Campus Europae Newsletter, November 2007

Table of contents

  • EUF-CE General Assembly votes for a new President and welcomes two new member universities

  • Fast Facts

    • Campus Europae to be a founding member of LANQUA

    • Campus Europae and its contribution to the European Higher Education Area

    • St. Petersburg State University membership in EUF-CE hits the headlines

    • 180 students from Hamburg express their interest in joining CE

    • Student Mobility in Law - a renewed challenge

    • A Letter from a former CE Mover

  • Turning the spotlight on... Gazi University

  • Upcoming events

EUF-CE General Assembly votes for a new President and welcomes two new member universities

The General Assembly of the European University Foundation (EUF/CE), held in Luxembourg on the 8th of October, 2007 has unanimously voted Prof. Estela Pereira (University of Aveiro, Portugal) as its new President. Prof. Estela Pereira will be joined by Prof. Wojciech Katner (University of Lodz, Poland) who was voted Vice-President. Prof. Estela Pereira succeeds outgoing CE President Prof. Dr. Noel Whelan, whose mandate expires, and who has presided over EUF/CE for the past four and a half years, during which time the EUF/CE attained: remarkable success in consolidating and strengthening its network that has grown to 19 member universities; in launching its first 13 joint study programmes which have been brought to fruition with in excess of 300 CE students; and in preparing and getting agreements from the Luxembourg Government for the introduction of a Campus Europae Degree and for the installation of a legal basis for the European University Foundation. Prof. Dr. Whelan has been appointed both President Emeritus and a member of the Administrative Board of the European University Foundation / Campus Europae.

Additionally the General Assembly welcomed the University of Joensuu (Finland) and Gazi University (Turkey) as the newest members of the Campus Europae network. With a combined student body of about 78,000 the addition of these two excellent high quality institutions are already actively engaged in the preparatory works within EUF/CE.

Last but not least the General Assembly has welcomed the invitation of Prime-Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, to each Rector of the EUF/CE network to attend a major Conference to be held in Luxembourg on the 3rd of December 2007. The Prime Ministerial Rector’s conference will serve as a platform for the Prime-Minister and the Rectors to exchange views on the latest developments and achievements in the evolution of the European University Foundation/Campus Europae and in the European Higher Education Area. During this conference the signing of the legal charter underpinning the EUF/CE will take place. 

The Communiqué from the EUF/CE General Assembly can be found here (PDF file).

Fast facts

Campus Europae to be a founding member of LANQUA

Campus Europae and its language policy were present in Brussels last month at the TNP3-D European Dissemination Conference on Current and Future Linguistic Needs of Graduates on the European and International Labour Markets. Administrative Board Member Prof.Germain Dondelinger, of the Luxembourg Ministry of Education and Culture and Humanities Subject Committee Chair Prof. Gillian Moreira participated in a panel on Languages in Higher Education for Mobility and Employability, where the contribution of CE to the European mobility framework and multilingualism were widely discussed, among others.

This serves as a prelude to Campus Europae’s participation in LANQUA – Language Network for Quality Assurance - , a Thematic Network Project, funded by the European Commission, which aims to work towards a European quality benchmark in the area of languages and language provision. This will enable institutions and stakeholders to assure and enhance quality in these areas. Recognising the strategic importance of languages to the future of Europe, the project will bring together over 60 European institutions to reflect on learning outcomes, to share good practice and innovation to achieve these outcomes, and to work towards a common European statement. LANQUA will be officially launched at the University of Riga in April, 2008.

St. Petersburg State University membership in EUF-CE makes it to the headlines

Under the glare of the TV cameras of the three most important channels in the St. Petersburg region and under the eyes of about 50 university representatives Professor Estella Pereira, newly elected President of Campus Europae and Prof. Ludmila A. Verbitskaya, Rector of St. Petersburg State University signed a memorandum of cooperation on the 15th of October 2007 in the traditional assembly hall of the St. Petersburg State University founded in 1724. Rector Verbitskaya announced that the university will play an active role in the CE-Subject Committees Medicine, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Natural Science.

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Picture 1: Prof. Estela Pereira, President of EUF-CE, meets Rector Prof. Ludmila A. Verbitskaya and Vice-Rector Prof. Ilia Dementiev

For 2008/2007 an exchange of about 40 students is foreseen. Depending on student demand up to 100 students would go from or come to St. Petersburg, Vice-rector Prof. Ilia A. Dementiev announced. Prof. Dementiev will represent St. Petersburg State University in the General Assembly of the European University Foundation – Campus Europae.

