EURASHE 24 th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014 Yerevan State University (YSU), 1 Alex Manukyan Street, 0025 Yerevan (Armenia) An event organised by EURASHE and hosted by the Yerevan State University (YSU), the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), and with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia, the Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions, and the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) Secretariat EURASHE 24 th Annual Conference ‘Qualifications for the Labour Market’
Transcript
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
15-16 May 2014
Yerevan State University (YSU), 1 Alex Manukyan Street, 0025 Yerevan (Armenia)
An event organised by EURASHE and hosted by the Yerevan State University (YSU), the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), and with the support of the
Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia, the Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions, and the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) Secretariat
Edited by Stefan Delplace (EURASHE), Marko Grdošić (EURASHE), Alja Kiseleva (EURASHE), and Alexandre Wipf (EURASHE).
Cover page and layout by Alexandre Wipf (EURASHE).
Relevant copyrights apply.
Funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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WELCOME WORDS BY THE PRESIDENT OF EURASHE
Dear colleagues,
This year, the EURASHE Annual Conference is taking place in Armenia, a country that although is not a European Union member-state or a candidate for accession to the EU, is a very active and important country in the Bologna Process and in the European Higher Education Area. We are indeed delighted and proud that this year's Annual Conference is taking place in Armenia, where EURASHE is now firmly established with an affiliation of the Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions, many of which are represented here. It is an honour for EURASHE to have here at the opening of our conference, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Mr Hovik Abrahamyan and I thank him for this token of appreciation. I would also like to thank the Minister of Education and Science Dr Armen Ashotyan, who encouraged this affiliation, supported and acknowledged the contribution of EURASHE to Armenian higher education through this conference, and has secured the support of Armenian universities and stakeholders.
This 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE is co-hosted by the Yerevan State University, where we are now, and the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, and we are grateful for this initiative and for granting us this magnificent setting. I am taking the opportunity to especially welcome the delegates of the two hosting universities, as well as the Rectors of the Armenian universities that are full institutional members of EURASHE, namely National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, and also the Armenian National Agrarian University, and we hope that in future we will have a close cooperation with them through the provision of our member services.
I would like to recall that it was Professor Hovhannes Tokmajyan, the former Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia and now the Rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia, who took the initiative to propose that EURASHE holds this year’s Annual Conference in Armenia. EURASHE’s decision to accept this invitation is a clear sign of trust in the firm establishment of the EHEA beyond the traditional borders of Europe, and especially in Armenian higher education. EURASHE’s members are familiar with Armenia as a country and with Yerevan as an educational centre, as many of our member institutions have cooperation agreements with Armenian universities or have running EU projects in which they are involved.
I also recall with pleasure my earlier visit to Armenia, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, to participate in the Regional Meeting of Ministers of Education on the Implementation of the EHEA, at Yerevan in October 2013, where we presented the profile of professional higher education in general and professionally oriented higher education institutions and programs of study in particular, as a means to secure and promote employability of the young generations. And of course, EURASHE has experienced the European engagement of the Armenian colleagues of the BFUG Secretariat, who so competently support the implementation of the Bologna priorities in the countries of the EHEA.
It is not a coincidence that the theme of the 24th EURASHE Annual Conference is devoted to Qualifications for the Labour Market, of which employability is certainly a major outcome, something that I anticipate to come out very clearly from the discussions during this conference. Armenia, like many other countries in Europe, is facing unemployment of young people due to economic crisis and globalisation, but also because of mismatch of qualifications, programmes of study and qualifications
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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that need to be more closely aligned and responsive to the needs of the world of work and the labour market, while taking into account the expertise and personality of every graduate.
Both plenary and workshop sessions have innovative contributions that make the programme of this conference very topical and state of the art. There is a keynote speech in the first plenary that brings us highlights from the recent study on the employers' perspective on the employability of graduates, by the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University, at the request of the European Commission. Then there is a plenary on the first conference track, which brings fresh information from the EU dissemination conference in Brussels last week that is the outcome of the U-Multirank project after one year implementation and its impact on the diversity of institutions and qualifications.
