Practical Guidelines Clustering Joint Programmes, Partnerships and Attractiveness Projects: Lot 4 – Regional Cluster on Asia

November 2011

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1

2. Context information ......................................................................................................... 2

3. Methodology of the survey ............................................................................................. 3

4. Good practices ................................................................................................................. 6

4.1 How to build successful partnerships ............................................................................. 6

4.1.1 How to search for partners 7

4.1.2 How to form a partnership 9

4.1.3 How to sustain partnerships 14

4.2 How to run successful cooperation projects with regard to … ................................... 17

4.2.1 University-business cooperation 17

4.2.2 Academic mobility and recognition 20

4.3 How to sustain cooperation schemes ........................................................................ 24

5. General recommendations and conclusions ............................................................... 27

List of Abbreviations

ACTS ASEAN Credit Transfer System ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations DCI Development Co-operation Instrument EACEA Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System EHEA European Higher Education Area EM Erasmus Mundus EMMC Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses EMJD Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorats EU European Union EU27 Member States of the European Union ICI Industrialised Countries Instrument NS National Structures PP Promotion Projects UMAP University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific UCTS UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme

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1. Introduction

In 2003 the European Commission launched the first phase of Erasmus Mundus I (2004-2008). With its four different actions (1) Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses, (2) Scholarships for third-country students and scholars, (3) Partnerships between European consortia and third-country higher education institutions and (4) Enhancing attractiveness projects, the programme has substantially contributed not only to the quality of European higher education through international co-operation, but also to the development of human resources. Furthermore it has promoted the dialogue and understanding between peoples and cultures and Europe as a centre of excellence in learning across the world. Four years later, the European Commission implemented the second phase of Erasmus Mundus II (2009-2013). The structure of the programme differed from the one under phase I. Under phase II, the aforementioned four actions were streamlined into three new features. In this context, the promotion of Joint Doctorates and the former external cooperation window programme were included. The new scope also allows for involving third-country higher education institutions in Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses (EMMC) and Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJD) as equal partners from the very beginning. This reflects the rising globalization and the need for closer cooperation with countries outside the EU 27 and the EFTA States. In this respect, Asian countries and their higher education institutions play a vital role. The three main actions of the Erasmus Mundus Programme are currently the following: Action 1: Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes This action provides support for high – quality joint masters courses and doctoral programmes. Action 2: Erasmus Mundus Partnerships This action provides support for the establishment of cooperation partnerships between European higher education institutions and higher education institutions from targeted third countries/territories. Action 3: Promotion of European Higher Education This action provides support to transnational initiatives, studies, projects and other activities aimed at enhancing the attractiveness and visibility of and accessibility to European higher education in the world. Within this concept, the European Commission launched an open call for tender to explore, how Erasmus Mundus projects work with Asian partners. An inside view should be given to EMMCs and EMJDs cooperating with Asian higher education institutions and to Promotion projects targeting Asia. Furthermore, courses with a big proportion of Asian students/doctorates were to investigate. The present Guidelines should offer means to explore the challenges that the Erasmus Mundus projects have to deal with when it comes to interregional cooperation. They are divided into different chapters starting with the implementation, followed by the running and concluding with the sustainability of different Erasmus Mundus projects. Each chapter itself is partitioned into several sub-chapters, accompanied by the main findings and recommendations and illustrated by good practice examples. Finally, a section of general recommendations and conclusions will wrap up the guidelines. The guidelines are, of course, neither exhaustive nor binding – but they should serve as a supporting tool when implementing and/or strengthening partnerships with Asian institutions under the Erasmus Mundus Programme.

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2. Context information

Asia plays a more and more vital role in academic cooperation. On a political level, the 27 EU Member States and 16 Asian countries

1 have established in the mid 90ies an informal dialogue platform, the Asia-Europe

Meeting (ASEM). Since 2008, also the Ministers for Education meet regularly, a further sign for strengthening cooperation between the two regions.

The Erasmus Mundus programme with its different actions2 is one suitable instrument for enhancing

institutional cooperation between European and Asian higher education institutions and to promote student and staff mobility between the two regions.

In order to get an insight-view of the EM programme, the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency have launched the Open Call for Tenders (EACEA/2009/05) for

Clustering Erasmus Mundus Master Courses and Attractiveness Projects3. The overall objectives of the

Clusters were to further disseminate the results of the Erasmus Mundus Programme by bringing together its beneficiaries, coordinators, students, alumni and other relevant stakeholders: in this case Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes and Attractiveness Projects with Asian partners and/or a special focus on Asia

4.

The project started in February 2011 for a duration of one year and is being executed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) together with the MENON Network. In the framework of this project, the project partners mentioned above were commissioned to launch an online-survey (from 24 May 2011 until 19 June 2011) targeting Erasmus Mundus consortia with links to Asia and subsequently to conduct a workshop (in Brussels, September 28 – 29, 2011) bringing together relevant stakeholders in Europe-Asia higher education cooperation. In addition, the cluster comprises a thematic section on the EACEA website and the present guidelines including recommendations and conclusions for stakeholders and higher education representatives in the framework of Erasmus Mundus. These Guidelines are mainly the result from the findings coming, on the one hand side, from the survey and, on the other, from the workshop. They reflect the key characteristics of past and current EM projects with special regard to Asia, and the major challenges encountered by EM consortia when working together. In the context of this cluster, Asia has been delineated by ICI (Industrialised Countries Instrument) and DCI (Development Co-operation Instrument) countries

5 (without Central Asia, Middle East, Gulf states) excluding

Afghanistan. The diversity of countries makes it difficult to formulate universally valid messages. Nevertheless, existing good practices in EU-Asia higher education collaboration within EM, with special regard to sustainability, recognition of study periods abroad and university-business co-operation could be identified as a key item and are part of the guidelines.

1 Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, P.R. China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan,

Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam 2 Further information on the Erasmus Mundus programme and its different action lines can be found under:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/programme/about_erasmus_mundus_en.php 3 Further information can be found under: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/clusters/index_en.php

4 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/clusters/regional_cluster_asia_en.php

5 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, P.R. China (including Hong Kong and Macao), India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic

of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

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3. Methodology of the survey

These guidelines are based on two pillars. One pillar reflects the results of the survey, the second pillar echoes the lessons learnt from the discussions and from good practice examples presented in the workshop which has taken place in Brussels, on September 2011. These two means represent the core activities of the Cluster project. Together they build a set of guidelines easy to follow and implement when working together with Asian institutions in the framework of Erasmus Mundus. In order to understand how these guidelines have been worked out, it is necessary to reconstruct the methodology of the survey and the workshop: The survey distinguished between the different groups to be targeted: - Erasmus Mundus Master Courses (EMMC) with Asian partners funded under EM I (2004 – 2008) and EM II (2009 – 2013), - Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJD) with Asian partners funded under EM II - EMMC (funded under EM I and EM II) and EMJD (funded under EM II) without Asian partners, but with a high number of Asian students, - EM Partnerships with Asian partners funded under EM I (External Cooperation Windows) and EM II - Promotion projects targeting Asia funded under EM I (2004 – 2008) and EM II (2009 – 2013). Both coordinators and partners were questioned via e-mail. In total 901 addresses have been contacted, 364 answers have been received. The picture below shows the distribution of respondents regarding the different target group.