Campus Europae and its contribution to the European Higher Education Area

Campus Europae newest brochure doubles as a booklet for the upcoming conference with Commissioner Figel in the European Parliament and outlines Campus Europae main policies in the fields of Mobility, Quality Assurance, Social Dimension, Data collection, Employability, Student Participation as well as its views about the EHEA in a global context. Campus Europae was devised as "the practical realization of the Bologna Process" already in 2001 and this publication demonstrates that the network still views itself as one of its most committed advocates.

The brochure is available for download here (PDF file).

180 students from Hamburg express their interest in joining CE

In the middle of October 2007, during the course of the fresher’s’ week, the second annual CE promotional even took place in the department of Education in Hamburg. Due to the support of students from 7 CE universities in two days we succeeded in collecting names and email addresses of almost 180 students interested in studying abroad with the CE program.

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Picture 2: The CE team that organized the Hamburg promotional event

These numbers show that instead of introducing BA/MA study programs and with rather tight schedules many students do appreciate an opportunity to study abroad with an exchange program which can guarantee them the recognition of the courses and credits from their host universities as well as a chance to learn languages without having a deep knowledge of them before leaving their host university.

Student Mobility in Law - a renewed challenge

On the 26th of October the Law Subject Committee met in Luxemburg to discuss the development in the law student exchange over the last six months. The Chair, Prof. Stefan Braum from the University of Luxemburg warmly welcomed the newest member of the Subject Committee Prof. Ali Dursun Ulusoy, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ankara.

Drawing on the outcome of the last meeting in March 2007, in order to overcome existing obstacles on national levels and to boost student exchange in law, the Subject Committee has agreed to develop an internet database for recommended study fields at all universities taking part in Campus Europae law exchange. This compatibility database should on the one hand serve as an orientation for students planning CE exchange in law, and on the other hand constitute the foundation to develop general and specialized study fields subject to recognition. Courses will be compiled in several study fields, which can be recognized “en bloc”.

The envisaged date of publication of this database is in spring 2008. The Subject Committee hopes to get more law students interested in a CE exchange, when recognition of the majority of courses completed at the host university is guaranteed in advance. As the national legal systems differ strongly mutual recognition of study fields is essential for law exchange. If the standard period of time can be maintained in law exchange remains to be examined.

The Subject Committee will convene again in April 2008; the meeting will be hosted by the University of Ankara, Turkey.

A Letter from a former CE Mover

Feedback from student’s partaking in Campus Europae is critical for constant evaluation, monitoring and for fostering improvement. This month we are publishing two letters, one from a current CE mover studying in Riga and other from a 2006 CE alumni. While looking at Campus Europae from slightly different viewpoints they are both significant in that they question matters of the process of choosing a destination when going abroad and the tangible added value of mobility.

One year before I laughed when someone told me instead  of studying in my home university again, I should go to Eastern Europe. However now I am in Riga, in the heart of the Baltic, since three months.

The route in getting to Riga was a bit curious:  I had already finished my doctorate (in Cultural Anthropology and Human Ecology). Already during my studies I wanted to go abroad but there was no opportunity. After my doctorate I couldn’t find a job, so I started a second study course to become a teacher. And now I was finally successful in finding a study place abroad. And here is a second point: My studying abroad was financed by Erasmus, but in addition to that I am also a Campus Europae mover.

For exchange students the University of Latvia offers special language courses in Latvian and Russian. They also offer some but not so many courses in English, except in English Philology of course (my study programme). If one would stay here only for a short (semester) period, you would probably be not so successful in this area. I take part in the CE-programmes. Therefore I will stay for a whole year and will study English philology as well as some Russian courses that will help me to continue my Russian studies when I am back in Vienna.

From Latvia you will get a very interesting and absolutely new view on Europe. I am still interested in Spanish, but my second year with Campus Europae I prefer to go to St. Petersburg or to Ankara. These universities joined Campus Europae recently. That means: CE is in advance of the European development. Now I will go to the Eastern parts of Europe with a much differentiated picture. Who wants to join me?

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Picture 3: The "House of Blackheads" in Riga's historical centre

Since the very beginning that Campus Europae entered into my life, many things have changed... New experience, new friends... Probably the most important aspect was the established will I gained to seek my own self-development day by day and my interest in further life long learning (I will apply for Ph.D. in the forthcoming weeks).
 
That was also the reason for my personal success in my career - not that the reason that I am a former CE-mover was essential for my present employer to let me to start working for a large international company employing 5.000 workers locally, and facing many international intercultural issues each day, whereas my personal experience gained for the company an added value. The thing is that my personal career has risen so quickly, that I have had never imagined to happen to anyone else I know.  I have changed my position within the company three times (vertically) and started earning 3 to 4 times more then the average wage in the country is, and all I have that done in less then 1 year!!!! Now I travel all over the world in my position.

You would say - "lucky boy", yeah? I would say - "CE mover".
 