There are many case studies, in both plenary sessions and hands-on workshops, on cooperation between higher education institutions and business, and how such cooperation supports employability. In the workshops we are especially focusing, among others, on apprenticeship schemes, closer stakeholder involvement, education-business partnerships, etc. And for our Armenian colleagues we will present the diversity of European higher education systems, where we have a unitary system of higher education institutions, next to the binary system of higher education, where professionally oriented Universities of Applied Sciences co-exist with traditional universities.
The conference organisers are very happy to share this conference with you all, attendants from Western Europe, from Armenia and from diverse stakeholder organisations. I wish you all a successful and productive conference.
Professor Andreas G. Orphanides
President of EURASHE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME WORDS BY THE PRESIDENT OF EURASHE ...................................................................... 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... 3
The theme of the 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE, which will be held this year in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is ‘QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE LABOUR MARKET’. In the run-up to our 25th anniversary and to the next Ministerial Conference of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), also to be held in Yerevan in 2015, the choice of this topic shows the confidence of a sector of higher education, which has gained in status and relevance.
Professional qualifications are also a focal point in EURASHE’s EU-funded pilot project HAPHE1, which is an attempt at mapping professionally oriented programmes in a number of countries, in different national systems and contexts, irrespective of the level or qualification. Underneath the project rationale also lies the wish to show to both students and employers the features that make graduates from professional qualifications employable on a short or medium term.
Employability is more and more a central topic in education, also in spheres where it was previously not acknowledged as an objective of education, such as in quality assurance processes.
The question what contributes to a graduate’s employability, and therefore indirectly to his or her employment prospects, is a crucial one in current difficult economic times.
The European Union has always considered employability of graduates as a strong factor to meet the internal EU challenges of fighting unemployment and also to ensure Europe’s competitive strength on a global scale. ‘Europe 2020, Europe’s growth strategy’, specifically mentioned in its education section, ‘Education and Training 2020’ (ET 2020) employability as the cure for unemployment, but also, through it, a way to enhance social inclusion and democratic participation (citizenship)2. This broader definition of employability, much wider and more integrated than a mere economic vision, is also strongly advocated by the Council of Europe and the student organisations on national and European level (ESU).
A recent ‘EURASHE study on Employability among Professional Higher Education Graduates in Europe’ is surveying ways to monitor and improve employability in Europe and also wants to benchmark our conclusions transnationally. Professionally oriented programmes, specifically in a binary higher education context, appear to respond well to the challenge of employability imposed on the younger generations, but the transferability of our systems to other regions still has to be proven.
With this conference, we want to offer a comprehensive and holistic picture of the various models, higher education systems and qualifications that create an environment favouring graduates’ employment, and at the same time having an impact on the choice of the study discipline, studying cycle and finally the chances of immediate employment. We also want to bring in case studies showing the broad variety of higher education institutions, the systems in which they operate, and the supporting policies in the different countries. They are taken from the broad membership of EURASHE, which contains ample evidence of the variety of systems and institution’s profiles.
The Universities of Applied Sciences, known under different names in countries having a binary system of higher education, offer programmes with a professional orientation at levels 6 and sometimes 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), in which innovation and applied research is fully embedded in the curriculum.
1 ‘Harmonising Professional Higher Education in Europe’ see also http://haphe.eurashe.eu 2 http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/leaving_en.htm
At the other end of the scale, vocational trainings are more clearly distinguished from academic trainings in the disciplines or fields of study, and also in the level of the qualification offered (Level 5, short-cycle tertiary education).
The variety of the professional higher education landscape is often the result of historical choices, but also very much determined by stimuli coming from the world of employment, which is clearly shown by the greater impact of stakeholders in the governing structures and the design of curricula in professional higher education (PHE).
While it is true that Europe’s higher education infrastructure is not limited to the EU countries, still the typology of those institutions that are generally styled professional higher education is mainly a product of the EU countries. The BaLaMa study3 undertaken by the UASnet, has revealed the potential of this type of higher education institutions in fostering programmes geared to labour market needs, but also its limitations when it comes to adopting such a system or structure in other national contexts/a university only context.