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Regarding the distribution of Asian respondents, the picture is analogue to the distribution of participating countries in EM projects.

All in all, the questionnaire was divided into several parts – depending on the distinctive EM profiles. Whereas the first section of the questionnaire was common to all EM participants, the second part was specific to the target group the respective respondent belonged to. Depending on the information provided by the respondent in the first part of the questionnaire, the software filtered the questions according to the profile of the respondents, distinguishing between Asian and European respondents and between respondents from the different EM actions from both phases of the Erasmus Mundus programme. The survey was anonymous in order to allow respondents to raise some critical remarks. Moreover, respondents had the possibility to answer a number of additional qualitative questions related to best practices and in-depth perceptions. The questionnaire for each action contained 25 questions, most of them closed or multiple choice, as well as a few open questions for qualitative analysis. The survey covered three major topics: “Sustainability”, “Recognition of Study Periods Abroad” and “University-Business Co-operation”. The survey results with regard to these themes have been fed into the three interactive working groups of the workshop held in Brussels. Former experiences and discussions with Erasmus Mundus stakeholders but also with political decision makers have shown that the chosen topics are crucial when it comes to international cooperation. To find out more about existing cooperation mechanisms between European and Asian higher education institutions in the respective topics are necessary to adopt a long-term approach in cooperation. To present good practices and lessons learnt by experienced project partners in different Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses, Joint Doctorates, Partnerships and Promotion Projects, seemed useful especially with regard to Asia, where communication tools might be limited because of the distance and of cultural differences.

In principle, the guidelines refer to the lessons learnt from the quantitative and qualitative answers from the stakeholders. Furthermore, they take into account the recommendations worked out during the workshop where examples of good practice which have been identified beforehand, have been presented. The selection of these practice examples depended on several parameters.

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Some examples were chosen because respondents of the questionnaire voluntarily asked to present their programmes in a specific session in the workshop, some examples were literally picked out of the projects funded under the Erasmus Mundus label. The following characteristics have been taken into account:

- duration of partnership between the European and the Asian higher education institution(s) - intensity of partnership between the European and the Asian higher education institution(s) - Erasmus Mundus Action - Familiarity with the Erasmus Mundus programme - Successful partnerships between European and the Asian higher education institution(s) that lead to

further EM funding

- Valuable experience on sustainability, university-business cooperation and recognition issues As already mentioned, the survey as well as the workshop covered the three topics “Sustainability”, “Recognition of Study Periods Abroad” and “University-Business Co-operation” as they represent the three pillars for the long-term success of any Erasmus Mundus project. The guidelines represent a step-by-step approach, assisting newcomers and/or experienced project participants to enhance partnership with Asian higher education institutions taking these fields into account. Each chapter starts with some general hints followed by specific suggestions to consider.

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4. Good practices

4.1 How to build successful partnerships

“Successful cooperation practices often arise when personal contacts (based on

mutual academic interests and goals) are strong.” Partner EM ECW China/Erasmus Mundus Europe Asia (EMEA)

First of all, what are the main characteristics of a partnership? This type of cooperative structure involves at least two or more parties that have agreed together in the pursuit of common goals. In the case of Erasmus Mundus, higher education institutions from EU countries and non-European countries establish a partnership to cooperate in the field of higher education and build capacity.

In theory, dealing with partners who are willing to march into the same direction, may look like a simple task. However in reality, human collaboration is complex and brings along a bunch of challenges. A successful collaborative venture underlies several success factors beginning with identifying potential alliance partners who share similar interests. Partner search activities are considerably facilitated by personal contacts, but may also involve join networks and associations or active participation in matchmaking events.

Once the exploration stage is over, formation of the partnership needs to be facilitated, for example by delivering a helpful kick-off meeting and creating a common understanding of aims, activities and outputs. Now enters the partnership into its third phase. It has to be operated, must be maintained, in general, the process of collaboration is to be accompanied with diligent attention to overcome challenges, such as different working contexts, cultural norms and environments or local laws and bureaucracies, and to sustain well-being and productivity. All involved must be committed and willing to promote cooperation and work on implementation of activities. Integration of partners from different countries, coming form diverse higher education structures, speaking various languages is not easy, but can be a rewarding experience. Getting to know and respecting each other, improving understanding may open up new horizons and lead to the summarising statement:

“It was a good working experience, culturally as well as academically, better than expected.”

The good practices presented aim to offer all those intending to build a partnership with an Asian higher education institution, as well as those already working together with one, some guidance and creative ideas on how to operate successfully. Those already in the field know well that the findings from our survey and thereupon built recommendations cannot constitute a foolproof recipe but are suggestive only.

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4.1.1 How to search for partners

The partnerships that are the most effective are those that have brought together the best set of partner higher education institutions/organisations and people. For that reason, it is important to identify what types of partner higher education institutions/organisations would best complement one another to address the challenges at hand.

Know your grounds Before joining an alliance it is imperative to develop a good understanding of accessible human, technical and financial resources, as well as one’s partnering competences, for example, the willingness to share control and to participate in shared decision-making. It is essential to rationalise one’s objectives in the light of what is realistic.

Know the partner Choosing the right partner requires a number of considerations to be taken into account. It is important to have a profound assessment of the partner’s approach to international cooperation, the motivation, academic expertise or the organisational culture and support system for example. Successful collaborations rest on basic pillars like expertise that is complementary as well as on collaborative behaviour i.e. transparency and mutual respect.

“We have been working with colleagues from Wageningen University in the Netherlands for more than 15 years. We continued our cooperation from the Sino-Dutch project, then developed into an Asia-Link project, and then collaborated within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus programme.

We built up our trust on a long-time cooperation.”

Partner in the EM Action 2 EURASIA 2 project

Project information: http://www.eurasia2.cz/

Person to person network Experience not only within the Erasmus Mundus programme indicates that most partnerships originate from personal contacts. Experiences from teaching exchange or common research, participation in the same academic networks and associations, previous activities in other projects constitute a good basis upon which to build academic collaboration.

“My participation in Erasmus Mundus started with my selection as visiting scholar under Sefotech.Nut

6. I taught modules on dairy and food science at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)

and visited Universidade Católica Portuguesa (ESB) in Porto, Portugal, and the Katholieke Hogeschool Sint-Lieven in Gent, Belgium. Subsequently other colleagues were also selected to

6 Sefotech.Nut is a Erasmus Mundus action 1 project. The study programme is called Master of Science in Food Science,

Technology and Nutrition. More information on the programme can be accessed at: http://www.sefotechnut.org/

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participate in the programme to teach various modules. My institute became an associated member of Sefotech.Nut.

… I was later invited to participate in ISEKI_Mundus 2 Internationalisation and Sustainability of ISEKI_Food

7 network to which I have successfully contributed by disseminating the project outcomes

and by writing chapters for study material.”

