jelusic, Srecko Marcelic, Sven Petric, Mirko Prorokovic, Ana Tomic-Koludrovic, Inga Tonkovic, Zeljka Zdravkovic, Doris Barjasic, Lucija Fruk, Ana Grgin, Borislav Hohnjec, Dunja Kregar, Josip Mihaljevic, Slaven Pitner, Željka Prpic, Katarina Sedak, Kristijan Juriga, Clemens Kovacevic, Almir University of Novi Sad University of Poitiers University of Sarajevo University of Shkodra University of Sofia (Associate Partner) University of Zadar University of Zagreb WUS Austria Task force workshop in Zagreb 18 19

11 Imprint Publisher Office of International Relations, University of Graz, 2010 editor Elisabeth Zingl, University of Graz Design, Layout & Composition Roman Klug, University of Graz Picture credits All the pictures in the present publication have been provided by the individual partner institutions. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. CONTACT + INFO University of Graz Office of International Relations Universitätsplatz Graz Austria joinsee@uni-graz.at