With the appearance of dual systems of higher education, where higher education providers and employers set up joint programmes directly catering for the specific needs in a region, proof is given that the setting can vary in which professional programmes can flourish.
The aforementioned HAPHE project has the merit of broadening the interpretation of what is professional higher education, while at the same time valorising its successes. The 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE, with its two distinct tracks, each providing the theoretical input to be further exemplified and evidenced in four alternating hands-on workshops, will combine the systems level in which qualifications are offered with the tools supporting the different approaches, in the different higher education landscapes of the EHEA.
In a first conference track we are featuring how the diversity of higher education systems contributes in different ways to the expectations of the labour market.
In a second track we are looking at the way the employability of graduates can be considered as a sign of responsiveness to societal and labour market needs, through an analysis of the different tools and instruments that support the employability objectives.
The other recurring focus points in the two tracks next to employability, are the recognition of qualifications and the transparency of programmes, each of them supporting the implementation of qualifications that serve the demands of the labour market, and through this, the aspirations of the entire society.
The 24th Annual Conference of EURASHE will conclude with a panel discussion on the main conference theme, with the Minister of Education of Armenia, the President of EURASHE, a student and the employers’ representative.
3 The Bachelor For The Labour Market: the flexible response to the needs of the labour market, BaLaMa Report, 2010. http://www.uasnet.eu/publications
Chair: Stefan Delplace, Secretary General of EURASHE (Belgium)
Welcome words by the President of EURASHE, Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
Dr Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
Prof. Hovhannes Tokmajyan, Rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), on behalf of the Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions (Armenia)
Dr Gagik Galstyan, Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) (Armenia)
11.15 am –
12.00 pm
Keynote speech: Higher Education Graduates in the 21st Century: Trends and Challenges
Jim Allen, Senior Researcher at Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University (Netherlands)
12.00 pm –
1.30 pm Lunch break
1.30 pm –
2.00 pm
Track I: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
Introduction
Chair: Michal Karpíšek, Vice-President of EURASHE, Executive Officer of the Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) (Czech Republic)
Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies through U-Multirank - the multidimensional ranking of higher education institutions, Don F. Westerheijden, Senior Research Associate at the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), University of Twente (Netherlands)
2.00 pm – 4.00 pm
Track I parallel workshops
Workshop 1.1: Diversity of Professional Higher Education in Europe / HAPHE project outcomes
Raimund Hudak, Professor at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach (DHBW), CEO of Synesis GmbH (Germany)
Workshop 1.2: Quality and Transparency of education-business partnerships
Barbara Kelly, Head of Industry and External Partnerships at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) (Ireland)
Workshop 1.3: The supporting role of innovation and applied research in creating a knowledge triangle
Stéphane Lauwick, Member of the Board of EURASHE, Director of Le Havre University Institute of Technology (IUT) (France)
Armando Pires, Vice-President of the Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council
(CCISP), President of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS) (Portugal)
Workshop 1.4: Level 5 in the EQF, at the interface of vocational education and training (VET)
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and higher education, facilitating access to HE
Slava Pevec Grm, Senior Expert in the Qualifications and Learning Outcomes at Cedefop (Greece)
4.00 pm –
4.30 pm Coffee break
4.30 pm – 4.50 pm
Plenary session
Chair: Gintautas Bražiūnas, Member of the Board of EURASHE, Rector of Vilnius Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania)
Issues of Employability in the Armenia context, Karine Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
4.50 pm – 5.20 pm
Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
Facilitator: Marko Grdošić, Project Manager of EURASHE (Belgium)
Raimund Hudak, Professor at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach (DHBW), CEO of Synesis GmbH (Germany)