Partner in EMECW India4eu project

Project information: http://www.india4eu.eu/

Be known by being visible Visiting international meetings and events are straightforward ways to be visible and draw the attention of potential partners. Informally initiated contacts can grow into a partnership gradually.

“In 2009, as a Dean for Graduate Training …, I had an opportunity to attend an educational fair organised by EAHEP in Bangkok, Thailand. The main purpose for the participation in the event was to find a way for future cooperation with international colleagues at the graduate level because of the lack of joint cooperation and projects at the institution. The event was rich with getting information and, the most important: I had the wonderful opportunity to meet an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project coordinator, who we (the university) proposed our willingness for cooperation. As a consequence of our communication and strong will in partnering, we became local partners for the implementation of the Erasmus Mundus E-Tourism project.”

Partner in the EM Action 2 Sustainable e-Tourism project

Project information: http://iutcerral.univ-lyon2.fr/etourism/

Start small and get to know each other well Forging a joint vision entails extensive planning and consultation, leadership commitment and ownership must be assured. This is an ambitious task and may be doomed to failure if the joint vision is really worked out by all partners and truly shared. Otherwise, efforts can easily go different ways. It may be therefore recommendable to develop an academic partnership gradually and start with a well-manageable project that may be broadened up. If you aim at developing a degree programme together with an Asian partner, but have not yet collaborated in a project, begin with designing course modules and courses together.

“After we concluded our previous Asia Link project (design of new courses in applied mathematics and information sciences) we continued to expand our institutional and personal contacts with European partners, resulting in among others in ‘co-tutelle’ PhD programmes, joint research, publications, visiting professorships, etc., several of which were undertaken due to formal bilateral memorandum of understanding / agreement established after the project with our European partners.”

Partner in EM Action 2 Lot 14 China project

Project information: http://www.lot14.emecw.com/

7 ISEKI_Mundus 2 - Internationalization and Sustainability of ISEKI_Food Network, an Erasmus Mundus action 3 project,

was established to foster the internationalization and enhancement of European higher education Food Studies to other countries, and to develop new activities promoting good communication and understanding between European countries and the rest of the world.

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4.1.2 How to form a partnership

What makes a partnership a good one? Symmetries in resources, capabilities and power? In fact, there are a number of factors to observe when working together as reliable partners. Partnerships are shaped by power relations that define possibilities within, access to, and identities as well as interests. All partners need to commit themselves to the paradigm of a shared partnership, meaning joint decision making and activity, starting off with the design of the project and the budget determination, continuing with the implementation of the project and ending with the reporting.

“In our Erasmus Mundus Master course, the cooperation with our Asian partners is excellent, because we treat them as full and equal partners. … Asian partners are fully involved in the consortium, like all other partners, and involved in all decisions made by the consortium board.”

Project coordinator of the EM Action 1 European Master in Law and Economics

Project information: http://www.emle.org/

Further of relevance, partnerships have the potential to support higher education institutions achieve their goals, be it engagement in the internationalisation process in higher education, or be it capacity building. Joint research opportunities or curriculum development activities contribute to the improvement of educational standards and add to the visibility and attractiveness of a higher education institution. Likewise do continuing professional development and staff training. Trade in skills, however, is not one-sided. It should be in each partner’s interest to share ideas, experiences and resources, that is to learn from each other. Throughout its life-cycle, the partnership will not only attract but also build new expertise.

When the Erasmus Mundus programme started in its second phase in 2009 (EM II) and paved the way for third country institutions to join European consortia offering Erasmus Mundus joint programmes, for example, new common grounds due to different education systems and requirements had to be found. Programme duration, credit systems, degree modalities needed to be discussed and defined, differences in tuition fees and scholarship provision ruled out. Developing standards for quality assurance and accreditation was time-consuming. Integration efforts became bigger. Despite the many challenges met underway, the overall collaborative experience is rewarding. New partners, in this case coming from Asia, bring in a new focus, complement a partnership’s expertise and resources, and, thus, add value to the project.

What makes some partnerships work and others fail? Reasons are manifold. Misconception of the nature of partnership is one of the reasons. The term ‘partnership’ describes a collaborative activity of two or more parties who have common and compatible goals and are willing to work together for a period of time to pursue a particular purpose. This is a rule of thumb but points out two fundamental elements of partnering. It is a target-oriented process that is driven by a shared long-term goal or vision and the commitment to work together collaboratively.

First, it is regarded necessary to identify each partners’ ambitions in order to obtain a sound understanding of the short-term and long-term expectations of all partners. Do you see eye-to-eye on what the future could look like as a result of common efforts?

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Second, partnering requires much more than a decision to merely work together. Partnering promotes a sense of ownership, which raises the question ‘Who owns the partnership?’. All partners do. They share rights and responsibilities in success as much as failure.

“Our nowadays partnership with several European Universities was the result of our aims … to have a sustainable long-term collaboration. Our partnership system is based on equity, openness and trust between partnership.” Partner in EMECW Action 2 EMMA-EAST Project information: http://www.emmasia.eu/

Formation of the partnership Once the decision has been made to join or form collaborative structures and a suitable partner has been identified, the focus shifts towards establishing the partnership. This will involve a joint planning process, kicked-off with a start-up meeting, the first formal gathering of all partners dedicated to work together for the duration of the project. It is important that partners agree upon a set of principles to guide the partnership.

„(It is necessary to) develop and insist on mechanisms to ensure the following:

proper coordination,

equal partnerships,

defining clear expectations and responsibilities of partners in initial application,

programme officers should communicate with partners, not only with the coordinator.”

Partner in EM Action 3 SDPROMO II/Promoting European Education in Sustainable Development project

Project information: http://www.sdpromo.info/

The decision and agreement upon appropriate governance processes and management practices requires a number of considerations: How should the partnership be structured and governed? Which tools will be applied to ensure effective communication, avoid hidden agendas and to achieve a mutual understanding with regard to expectations, roles, responsibilities and decision-making? How will progress be monitored and how will the overall success of the partnership be evaluated?

It is important during this initial stage of the project to develop a clear picture of management and decision-making structures. Partners should take time to plan the partnership and arrange for a face-to-face meeting to clarify expectations, roles and responsibilities as well as accountability within the partnership. Likewise the process for reviewing and assessing the project needs to be identified. This investment helps to avoid problems down the road.

Create a Memorandum of Understanding This act, most probably in the form of a legal and binding agreement between all partners serves to capture the spirit of the partnership and focuses on measures to accomplish the common mission and outcomes. By agreeing to a memorandum all partners declare their commitment to share rewards of achievement and to persevere critical situations. The memorandum may identify the objectives, describe the management model and decision-making mechanisms, define monitoring and reporting processes, delineate resource commitments, and may, furthermore, include evaluation and assessment goals that have been agreed upon by all partners. It formally documents administrative and logistic norms that have been agreed upon with regard to operating the project and to assuring partners’ accountability.