Trust my words to all of you who are reading this letter - for those who have had an opportunity to become CE members, path to top success is ready. The doors are open wherever you go.
 
I really do believe that CE movers, one day, will rule the World.
 
I am so happy that I chose CE - I prefer the quick path to success. That path is CE.

Turning the spotlight on... Gazi University

Gazi University is one of the few universities in Turkey whose history dates back to 1920s. Right after the declaration of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his compatriots decided to establish a teacher training institute for leading the teacher training activities of the new Republic. This resulted in the establishment of the ‘Gazi Teacher Training Institute’ in 1926. In the year 1949, the institution was named as ‘Gazi Institute of Education’. In 1982, Gazi University established, involving Gazi Institute of Education, Ankara Academy of Economy and Commerce, Ankara College of Technical Teachers, Ankara Girls’ College of Technical Teachers and Ankara State Academy of Engineering and Architecture.

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Picture 4: Entrance of the Gazi University

Today, Gazi University is comprised of the following faculties, graduate schools and higher schools.

Faculties
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Industrial Arts Education 
• Faculty of Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Fine Arts
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
• Faculty of Communication
• Faculty of Vocational Education
• Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
• Faculty of Technical Education
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Commerce and Tourism Education 

Graduate Schools
• Graduate School of Educational Sciences
• Graduate School of Sciences and Technology
• Graduate School of Health Sciences
• Graduate School of Social Sciences
• Graduate School of Informatics

Higher Schools
• Higher School of Physical Training and Sports
• Higher School of Nursing

Vocational Higher Schools
• Beypazarı Technical Science Vocational Higher School 
• Hacıbektaş Veli Vocational Higher School
• Vocational Higher School of Finance
• Vocational Higher School of Health Services
• Atatürk Vocational Higher School 
• Ankara Vocational Higher School 
• Gazi Vocational Higher School 

GU is located at the centre and in the surroundings of Ankara and has multiple campuses across the city. In the city centre, there are the Teknikokullar, Beşevler, Emek, Maltepe campuses. Other campuses are located in the provinces of Gölbaşı, Çubuk, Akyurt and Beypazarı. In Teknikokullar campus (the main campus) Rectorship, executive units (student affairs, medical centre, cafeteria, centre for cultural activities, library, concert hall, sports centre, and parking lot) in conjunction with 4 faculties (Technical Education, Art and Sciences, Gazi Education, Pharmacy) and School of Nursery are spread over a wide area. In Beşevler campus, there are 3 faculties (Medicine, Vocational Education, Economics and Administrative Sciences) and the Graduate school of Informatics where as in Emek campus there are 3 faculties (Dentistry, Law and Communication). In Maltepe campus Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, 3 graduate schools (Sciences and Technology, Social Sciences and Educational Sciences), Turkish Language Training Centre (TÖMER) are located.

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Picture 5: the Rectorship of Gazi University

In Gölbaşı campus (20 km away from the main campus), Foreign Language  Training Centre (YADEM),  Faculty of Commerce and Tourism Education, Faculty of Industrial Arts Education, Nanotechnology Research Centre and  TEKNOKENT (Technopolis) are located. In this Campus, there are also other central research laboratories, social facilities and sport areas for the students and the academic staff. More information about the facilities for the students can be obtained at: http://www.intoffice.gazi.edu.tr/llp/en/student.html

The Office of Student Affairs executes all student affairs centrally. Office of Health, Culture and Sports manages and meets nutrition, accommodation, social, cultural, health, scholarship and all other non – academic requirements of the students centrally. Turkish Language Training Centre (TÖMER) provides Turkish Language courses for the foreign students and Foreign Language Training Centre (YADEM) offers English courses in the preparatory classes as well as English and Professional English courses in the curriculum of the study programmes.

As of 2007, there are 1564 teaching staff members (632 full time professors, 91 part time professors, 260 associate professors and 581 assistant professors), 341 lecturers, 184 instructors and 1322 research assistants in GU. Total number of students in associate’s, bachelors and post-graduate programmes is 57.107. Annual number of graduating students has reached 11.017 in 2006. From this perspective GU is one of the biggest universities in Turkey.

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Picture 6: The first Parliament of the Republic of Turkey

GU, due to its position and mission, has functions beyond local and regional dimensions since its foundation. At the national level the university still continues to meet the teacher demand of Turkey and gives bachelor’s and post-graduate degree in health, natural, social and educational sciences in order to meet the national man power requirements. The university has educated many bureaucrats, politicians, important businessmen, famous media members, and artists in plastic arts, music and sportsmen within its structure that comprises different disciplines.

GU is decisive and ambitious in fulfilling the requirements of the Bologna Process to which Turkey is  party to since  2001. The university started with bilateral cooperation for students and academic staff mobility immediately after receiving the Erasmus University Charter in 2004. The university also exhibits a great interest in the EU,s Life Long Learning Programme. In 2005, the European Universities Association (EUA) membership of Gazi University became active. In addition the University received the Institutional Evaluation of EUA in 2007. 