Barbara Kelly, Head of Industry and External Partnerships at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) (Ireland)
Stéphane Lauwick, Member of the Board of EURASHE, Director of Le Havre University Institute of Technology (IUT) (France)
Slava Pevec Grm, Senior Expert in the Qualifications and Learning Outcomes at Cedefop (Greece)
7.30 pm Performance of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia “Orphanides meets Arutiunian and Khachaturian” and Opening reception
Venue: Arno Babadjanyan Concert Hall, 2 Abovyan St, Yerevan
(semi-formal dress)
Day 2 – Friday 16 May 2014
9.30 am –
10.30 am
Track II: Cooperation between Education and Business for supporting employability
Introduction
Chair: Danutė Rasimavičienė, President of the SPACE Network for Business Studies and Languages, Dean at Vilniaus Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania)
Employability and cooperation between education and business sectors - the Employers‘ view, Anita Līce, Adviser on Education and Employment Affairs, BUSINESSEUROPE – Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (Latvia)
Armenian National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education and its implementation issues, Armen Budaghyan and Kristina Tsaturyan, Higher Education NQF Working Group of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
10.30 am –
12.00 pm
Track II parallel workshops
Workshop 2.1: Models for Embedding Employability and Placements into Programmes and Courses in Higher Education
Mike Grey, EC Futures Team Leader, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Coventry University (United Kingdom)
Workshop 2.2: Indicators of employment and employability from various data sources, Eurydice, European Commission’s evidence-based viewpoint
Jari Riiheläinen, Education policy and system analyst at the Education, Audiovisual and
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), European Commission (Belgium)
Workshop 2.3: Stakeholders involvement for increasing employability of young graduates
Chair: Ruben Topchyan, Director of National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA) (Armenia)
Jens Vraa-Jensen, Chair of HERSC, The Higher Education and Research Standing Committee of Education International in Europe (ETUCE) (Belgium)
Rok Primožič, Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU) (Belgium)
Workshop 2.4: Promoting apprenticeship schemes and initiatives across Europe: The European Alliance for Apprenticeships
Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič, Secretary General of the Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges (ASHVC) (Slovenia)
Michal Karpíšek, Vice-President of EURASHE, Executive Officer of the Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) (Czech Republic)
12.00 pm – 1.30 pm
Lunch break
1.30 pm –
2.30 pm
Plenary session
Chair: Patrick Blondé, Vice-President of EURASHE, Rector of Antwerp Maritime Academy (AMA) (Belgium)
Employability from the Bologna perspective, Gayane Harutyunyan, Head of the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) Secretariat (Armenia)
The cooperation of private universities with the business sector, Arthur Aghababyan, Rector of Yerevan University after Movses Khorenatsy (Armenia)
Employment and remuneration problems for the higher education specialists in the Republic of Armenia, Ashot Markosyan, Professor at National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) (Armenia)
2.30 pm –
3.00 pm Coffee break and space for promotion, networking and exchange
3.00 pm – 3.45 pm
Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market
Chair: Stefan Delplace, Secretary General of EURASHE (Belgium)
Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)
Dr Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
Jens Vraa-Jensen, Chair of HERSC, The Higher Education and Research Standing Committee of Education International in Europe (ETUCE) (Belgium)
Rok Primožič, Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU) (Belgium)
Hovik Musayelyan, Director of Synopsys Armenia (Armenia)
3.45 pm –
4.00 pm
Closing of the Conference
Prof. Andreas G. Orphanides, President of EURASHE, Rector of European University Cyprus (EUC) (Cyprus)
Announcement of the 25th EURASHE Annual Conference
7.00 pm Gala dinner
Venue: Ojakh Restaurant, Kotayk Marz, Balahovit village (Abovyan region)
Transportation will be provided
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Day 3 – Saturday 17 May 2014
9.00 am Optional social programme: A guided tour in and around Yerevan with lunch provided (additional fee)
In the morning a visit of Matenadaran and the Genocide Memorial, followed by lunch outside of Yerevan. Then onto the Temple of Garni, and Geghard Monastery – with an approximate return in Yerevan around 5.00 pm.