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Divide roles and responsibilities What structures are needed to manage the partnership? Whatever structures are implemented, they should follow the principle of shared ownership of the partnership: all partners are involved in the decision-making process and jointly participate in the management. Balanced responsibilities would strengthen the ownership of the project on the side of Asian universities according to the findings of the survey report. Roles and responsibilities need to be clearly identified and assigned while taking into account that each partner brings in different qualifications, skills and competences. Role sharing does not necessarily be equal for a partnership to be effective. Partners may play separate roles, but, important, need to engage themselves complementary. Moreover, communication and coordination strategies including feedback mechanisms should be spelled out. Settle all logistical and financial issues, with clear delineations of functions (for partners) and accountability.

„Good cooperation practices can be achieved by participating as member in joint committees and local committees:

to manage activities of the cooperation,

to monitor effective implementation and progress, and

to prepare reports documenting the activities, progress and results.”

Partner in the EM Action 1 Master Course in City Regeneration

Project information: http://www.fisd.eu/en/recity.html

Building a management process and establishing collaborative structures may involve the setting up of an advisory board and/or management teams within the partnership. The advisory board’s member profile includes members of the consortium form Europe and Asia or external experts, who will provide a mentoring function to the project manager and assist efficient and effective project operation while providing relevant and timely advice and decisions. In consultation with the project manager the advisory board should create a plan for evaluating the state of the project implementation process and for measuring the success of the project efforts. Overall aim of this essential part of the partnership is to improve cooperation practices in progress, refine each partners’ contributions to performance and outcomes, and to suggest lessons for future work.

Iron out the specifics Equally to the operational aspects of the partnership is to agree on key results and to establish adminstrative, communication and decision-making processes in order to achieve the outcomes and results agreed upon. How can needs in human, financial and technical resources be linked to partners’ potential contributions is one important question to answer at this stage.

„Partners need to reflect on their areas of strength and mutual interest … in order to create durable impact.”

Partner in the EMECW Action 2 - Eurindia project

Project information: http://www.kth.se/om/internationellt/eurindia/project?l=en_UK

A shard vision brings focus to the partnership. Arriving at a shared vision needs a certain level of shared conditions, however, framework conditions are not the same everywhere. Therefore partners should develop a clear understanding of institutional, national or local regulatory differences that may impact the project. In addition, differing values and norms may influence the implementation of the partnership. Approaches and processes may appear simple in Europe, but are impossible in Asia, and vice-versa.

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Ensure effective communication Communication and dialogue are essential from the outset to agree on strategic objectives, to decide on deliverables, and to develop an action plan. These are vital steps that help determine the success of the project, and that also set out the tone for the future of the working atmosphere. Close attention to planning and implementation details can minimise problems arising when priorities and goals shift. As changes can significantly alter the partnership context and impact goals it is important to openly discuss them. To keep partners aware of progress and accomplishments, a concerted communication strategy must be crafted and deployed. How does an effective communication strategy look like? For once, it is flexible to target all stakeholder needs. It should be multi-directional and incorporate a number of different information modalities. Messages should inform and maintain confidence, at critical points address obstacles and areas of concern, and of course regularly monitor progress.

„Our co-ordinator, Aalborg University, worked hard in keeping all the partners and associates updated through ICT. Communicating through emails, we managed ok on news circulation. Plus the annual workshop provided us with the opportunity to exchange and share experiences...”

Partner in the EMECW Action 2 – Asia Regional

Project information: http://www.erasmus.mobilityforlife.aau.dk/

Developing an effective internal communication process implies several considerations. Which information is needed to be shared with whom at what time? When is written information used best, when are electronic methods appropriate, when are face-to-face meetings essential? When developing a communication strategy and identifying methods of getting the information to the partners you may choose between a variety of formats and channels: memos, documents, face-to-face meetings, tele-conferencing, or the Internet. This medium offers a range of tools to provide and exchange information in blogs, wikis, or even social networks. Email is an effective way to communicate. Therefore mailing lists may be useful, especially where group-based work occurs. Issues relating to work packages could be communicated via mailing list, as well as information of a more general nature to all project partners. A wiki may supplement email contact and personal meetings as platform for capturing post-meeting ideas to documentation repository. A wiki provides a number of publishing functionalities is easily created and may be a good fit with little financial investment. For example, a project wiki may start with information on the project, project communication, resources and documentation, as well as links to external resources. Last but not least: acknowledge differences in communication. Communicating with a culturally diverse team can be challenging. Communication styles can vary between cultures, between European and Asian team members. It is important to be aware that verbal as well as non-verbal components of communication can differ considerably. This includes body movement as well as proxemics, people’s personal space requirements, or intonations.

Seek commitment and institutional support Partnerships need interest and support within each partners’ institution. A group of committed competent people is one pillar of a sound partnership, but not the only one. High level support facilitates progress and sustainability. The implications are not limited to personal benefits, i.e. staff may be allowed to take off for partner visits, but also touch financial support. The integration into institutional development is considered to be important, the linkage of the project to a specific local, national or regional priority, if feasible, may broaden the project’s impact.

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„Involvement of academic staff is very important to ensure sustainability. a … scheme that involves several exchange visits, both of Asian staff and European host, will allow curriculum development and research to prosper in the home university.”

Partner in the EM Action 2 EMMA-EAST-Erasmus Mundus mobility with Asia-East project

Project information: http://www.emmasia.eu/

Every partnership passes through a number of stages during its life-cycle. Supportive structures at each partners’ university are one of the crucial factors that are central to success and must complement a sound project organisation, transparent working and decision-making procedures. Each partner needs to ensure that their organisation is prepared to implement structures and processes that support the project. Participation from all partners at various levels may sound simple but may prove to be a challenge. Developing and adapting structures that accommodate all partners’ practices is essential.

This is especially true when setting up joint programmes. Developing a well-designed curriculum, discussing and agreeing on learning outcomes, credits and grading systems, approving harmonisation of courses as well as consenting course integration horizontally and vertically, and, last but not least, defining common procedures to define quality assurance mechanism need knowledgeable faculty.

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4.1.3 How to sustain partnerships

The basis for sustainability has been laid in the previous project stages by identifying the right partners as well as defining and agreeing on common principles when forming the partnership. Yet maintaining it also needs efforts: attention to the process, making decisions, living up to equity and responsibility, building trust, and being mindful of acknowledging each others contributions. What are the necessary blocks that ensure that the collaboration will not be short-lived? Maintaining a partnership requires nurturing.

Focused project management The health of a project is no different from the health of a living organism. Preventive measures and regular checking set the foundation of well-being and ensure productivity. Regular assessment leads to timely detection of illness and lays the ground for appropriate treatment. Likewise functions efficient project management. It is therefore reasonable to gather all partners regularly for project assessment to maintain a clean bill of partnership health.

“Opportunities for discussion and dialogue amongst the partners need to be created. Plan ahead in order to respect the work plan and allow more time than expected for outputs to be accomplished.”