All of the existing education programmes in different disciplines are of equal academic priority. Quality improvement of educational programmes by continuous updating according to progresses in national/international higher education, economic developments, requirements of the country and business world, employability of graduates etc. is encouraged. Engineering programmes are accredited by MÜDEK (Engineering Evaluation board), a national accreditation institution for engineering programmes. Faculty of Dentistry had an external evaluation from ADEE (European Association for Dental Education).

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Picture 7: The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, winner of the first "European Musem of the Year" award

The University has also taken concrete steps in the improvement of the university-industry relationship during the last years. Among them, the projects of “Modernisation of Vocational and Technical Education”, Strengthening the Vocational Education and Training System in Turkey – MEGEP and several Leonardo da Vinci projects aiming towards the improvement in vocational and technical education are the most important. The recent establishments of the relevant centres (Technology Development Centre – TEKMER, Technopolis – TEKNOKENT) are the concrete steps taken to carry out bachelor’s/post-graduate education and research activities together with the industry to be useful for the society.

The University has also an IP Support Unit for orienting the scientific studies of the academic staff and students to be ended by a patent application or industrial design registry. As well as that, Gazi University has been involved in the recent project of EPO (European Patent Office) to establish and support Technology Transfer Offices (TTO) in seven European Universities. Thus, it will be the first State University in Turkey to establish a technology transfer office in its structure and will be able to license and commercialise the patented products of the academic staff and students not only at the University but in the whole region of Central Anatolia and other regions of Turkey. 

Gazi University considers the Bologna Process as an important opportunity for the continuous improvement of educational programmes in terms of degree structure and learning outcomes and as a value that will increase the employability and mobility of graduates. For this reason GU strategic plan includes projects that will implement the basic elements of the Bologna Process.

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Picture 8: A typical streetscape in a quarter of Uluhan, in the centre of Ankara

Gazi University has reflected Bologna Process implementation to formal education programmes through regulation modifications. For all programmes, learning outcomes and the ECTS credits of these outcomes have been defined and the course definition forms including this information have been placed on the web sites of the academic units. University gives DS to all graduate students upon request. Quality assurance practices, a fundamental element of Bologna Process is being carried out intensively during the last years. The university advanced in these practices in a short period of time.

Gazi University had the first place among Turkish universities as regards to projects supported by LdV Programme in the last four years. The amount of input from LdV projects to the university in 4 years time has been around 4 million Euros. It has bilateral agreements with more than 60 European Universities within the framework of Erasmus Programme and got around 390.000 Euros to implement the mobility within this programme.

Three degree cycle has already been in use in GU, and a student by fulfilling the requirements can have 4 year bachelor’s degree, 2 year master’s degree and 4 year doctorate degree education consecutively. The University is implementing three cycle systems almost in all educational programs involved in the faculties. There are many comparable and easily readable programs among the faculties. ECTS and DS are implemented for all concerned programs in the faculties.  Post-graduate programmes serve the demand of natural, health, social, educational sciences and informatics. All students with a bachelor’s degree who meet the required conditions can apply to master’s degree programmes. Certain rules and regulations are already present for those programmes. Students who enroll to a post-graduate programme take certain courses and study with a supervisor. The appointment of supervisors is bound to certain criteria and all stages of the thesis are credited.

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Picture 9: Ankara by night, as seen from Dikmen Valley

Restructuring of programmes has been run simultaneously with the goal of transition to student centered learning. For this reason, programmes now define their credits as ECTS and, course outcomes as learning outcomes. The learning outcomes and ECTS credits are published in the information package and distributed to students at the beginning of each semester. It can be also be obtained from the web sites of the university and the academic units. 

Upcoming events

Campus Europae Student Conference on Mobility in Europe

Brussels, 8th of November, in collaboration with M.E.P Erna Hennicot-Schoepges and Jan Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth

Student Council Plenary Meeting

Luxembourg, 9th of November

2nd Meeting of the Language Teaching Experts Group 

Luxembourg, 9th of November

Humanities Subject Committee Meeting

University of Greifswald, Germany, 9th and 10th of November

Teacher training Subject Committee Meeting

University of Alcalá, Spain, 19th of November

Engineering Subject Committee Meeting

University of Alcalá, Spain, 30th of November

Prime-Ministerial Rector's Conference

Luxembourg, 3rd of December

Business Subject Committee Meeting

University of Lódz, Poland, 17th of December

The current newsletter is being circulated with a slight delay due to unforeseen technical problems. The next Campus Europae newsletter is due for the 4th of December. To unsubscribe please visit this link.