Campus Europae Newsletter, June 2007

Table of contents

  • Yes Minister - the Universities will do the job!
  • Fast Facts
    • Working and studying in Austria – the good news
    • EHU on an upward curve
  • Turning the focus on... Saint Petersburg
  • Upcoming events

Yes Minister - the Universities will do the job!

The fourth follow-up meeting of the Bologna Process took place in London on the 17th of May. Every two years the Ministers of the signatory countries and the most relevant stakeholders meet to assess progress achieved on the way to the European Higher Education Area and enunciate the overarching guidelines regarding its future development.

Amid mild expectations the meeting was set up in a "clock ticking" context - the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was originally envisaged to be fully in place by 2010, meaning that the Bologna Process (BP) will have to come to terms with itself sooner than later. On the other the reality is not as inspiring as the earliest ministerial declarations, as the London Communiqué notes bluntly that student mobility, the social dimension of the EHEA and employability of young graduates remains underdeveloped. This shouldn’t be taken light-heartedly as these are the most student centered aspects of the BP and have been at the heart of the discussions since its launch, 10 years ago. Moreover the failure to meet expectations and objectives has lead the European Students’ Union (former ESIB) to point fingers towards an implementation "à la carte" that reflects primarily each government political agenda.

In the face of underachievement how will Europe play its cards in the three years that lie ahead? Well, firstly by acknowledging that many challenges will remain to be dealt with by 2010 and that the BP should be considered as work in progress that will continue to push for reforms that “go beyond issues of structures and tools” in the European universities well after that point in time. Secondly it should also be noted that many administrative and political changes - such as the register of quality assurance agencies and the European qualifications framework - have met reasonable progress and are virtually solved. Last but not least the Ministers have put the topics of mobility, social dimension and employability at the top of their agenda for the 2009 meeting, which might add a sense of urgency to the need to focus on actionable outcomes. Nevertheless stressing the need for advancement is all that is to be found at the minister’s communiqué, who endorsed universities with the responsibility for action - an interesting approach at a time where many players seem to rely solely on the European Commission initiatives to enhance student mobility.

At a time when the visibility and impact of the London meeting is minimal this unimaginative move might however breathe new life into the BP. Returning the main responsibility for attaining results back to the universities is necessary to regain the commitment of those who were sceptical about the trend for bureaucratization and centralisation that has taken the BP by storm in recent years and to deliver results there they matter the most. The message is clear: well organized and genuinely international universities who take best care of their students and provide them with a broad choice of joint degrees, full recognition and excellent accessibility to such features will see their international competitively enhanced - a statement that Campus Europae embodies perfectly and a vision that the 18 member universities of the consortium remain committed to.

External link: the London Communiqué (PDF file)

Fast Facts

Working and studying in Austria – the good news

The Vienna University has been one of the pioneers the “Bologna meets Lisbon” programme. 2007 will see the second stage of the scheme that allows foreign teacher training students to work in local schools as language assistants. However recent contacts held between the University and Austrian Ministry of Education appear to brought along a new partner to the project, as the Ministry is positively expressing interesting in the further development of this idea.

Students participating in the project will secure a extra source of financing for their year abroad while get the opportunity to observe the various school systems, intervene in the pedagogic process, win extra ECTS points and continue their teacher training studies at the university.

EHU on an upward curve

Rector Prof. Mikhailov and Vice-rector Prof. Dounaev met Prof. Bosch, President of the Hamburger Fernhochschule-HFH (Hamburg Distant Learning University for Applied Science) at the 16th of May to discuss further cooperation. EHU planned to become the regional partner of the HFH in offering distant learning courses in Business Administration, Business Law and Business Technology/Engineering. At the beginning courses will be offered in English and German, with a Russian translation following shortly after. EHU Vice Rector Prof. Dounaev expects that this cooperation will lead to an increase in Business teaching in Belarus and Western Russia.

Turning the spotlight on... Saint Petersburg

Few cities offer the stunning attractions of St. Petersburg, City of the Tsars. Created by Peter the Great as his “Window on Europe,” St. Petersburg is a showcase of Russian heritage that reflects a distinctly European outlook. It is one of the world’s architectural treasures, with gold-domed churches and Baroque palaces, museums, and public buildings and a glorious past with regards to literature, music and art. It offers more than 100 theaters and theatrical associations and over 200 museums, including the world famous Marinskiy theatre and the Hermitage Museum.

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Picture 1: the Alexander Column and the Hermitage Museum on the Palace Square

Such a splendid city could not do without a splendid university, and the St Petersburg State University just so happens to be one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in the Russian Federation. The university was established in 1724 by Peter the Great and it occupies a set of 18th century twelve historical buildings. It’s role is the Russian cultural and political history is hard to sum up in a few paragraphs but it is worth noting that amongst its professors and alumni rank the names of Euler, Lomonosov, Gogol, Mendeléev, Lenin, Pavlov, Likhachev and Putin, along with seven Nobel prizes.

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Picture 2: the history rich corridors of the Saint Petersburg State University

Today, the university boasts over 20,000 students, 2,000 professors, 210 departments, a library with 4 million volumes and 20 faculties:
• the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes
• the Faculty of Biology and Soil Studies
• the Faculty of Chemistry
• the Faculty of Economics
• the Faculty of Geography and Geoecology
• the Faculty of Geology
• the Faculty of History
• the Faculty of International Relations
• the Faculty of Journalism
• the Faculty of Law
• the Faculty of Management
• the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics
• the Faculty of Medicine
• the Faculty of Oriental Studies
• the Faculty of Philology
• the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science
• the Faculty of Physics
• the Faculty of Psychology
• the Faculty of Sociology
• the Faculty of Military Studies

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Picture 3: the Grand Cascade at the Peterhof Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage in the imediate surroundings of St. Petersburg

The University has now started to open the doors for European students, as the numbers of foreign western students have remained relatively modest in relation with the total student body. With the membership in Campus Europae the St Petersburg State University will open a new chapter in its international relations.

Upcoming events

Meeting of the EUF-CE Administrative Board

Alcalá, 15th and 16th of June

Working Meeting of the Student Council

Greifswald, 23rd of June

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