Coordinator of EM Action 3 ASEMUNDUS project

Project information: http://www.asem-education-secretariat.org/en/12184/

Projects do not always go exactly to plan. Therefore monitoring is important to determine to which degree the project plan is being followed. If reality diverges from plan and the stage tolerance is exceeded, appropriate action must be taken in order to regain control of the project and project work to be carried out as scheduled. All partners need to be willing to work within agreed time frames, to make commitments and to invest in the effort according to the baseline of their capacity. Partners operate in different working contexts and cultural schemes, and this fact may impact capacities and contributions. If the project is to become a win-win for all, contributions of every partner that supports the partnership demands recognition. How partners feel recognised may not only affect their motivation but also influence future involvement. Overestimation of capacity may be a trap and slow down or limit the scope of a partnership. Developing an understanding of each others working contexts and constraints helps to assess possible sources of problems. Developing a partnership in which all partners are equipped to deliver according to expectations may take time, as management skills and abilities, like communication and working with diversity, need to grow together.

Leadership Partners bring in a mix of (technical) skills to achieve the project’s goals. Beyond this expertise, competencies with regard to partnering, collaboration and personal interaction are fundamental. Despite all expertise, each project needs a leader who sustains a broad perspective, coordinates all activities, is ‘hands-on’, facilitates decision-making that is transparent, and ensures that partners follow their prescribed paths.

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“The role of the coordinating university … is absolutely relevant for the success of the project itself. To attend the project meetings is also essential to discuss matters that might give some problems later if not previously negotiated (i.e. academic matters such as recognition).”

Partner of EM Action 2 project

Are there hidden motives or control issues that hinder collaborative work and project progress? Any type of conflict needs to be addressed as they may be detrimental to a partnership. Therefore it is even more important to carefully pay attention to warning signs, such as missed meetings, delayed activities, unfinished tasks, or, in general, low morale. If a conflict has been identified, be it a structural one, a conflict of interests, relationships, communication, or values, significant attempts are needed to resolve the conflict in a timely manner. If communication proves to be difficult, definition of key terms, clarification of assumptions, and check of interpretation of information may be helpful. In any case, it is important to learn what underlies a dispute, develop an understanding of all parties, and work through differences without incrimination.

Respect diversity The project partners are from diverse backgrounds, carrying different beliefs. Working in an Erasmus Mundus project is not collaborating in an insular environment, but interacting with culturally diverse persons. Therefore, the project coordinator needs to make efforts to create a culturally safe work atmosphere for partners form Asia as well as Europe. If problems occur, revision and modification of work practices may be necessary.

“Hence, it’s been an eye-opener interacting with European partners. It was a good working experience, culturally as well as academically, better than expected. We generally should try to approach a win-win relationship giving each of the Asian and European partner what they each desire in terms of outcome. That will go a long way in terms of cooperation, collaboration and sharing ideas and resources.”

Partner in the EM Action 3 ACCESS - Academic Cooperation Europe South-East Asia Support project

Project information: http://www.access-project.eu/access/

It is also important to recollect the fact that educational institutions operate in different educational and socio-cultural settings. The diverse working contexts have an impact on processes and procedures of the project. It is wise to bear in mind that working routines that fit one’s institutions needs may not match all partners’ routines. Developing awareness of differences and constraints is a vital factor for the success of a partnership and hinders miscalculations of timescales.

“Don’t forget the intercultural aspect and various expectations when managing the project.” Coordinator of the EM Action 3 EACOVIROE: Enhance the Attractiveness of COmputer VIsion and RObotics in Europe project Project information: http://eacoviroe.org/

The key instrument in establishing and maintaining a successful link is the project management. When it comes to cooperation between European and Asian institutions, all partners have to adapt on new working conditions. You have to cope with cultural differences, language discrepancy, different laws and foreign bureaucracies. In order to “streamline” the different approaches, a well-working project management is crucial.

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“I think that most valuable result of the project was the identification of good practices from various universities from EU, India and China. Good practices applied and used in Asian universities can also be adopted in EU countries.” Coordinator of the EM Action 1 Euro Hydro-informatics and Water Management project Project information: http://master.euroaquae.eu/

Recommendations

to facilitate successful partner search:

Explore formal and informal channels to search for partners;

Know your partner by asking for referrals;

Participate in matchmaking events to identify potential partners;

Join associations and networks to discover partners with common grounds;

Build on previous bilateral relationships between partners;

Develop a partnership gradually.

to aid successful cooperation:

Create a bond of trust and demonstrate openness;

Work as a team;

Respect the expectations and limits of each partner;

Share power, risks and responsibilities;

Invest jointly in resources;

Encourage commitment and permanency.

to sustain the partnership:

Create a sound project cycle;

Assess regularly how the partnership is doing;

Pay attention to partnership members competencies – leader and partners;

Respect diversity and try to build consensus.

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4.2 How to run successful cooperation projects with regard to …

4.2.1 University-business cooperation

First of all, what is university-business cooperation? It is commonly perceived as a transaction between higher education institutions and business for mutual benefit. What are the driving forces behind the interaction? Collaboration may help universities to access fresh funds when public funding is decreasing, it may aid businesses to gain and maintain a competitive advantage, and, not to be forgotten, this type of cooperation is vital for developing employability. There are a number of elements that constitute the ecosystem of university-business cooperation: the stakeholders, higher education institutions and businesses, develop strategies and approaches, shape structures, and carry out activities. Their action is influenced by barriers (legal framework, attitude of staff, etc.) and drivers (motivation of staff, funding, etc.) that stimulate collaboration or hinder common activities. Collaboration can vary in format. There are many different ways in which higher education institutions and businesses can cooperate:

mobility of students; mobility of academics; curriculum development and course delivery; entrepreneurship education; collaboration in research (and development).

Private sector involvement is perceived to be important, especially to address critical global challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, energy, health and education. However, this cooperation is not a priority on the agenda. Collaboration with the professional world is rather initiated on an ad-hoc basis and therefore sometimes not sustainable. Yet, in focus is the employability of students. Employers report vacancies, at the same time graduates face difficulties gaining and fulfilling work. How to go about that dilemma? The chain of success starts off with the higher education institutions that offer employability development opportunities, in collaboration with employers, focussing on the development of employability attributes and of self-promotional and career management skills. The range of activities within institutions is diverse, but they share some characteristics: embedded employability attribute development in the study programme, in cases as a result of

modification to curricula to accommodate employers’ inputs; provision of work-experience opportunities within or without the study programme. The enhancement of knowledge, skills and employability of Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders gets more important and receives more and more attention.

