The Black Sea Strategy of the FH bfi Vienna

Transcription

1 The Black Sea Strategy of the FH bfi Vienna June 2010 Competence team Black Sea Region

2 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary The Black Sea Region's Focal Position in the FH bfi Vienna Internationalisation Strategy Definition of the Black Sea Region Motives for Focussing on the Black Sea Region Target Groups: The Black Sea Region A Region for Europe's Future Main foci of the BSR Competence Center: Strategic Aims Medium-term Objectives Short-term Objectives... 8 Annex: of 10

3 1. Executive Summary "Erfolg ist die Bewegung des Potenzials in die richtige Richtung." (Success means moving potential into the right direction) Andreas Tenzer The FH bfi Vienna is a regionally based and internationally oriented university. In order to do justice to its slogan "We form Europe's top executives!" (Wir bilden Europas Spitze!) it has defined the Black Sea region as a focus of its internationalisation activities. Since 2004 many projects and activities have been carried out in the Black Sea Region, and an extensive network of partner universities has been established, especially in Turkey and Romania. In order to intensify this strategy and build its profile, the FH bfi Vienna has been establishing its Competence Centre Black Sea Region (BSR) since summer term With the following services, export knowledge and contacts into the Black Sea Region are to be communicated to students, alumni/ae, business enterprises, universities and the general public: Educating academics in Black Sea expertise by offering them a compulsory elective module Black Sea Region, Summer Schools and other international projects Carrying out market surveys and staff training in enterprises regarding the Black Sea region Increasing student and lecturer mobility to and from the Black Sea region by expanding and intensifying academic contacts, and establishing double and joint degree programmes. Organising talks and symposia with ambassadors and experts from the region in order to enhance public interest in the region Supporting partner universities in modernising their organisational structures (e.g. process management) and in implementing the Bologna objectives in EU projects. Thus, the FH bfi Vienna contributes to European integration in this region. Research in the Black Sea Region In this strategy, the motives and objectives for the Competence Centre BSR will be defined. 3 of 10

4 2. The Black Sea Region's Focal Position in the FH bfi Vienna Internationalisation Strategy 2.1. Definition of the Black Sea Region The FH orients towards the "Black Sea Synergy" communication published by the European Commission 1. In this initiative, the six states bordering the Black Sea Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey together with four more states Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, and the Republic Moldova are considered to form the Black Sea Region. The latter four countries are counted in because of their history, their geographical proximity, and their close ties to the bordering countries Motives for Focussing on the Black Sea Region Since the accession of the two states bordering the Black Sea (Romania and Bulgaria) as of 1 January 2007, the European Union extends to the Black Sea. With the "Black Sea Synergy" initiative, the European Commission aims for a regional policy in addition to the former bilateral relations to the Black Sea states. The Black Sea Synergy thus reflects an upgrade of the entire region from the EU's perspective. In addition to Black Sea Synergy, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) of the EU neighbouring policy was created by the European Commission in The EaP comprises 6 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is supposed to promote political association and economic integration of the partner states to the European Union. While the EaP aims at drawing the partner states closer to the EU, the Black Sea Synergy is intended to improve the regional co-operation among the states bordering the Black Sea Region. These two initiatives thus complement each other, but pursue different goals. 1 Cf. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament "The Black Sea Synergy a new initiative of regional co-operation", COM (2007) 160 final dated 11 April of 10

5 The Black Sea Region is rich in natural resources, and is a strategic interface between Europe and Asia. Furthermore, the region can boast a market with a vast development potential, constituting the most important corridor for the supply for fossil fuel from Russia and the southern quest: Caucasus. In winter 2006/07, the crisis revolving around the Russian gas supply to Ukraine and its consequences for a secure energy supply into the European Union cast a revealing light on the strategic significance of the Black Sea Region. Europe's relation to Russia is strongly tied to the political development in this region; moreover, Europe faces the challenge to help establish stable democracies at the EU's fringes more actively than it has so far. The FH bfi Vienna is aware of the security hazards in the Black Sea Region: Apart from the "hard" risks such as a the "frozen" conflicts in Transnistria, Southern Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Nagorny-Karabach, the Black Sea Region increasingly engenders "soft" risks such as weapon and drug trafficking, quest: human trafficking, and migration. Vienna is because of its history and its geographical position pivotal for international enterprises that wish to expand into the CEE states. The Black Sea Region is therefore often perceived as a logical successor to Austria's successful economic expansion into Central and Eastern Europe. This is why the Austrian exports into the Black Sea Region recorded swift growth from 2000 to 2008, which was then dampened by the global economic crisis in Austrian exports into the Black Sea region: Land EUR m EUR m EUR m Bulgaria Romania Russia Turkey Ukraine Source: STATISTIK AUSTRIA In this region, the FH bfi Vienna is a "first mover" among the Austrian universities as far as building a network of partner universities (especially in Romania, and Turkey), carrying out projects relevant to the topic and the region, and market surveys are concerned. Since 2004, several international projects, e.g. the International Week "Black Sea Network" or the Summer School "Central and South Eastern European Management" have been successfully carried out in an Erasmus Intensive Programme together with universities in this region. 5 of 10