“It is important that the students are educated in fields that are relevant to their home region which also helps them get jobs when they return and it also prevents brain-drain. We are looking to add internships to our upcoming programme and we have chambers of commerce as associated partners to our project to implement this.” Project coordinator EM Action 2 EM EURASIA project Project information: http://www.em-euroasia.org/

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Good practice MAsters on Photonic Network Engineering (MAPNET) Project information: http://mapnet.sssup.it/ Partners: Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Italy (Coordinating institution) Osaka University, Japan Aston University, United Kingdom Technical University of Berlin, Germany The Master on Photonic Networks (MAPNET) is a full-time, two-years international master course programme offered by a consortium of four universities, five international enterprises as associated members: Ericsson Research, Deutsche Telekom, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd, and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technologies (NICT). The course is focussed on the competence related to the generation, manipulation, transport and detection of signals exploiting photons as a support to convey information. Recommendable elements General aspects of university-business cooperation: Cooperation between the education system and the private sector is applied on a strategic level to impact

academic performance and future career development. The involvement of industry and business environments complements the role of higher education in

producing skilled graduates by providing internship opportunities and giving lectures. In order to meet the recruiting demands it is necessary to invest industry in the outcomes of a master

course to prepare a future workforce. As business environments advance technologically and respond to globalisation, employers look for

individuals who can solve problems, work as a member of a team and be proactive in their work. Internship experiences positively impact students’ skills und increase networking abilities

Career development aspects: The engagement with industry allows addressing critical global challenges and topics. This sector's

involvement complements the role of public universities in producing skilled manpower. Internships are therefore integrated as a significant part of preparation for career beyond graduation into

the study programme. Students who engage in career-related work experience during their studies are usually able to secure employment more quickly after graduation.

Course design and internships:

Different mobility paths are possible depending on the mobility options selected and the modules taken by the students.

The academic calendar is flexible to ensure participation of all students. The programme includes an internship at one of the associated enterprises. The placement starts off with

an orientation period, followed by research work and ending with the summing up of the research work. Feedback mechanisms on students’ performance have been implemented. The internship is accredited with credit points.

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Recommendations:

Collaboration between higher education institutions and the professional world may be viewed under three aspects:

1. Making graduates fit for employment

As job market become ever more competitive world-wide, higher education institutions need to consider linking up with industry to make graduates more employable, for example by integrating internships in academic courses.

2. Engaging the business sector in curriculum design

The success of an academic programme is strongly connected to educating employable students. Collaboration with industry in curriculum design and course content adds to this outcome, but needs dialogue.

3. Linking up with potential employers for additional sponsorship

It is a legitimate purpose to seek contact with businesses in order to raise further financial support for scholarships and thereby increasing mobility. This may be difficult to realise in all subject fields but should be considered.

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4.2.2 Academic mobility and recognition

Academic mobility needs recognition. True or false? After all, there are various examples of mobility without recognition. And it is easy. Mobility without recognition does not need supporting structures that ensure that students can take credits earned at another higher education institution back to their home university to be accredited as part of their academic work. Mobility with recognition needs supporting infrastructure tools:

- A credit transfer system; - National qualification frameworks that are compatible; - National quality assurance mechanisms that are compatible; and - A diploma supplement to be used as tool to describe a student’s qualifications, knowledge and

competences in a transparent manner.

What is the current practice in Asia? – An audit Visible and transparent information on higher education systems, degree awarding, quality assurance mechanisms and credit transfer systems are essential ingredients to student mobility. The situation in Asia is characterised by diversity with regard to systems and state of implementation. For instance, grading policies may vary from institution to institution, even from department to department. Credit transfer systems There are at least 3 different credit transfer systems in place in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region: The ECTS

8, the UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme (UCTS)

9 and the ASEAN Credit Transfer System (ACTS)

10. Both

UCTS and ACTS aim at facilitating student mobility by deploying a standard credit transfer system which is based on student workload. The ACTS takes into account existing institutional and national credit systems for the expression and conversion of credits, study periods and learning outcome achievements. 26 higher education institutions in 10 Asian countries participated and implemented the ACTS in 2011. It is envisaged that by 2015 all higher education institutions in the ASEAN member states will have implemented and use the ACTS system. The UCTS stems from the principles of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Its objective is to increase student mobility by assessing transparently and reflecting the quality and the research that was carried out during exchanges with other higher education institutions. However, not every country in Asia has a credit system yet in place

11.

Qualification frameworks Leave alone the compatibility of national qualification frameworks, it must be noted that only few countries in the Asia-Pacific region have a framework. Yet in 2011, several stakeholders in Asia and Europe have started the QA-SEAN initiative that aims to enhance the quality of study programmes and to facilitate the recognition of credits and degrees based on shared quality assurance principles and standards.

8 Visit the European Commission’s website for more information on ECTS at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc48_en.htm 9 Visit the UMAP website for more information at: http://www.umap.org/usco/en/about/ucts.php

10 For more information on ACTS visit the website of the ASEAN Universities’ Network at:

http://acts.ui.ac.id/index.php/home 11

For more information on existing credit systems in Asia, please visit the website of the ASEM Education Secretariat at:

http://www.asem-education-secretariat.org/imperia/md/content/asem2/events/2010berlin/2010_berlin_seminar_reader.pdf

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It is important for project partners to describe rules and procedures for mobility across Europe and Asia in order to not only facilitate mobility but also provide guidance concerning study planning. Academic calendars in Asia School calendars differ significantly and thus complicate student mobility. Whereas the semester system is common, some universities adopted a trimester system. Beginning, end and length of a study period do vary. According to ‘A study on ACTS and credit transfer systems of ASEAN+3 nations’, a contract based research study with the Japanese Ministry of the Education conducted in 2010, the length of a semester may be from 13 to 17 weeks long and differs form nation to nation, if not from institution to institution.

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Planning and getting ready Implementing procedures und working with tools to ensure credit recognition needs efforts and possibly capacity building activities, as there may be no generally consented understanding of recognition procedures and tools. This nonetheless is of vital importance, as it allows qualifications acquired in other educational contexts to be understood the same.

“Some of the Asian partner universities have had problems in dealing with the recognition of studies for exchange students. One workshop about recognition has been arranged and several more are planned to be held in 2011/2012. The objective of the workshop is to provide ideas how to set up a procedure for recognition at the relevant partner universities.” Project coordinator in the EM Action 2 EMEA (Lot 11) project Project information: http://www.emeuropeasia.org

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The study finings may be accessed at: http://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/00030722.

See for an overview of academic calendars a comparative table prepared by Professor Taijji Hotta within the framework of

the above mentioned study at: http://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/metadb/up/ZZT00001/ACTS_E_4-1_%20Comparative-table-

of-13-nations.pdf

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Good practice EXPERTS Project information: http://www.expertsasia.eu/index.asp Partners: The EXPERTS consortium, led by the Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Germany, is made of six other European universities, 13 Asian universities, and seven associated partners in both Europe and Asia. EXPERTS I and its successor EXPERTS II are scholarship projects funded by the Erasmus Mundus II Action 2 programme and targeted at citizens of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The EXPERT project places an emphasis on research and cooperation, establishing collaborative framework for human resource development through training and upgrading the skills of junior faculty staff, undergraduates, postgraduates and post-doc researchers by specified learning objectives in the field of engineering and technology, agricultural sciences, environmental studies, business-management and social sciences. The implementation of individual mobility, with special emphasis to research initiatives, provides students from the Asian regions with mobility for a broader choice of opportunities for study experience in EU higher education institutions. The project aims to attract talented Asian students (undergraduates, master and PhD) to be the future leaders for better academic leadership and good governance in their respective countries. Recommendable elements

Various instruments to communicate transparency are deployed:

o Information Package / Course Catalogue

o Learning Agreement at the time of application

o Transcript of Records

o Diploma Supplement,

Host universities require as a minimum of credit 21-30 ECTS.

Credit points are linked with learning outcomes (providing the diploma supplement, transcripts of records and certification of participation).

The exchange of students is connected to their degree level and defined in the respective study or research and training plans. .

The study plans are ECTS approved complemented by an amendment at the receiving higher education institution where needed.

Undergraduate candidates must have completed one year of study.

A learning agreement is mandatory for all undergraduate and master students, in very few cases doctorate mobility (duration 6 and 10 months) and must be signed by the student, the home institution and the host institution.

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Recommendations:

Recognition of study periods abroad needs to be formalized at institutional and national/regional level

Activities to promote recognition of European qualifications abroad and mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries.

Communication between partners and early discussions on each curriculum of the receiving and the sending higher education institutions and their limitations. Knowing all aspects of the recognition beforehand allows better management of the issue throughout the project

To ensure recognition of study periods, the majority of courses followed by grantees needs to be related to the major subject they follow at their home institution.

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4.3 How to sustain cooperation schemes Major findings, recommendations and good practices on strategies to create sustainability

In view of the growing power of Asian economies, Europe should also try to connect with Asian private companies.

European coordinator MC Photonics

When thinking about the “sustainability” of Erasmus Mundus projects in general, we need firstly to consider the “inside” of the consortium offering the respective programme. As already mentioned in the previous chapters, the process starts with a stable and transparent organizational structure, including mutual trust and respect among the partners, mostly provided by already long-lasting partnerships. This precondition is crucial for all actions and also relevant for Erasmus Mundus programmes including partners from Asia. Building on that, further aspects should be investigated and elaborated in order to sustain the partnership.

Challenges and major findings From the very beginning of the implementation of the Erasmus Mundus Programme (EM I), there were many concerns about the lifetime of Erasmus Mundus projects, once the funding has run out. How can Master Courses and - since 2009 - Joint Doctorates continue? How can partnerships funded under EM I and EM II create a solid basis for a sustainable cooperation? How can we even use the outcomes and valorise the results from the different promotion projects targeting Asia and funded under Action 3 since 2003? Although funding period, objectives and intensity of cooperation differ between the various actions, it is crucial that the “start-up funding” under EM I and/or EM II has lead to a certain impact. On the one hand, one should ensure financial sustainability to enabling the projects standing on their own feet, on the other, one has to make sure that the academic excellence is not compromised. Generally, the perception of Erasmus Mundus project partners differs in terms of sustainability strategies. While some look for further funding outside the university, others try to integrate the EM activity in the academic offer already during the funding period. In fact, it is important that all partners in the consortia play a vital role and are actively involved in the decision-making process. Even if partners are geographically widespread - which is, of course, the case if you have partners from Asian countries in your consortium - it is of utmost importance that each member of the consortium has a powerful role. For that reason, platforms should be offered in order to exchange experiences and to discuss topics of common interest. The different expectations from European partners on the one hand, and Asian partners on the other, need to be identified and aligned. Raising the awareness of the added value represented by the inclusion of an Asian partner being part of a European consortium is important. When it comes to Action 1 and 2, financial sustainability is often connected with the fine tuning of the tuition fees in a way that only the best students/doctorates will be attracted rather than people who can just afford the courses. However, the level of tuition fee as well as post-degree internship possibilities and employability options are important to attract such students. Here the inclusion of associated members from the business sector as well as an alumni network can play a vital role. Additional monetary support might be risen from other sources, either form third-country government fellowships and/or sponsorships from government, semi-government institutions or potential employers. However, the role of the business sector is crucial when it comes to sustain the different programmes. In order to raise awareness for the different courses, a good marketing and dissemination strategy should be put in place while running the programme. This is manageable as soon as potential employers acknowledge the value of your graduates. Making your course well known and visualise the competitive advantage of your course by the inclusion of Asian partners is imperative if you want to make the world of work but also other financial sources such as commercial banks

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aware of what you are offering. High potential students, possibly not prosperous enough to afford the courses might ask for bank loans. Living costs in some Asian countries can be very high – so financial assistance from different sources might become necessary. In general, the interconnection between university and business is more common with courses dealing with business and economic features. Hence, the Erasmus Mundus Master Course in European Law and Economics (more details see below) with special focus on law and economic development has risen awareness of the course in the banking sector. Nevertheless, outreach and targeted advertisements for the Erasmus Mundus brand name is an essential component for all kind of courses. Promotion projects (Action 3) targeting Asia are mainly urged to disseminate the results worked out during the funding period. This is done in international events and through media communication in order to achieve certain awareness regarding the outcomes. Further funding opportunities might evolve from the dissemination and the need and/or interest to work further on the outcomes elaborated. All in all, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation of the programmes, regardless of whether we are talking about national or international programmes, are essential. It might become more challenging as soon as it comes to cooperation with other countries, even with countries from outside Europe – literally from Asia. However, good quality itself ensures the lifetime of a project/programme. The outcomes and results of the study programmes need to be made transparent, regularly monitored and evaluated. Tracer studies are an indicator for the success of a programme – with regard to the cooperation with Asia – tracer studies should take into account, if and how the “Asian perspective” has contributed to the students’ success.

Good practices In order to learn more about the running of Erasmus Mundus Master Courses funded under EM I and their sustainability strategies put in place, two projects have been selected and investigated representing good practice examples in this field: 1. The first programme represents an Erasmus Mundus Master Course in European Law and Economics (EMLE), offered by nine different higher education institutions, one from India. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) became a full member of the EMLE consortium after a long collaboration with EMLE partners such as Hamburg and Ghent. The consortium has been awarded the Erasmus Mundus brand-name since the beginning of the programme. The close cooperation with the Asian partner and the links established with associated partners offering internships and job placements represent an example of good practice. Recommendable elements

• Indian partner is involved as an equal partner in the overall decision making process, including the curriculum design

• EMLE raises the awareness about the EM brand-name as well as the Law and Economics Programme through annual capacity building training workshops open to junior faculty and students from all around India

• Indian partner offers two specialized courses on: “Law and Economics of Development” and “Law and Economics of Institutions”

• Indian partner is involved in supervising Master Thesis • Inputs on Indian applicants during the application screening process • Assist the overall programme through teaching and research activities at partner universities

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2. The second programme represented the Master Course Photonics, coordinated by the Ghent University and offered together with 3 European higher education institutions and the National Taiwan University. After one period of funding within the Erasmus Mundus programme, the Master Course was brand -named with the EM award but without any financial assistance from the European Commission. Despite the fact that funding has run out, the Master Course can still welcome students from all over the world because of the financial autonomy. This is due to the fact that links to the business sector have been established at an early stage. The course is supported by a wide range of photonics professional organisations, photonics societies or photonics research centres acting as Advisory Board and assisting in linking the world of work with the students.