6 3. Target Groups: The following target groups are to be addressed by the BSR Competence Center: Domestic and international enterprises Universities Students and alumni/ae 4. The Black Sea Region A Region for Europe's Future The Black Sea Region is a region that possesses great future potential. With its Black Sea Strategy, the FH bfi Vienna points out the potential and the added value of this region for the target groups mentioned above: Training academics with Black Sea Region know-how: Offering the compulsory elective subject "Black Sea Region" for several study programmes at the FH bfi Vienna makes its graduates stand out with their Black Sea know-how from the rest of academics. They can thus increase their competitive edge on the labour market. This elective will be offered in the bachelor's degree programmes "European Economy and Business Management", "Project Management and IT", and "Logistics and Transport Management" as of the academic year 2011/12. In view of the expansion plans of Austrian enterprises the demand for employees with Black Sea expertise is considerable. Increasing teacher and student mobility: Teachers and students from both Austria and the Black Sea Region have the possibility to become acquainted with the culture and economy of a specific Black Sea country or of Austria respectively, and thus to gain more knowledge. This can result in making the partner institution in Austria (and in the respective Black Sea country) better known, which would also meet a crucial objective of the Bologna Process. Know-how transfer at the level of academic management: partner universities will be supported in modernising their structure and organisation (e.g. their process management). Know-how transfer leading to better implementation of the Bologna objectives: The FH bfi Vienna has been awarded the ECTS-Label and the Diploma Supplement Label by the European Commission. With these labels, the high degree of internationalisation at the FH bfi Vienna is recognised. This is particularly useful for incoming students. Raising awareness of the economic and societal significance of the Black Sea region in Austria as a logical follow-up of the expansion of economic activities hitherto aimed at Central and Eastern Europe. Benefit for the Black Sea Region against the larger canvas of European integration: With this foci and measures in the BSR Competence Center, the FH bfi Vienna contributes its shares to the European integration in this region. 6 of 10

7 5. Main foci of the BSR Competence Center: The FH bfi Vienna does not wish to position itself as a rival but as a complement to institutions already active in this field and region. The core competence of the FH bfi Vienna is curriculum design and the course offer available to students. This means the point of departure for all activities of the BSR Competence Center is curriculum design, and student and teacher mobility. Owing to the size of the Black Sea Region and the large quantity of partner universities in Romania and Turkey already available, the FH will in future focus on building a university network, and on internationalisation activities in Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ukraine. The following services are to be offered by the BSR Competence Center: Carrying out market studies, and training for, and on behalf, of enterprises Acting as a contact and as a pivot for Austrian enterprises and universities to regional universities and HE institutions Introducing selected study programmes of the FH bfi Vienna to the region. Together with the partner institution, the programme in question will be adapted to regional conditions, and then offered at the partner university. The graduates will receive a joint degree. Curricula design Carrying out and commissioning research in the Black Sea Region Double and Joint Degree agreements Expertise in academic management (e.g. process management) Implementing the Bologna Process Promoting internships in the region Co-operation with the International Office of the FH bfi Vienna in student and teacher mobility 6. Strategic Aims The FH aims to position itself as a central, active agent in counselling universities, being a contact for national and international enterprises as far as the content core competencies of the FH are concerned. These competencies are as follow: Academically grounded vocational education in the study programmes Academic management (e.g. process management, quality management) Research fields of the FH bfi Vienna, e.g. Solvency II, and Regional Competition and Regions 7 of 10

8 Austria Black Sea BSR Competence Center of the FH bfi Vienna Partner university Partner university Partner university e As can be seen from the diagram, the BSR Competence Center aspires to be pivotal for national and international enterprises and universities in the Black Sea Region. An example to illustrate this: An Austrian enterprise wants to commission a market survey for Ukraine, and contacts the FH bfi Vienna because of its network and the expertise it has. The FH contacts its Ukrainian partner universities. The market survey will be carried out in co-operation with the Ukrainian partner university, which offers its regional knowledge and contacts. 7. Medium-term Objectives In order to reach the strategic aim, the following mid-term objectives are to be reached: Intensified development of university contacts in the region Introducing selected study programmes of the FH bfi Vienna to the region. The FH study programme in question will be adapted to local circumstances and offered at and by the partner university. Graduates will be awarded a joint degree. Execution of projects with partner universities from the Black Sea Region Increased execution of local projects Increasing student and teacher mobility Joint and double degree agreements with partner universities in the Black Sea Region Intensive observation of developments in the Eastern Partnership and Black Sea Synergy EU initiatives and of any other initiatives and developments in the region. Active co-operation in programmes and events of Eastern Partnership and Black Sea Synergy which are in the core competence of the FH bfi Vienna. Carrying out and commissioning Black Sea Region research projects. Participation in international research data bases like GÈANT2 is intended. 8. Short-term Objectives The following short-term objectives are to be reached: 8 of 10

9 Intensifying existing projects of Austrian enterprises which are carried out in cooperation with the FH bfi Vienna in this region. Training academics with Black Sea Region know-how: Offering the compulsory elective module "Black Sea Region" for several study programmes at the FH bfi Vienna makes its graduates stand out with their Black Sea know-how from the rest of academics. They can thus increase their competitive edge on the labour market. This elective will be offered in the bachelor's degree programmes "European Economy and Business Management", "Project Management and IT", and "Logistics and Transport Management" as of the academic year 2011/12. Lectures and symposia about current topics regarding the Black Sea Region with experts, ambassadors, and representatives of partner universities. Building know-how about the Black Sea Region at the FH Students: through the compulsory elective module Black Sea Region FH-employees: training courses about the Black Sea region 9 of 10

10 Annex: References to background information Black Sea Synergy: ged=0&language=en&guilanguage=en Eastern Partnership: Vision A Black Sea Dimension: 20the%20Black%20Sea.pdf Organisations in the Black Sea Region: The Black Sea Economic Cooperation: International Centre for Black Sea Studies: The Commission on the Black Sea: Black Sea Trade and Development Bank: 10 of 10