Chimei Innolux Corporation13

, also member of the Advisor Board and the world’s number 3 LCD (Liquid Chrystal Display) maker, even provides excellence grants for master students in the course. Recommendable elements:

• Each year, the IEEE Photonics Society Benelux Student Chapter organizes a Photonics Event, alternating in Brussels or in Ghent.

• Each year, the summer school welcomes a number of excellent and world-renowned speakers from all over the world.

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http://www.chimei-innolux.com/opencms/cmo/index.html?__locale=en

Recommendations:

Financial and Institutional sustainability of an academic programme depends on:

• There is a need for a strong institutional commitment

• There is a need for having a strong faculty

• Each partner in the consortium should be powerful

• Each partner in the consortium should have a defined role

• There is a need for constantly evolving the curriculum

• In order to ensure employability, synergetic relation between carefully chosen associated members is needed

• A strong Alumni network should be established

• Consortia should raise the awareness of the programme at all levels (university, business and governmental)

• Consortia should diversify income streams from the very beginning of the Erasmus Mundus project

• Consortia should implement an ongoing quality assurance process

• The programmes should be regularly monitored and evaluated

• Tracer studies should be done in order to find out about the professional career of graduates

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5. General recommendations and conclusions

Taking into account what has been learnt from the survey results and what has been found out and agreed upon the workshop on “Erasmus Mundus – a Platform for Europe-Asia Synergies”, some general recommendations and conclusions can be drawn. These outcomes aim at enhancing international higher education cooperation in general and with Asia in particular. All in all, they should help coordinators and partners to establish and/or deepen a well-working partnership in Erasmus Mundus:

Align your motivation Although the EU-Asia community is reaching a good “co-operation maturity”, careful attention has to be put on the motivation and expectations gaps existing between Asian and European partners before establishing the partnership. While Europeans think of Asia as an opportunity for international development and for mobility, Asian stakeholders seem to seek for co-operation improvements in terms of capacity building and of attaining higher quality standards. Knowing your partners’ motivation and added value for your consortium will build trust. Involving your Asian partner as an equal colleague will become key factor for a long-lasting partnership. Therefore:

Combine partners’ know-how Knowing each others strengths and weaknesses is of utmost importance when formulating your strategic approach. For the fulfilment of Erasmus Mundus projects – regardless of which action we are talking about – a good combination of the different know-how can create synergies and lead to new approaches. With respect to promotion projects, the Asian partner capacity is of importance and should be strongly involved.

Deal with challenges Language barriers, different academic calendars as well as diversity in teaching methods because of intercultural discrepancies are challenges arising in almost all international projects; nevertheless, increasing the mobility of students and staff is a major motivation for cooperation across the two regions and perceived as an added value for employability. Harmonisation of the study periods and fine-tuning of the academic calendars in Asia and Europe should be taken into account. Language courses and intercultural courses in preparation of the period abroad should be included in the curriculum. In order to avoid bad surprises, the use of learning agreements, learning outcomes and/or the diploma supplement is advisable before mobility happens.

Balance mobility A two-way mobility is the way to widen the engagement of the EM Asian partners. Above all, staff mobility from Asia to Europe should be promoted as usually guest lecturing and scholars’ exchange are followed by an increase of interested student and scholar applicants for exchange. As soon as Asian scholars will enter into European higher education institutions in order to give lectures on certain topics, Asia will become more visible and closer to European students and scholars and a certain interest might be created. “Real-life” experiences from country experts can lead to more attention and to pick students’ and scholars’ curiosity.

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Money makes the world go around So it does with international projects. Limited budget for the administration and running of interregional programmes are widespread and even more difficult to tackle as soon as Erasmus Mundus funding has run out after a period of at least five years, as it was under the Erasmus Mundus I (2004 – 2008) and still is under the Erasmus Mundus II (2009 – 2013) programme. In order to provide sustainability after the funding period, coordinators as well as partners from both regions should look for further funding already during the Erasmus Mundus period. National and/or private income streams need to be identified. Sometimes, National scholarship schemes are compatible with Erasmus Mundus actions and could complement the programmes. In that way, Erasmus Mundus courses would be attended not only by Erasmus Mundus scholarship holder but also from students equipped with a National fellowship. The possibility of applying for financial assistance besides an Erasmus Mundus scholarship needs to be made clear. The fine-tuning of the consortium’s tuition fee policy in a way that not only rich stakeholders but high-quality target groups will be attracted should be already envisaged as early as possible. Which brings us to the next indispensable recommendation on project promotion.

Promote your “product” The sustainability of your course depends on the interest you are raising at the student level. Regarding the study programme a clear added value and future employability options for students needs to be obvious. The establishment of an EU-Asian Alumni as a promoter for EU-Asian mobility could make people aware of this option, inform on challenges and underline the added value for future career planning. Staff mobility should be intensified as teachers can spread the message more effectively amongst their students about the richness of the experience abroad. All in all, increase the visibility and credibility of your programme in your institution. Further promotion can take place via publications, newsletters and higher education fairs.

Brand your “product” In order to find either funds from National or private sectors there is a need to raise the awareness of the “product” you are offering. The Asian perspective in your programme is actually the added value and therefore the benefit you are offering. The quality of students you are educating with this special focus should open the door to further funding. Promotion in both regions can decide whether your project will remain successful and financially sustainable. A well-working Alumni-Association can become the binding link to industry and business and an entrance card to the world of work for future graduates. Especially with regard to the cooperation between the European and the Asian partner(s), permanent communication is imperative. Successful Alumni could act as ambassadors for your course and promote the added value of the Asian perspective in the programme.

Inform yourself about lessons learnt Since the launching of Erasmus Mundus I (2003 – 2008), many experiences have been made with regard to Asia. Do not reinvent the wheel. Get in touch with formerly promoted project coordinators or partners. Share your experiences in meetings. Create networks, take advantage of the possibilities new media are offering.

Ensure the quality of your programme In times of Bologna, quality assurance has become more and more important. The implementation of a well working quality assurance procedure in international programmes is still on the agenda of policy decision makers. When it comes to cooperation with Asia, much progress has already been made. Internal and external quality assurance tools have been installed and are internationally linked. Nevertheless, to ensure further quality progress in your programme, a monitoring and evaluation system needs to be applied. The

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Handbook “Erasmus Mundus Quality Assurance for International Higher Education Courses14

” may help you to review your own quality and/or to adapt new features. In order to monitor and follow-up your graduates’ employability, tracer studies play also an important role. Information on the professional success of your graduates is crucial in order to find out about the relevance of knowledge and skills your programme is offering.

Link your “product” to industry The first contact with the professional world should already be established during study time. By facilitating joint summer and/or winter schools of the partners in associations with industries staff demands, by allowing short term visits and internships for all categories, future graduates could promote themselves and the course. It might be possible to establish a comprehensive Career Service Concept with special regard to working opportunities for European graduates in Asia and vice versa. This would include counselling but also application training. A working experience in an Asian country might lead to a strong tie until the rest of students’ life. These students will become the best mobility ambassadors for Asia in future.

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