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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SPEAKERS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS
ANDREAS G. ORPHANIDES
Andreas G. Orphanides is the President of EURASHE, and the Rector and Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences of European University Cyprus (EUC), President and ex-Vice-President of the EQAR Board, and a Member of the Rectors’ Conference of Cypriot Universities. He is also a consultative member of both BFUG Board and BFUG, and a member of the E4-Group. Professor Orphanides had/has served as the Assistant Director of the Institute of Cypriot Studies at SUNY at Albany, as Assistant Director of the Archaeological expedition in Cyprus of SUNY at Albany, as Vice-President of ECSA-Cyprus, as member of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Cyprus’ Higher Education, and as member of the Preparatory Committee for the establishment of the Open University of Cyprus. He has a significant research record, has published several books and journal articles, as well as articles in the daily press, and has presented papers in several international conferences. Apart from his academic and administrative activities, Prof. Orphanides has systematically been working creatively with music composition and poetry. He created and published four CDs, and he composed four major symphonic works, over 25 songs (including the lyrics), and the anthems of two universities (including the lyrics).
Welcome words by the President of EURASHE
Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market
Closing of the Conference
HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN
Hovik Abrahamyan is the Prime Minister of Armenia, being appointed on 13 April 2014. Previously he was the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic Armenia. Under President Robert Kocharyan's administration, in 2002 he was appointed Minister of the Territorial Administration (which oversees regional government structures) serving until 2008. In April 2008 he was appointed by the newly elected President Serzh Sargsyan as head of his presidential staff. In August 2008 he was re-elected to the National Assembly, and in September 2008 he was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly the Republic of Armenia.
Opening plenary
ARMEN ASHOTYAN
Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia, gained education in Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU). In 2005 he graduated from Moscow School of Political studies adjunct to Council of Europe. In 2007 he graduated training courses in Moscow State International University, department of Management of Global Process. From 1999 to 2000 he was a senior laboratory assistant in the department of Forensic Medicine at the Yerevan State Medical University. In 2002-2005 he was an assistant to the rector of the YSMU. After that he was adviser to the rector of the YSMU for society affairs. From 2005 to 2007 he was deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. As deputy of the National Assembly, he is member of the Standing Committee on Social, Healthcare, Nature protection affairs and of the Standing Committee on European Integration. In
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2008 he became a chairman of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
Opening plenary
Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market
HOVHANNES TOKMAJYAN
Hovhannes Vache Tokmajyan graduated in 1978 from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute with a qualification in hydraulic engineering. In 1991 he defended his doctoral dissertation and he received the title of Doctor of Technical Sciences in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). From 2001 to 2003 he was the Head of Research of the Work Group of the Water Sector Reforms in the Republic of Armenia. From 2006 to March 2014 he was the Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. He then went on to be the Rector of State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA). Hovhannes Tokmajyan is the head of the professional board of the Higher Qualification Commission of the Republic of Armenia, the president of the Armenian National Association of Hydraulic Research, and the head of the Russian university graduates.
Opening plenary
GAGIK GALSTYAN
Gagik Galstyan is the Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. In his work as architecture and construction specialist, he has participated in several reconstructions of buildings such as the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1983, the Lazaryan Seminary in Moscow in 1985, and in the Spitak Earthquake zone. In 1992 has founded the Horizon construction company whose first project was the construction of an administrative building of ‘Hayeconombank’ in 1993. Significant other projects are: with the municipality of Yerevan, the government building #3, the reconstruction of the Central Bank, the reconstruction of movie theatre ‘Moskva’; the museum of national art by the ‘Lins’ programme. In 2008 he defended his PhD in engineering sciences on ‘Development of compositions of the modified concrete on natural fillers of Armenia for monolithic construction’. In 2011 he defended his thesis for a Doctor's degree on ‘Constructional Problems of long-lived buildings and structures’.
Opening Plenary
JIM ALLEN
Jim Allen is since 1997 (senior) researcher at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) of the Department of Economics and Business Administration at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands). He is employed as senior researcher in the Education and Occupational Career Division of ROA. His research is primarily focused on the relation between higher education and the labour market, with extensive experience in this area both in the Netherlands (in particular the WO-Monitor and HBO-Monitor) and internationally (in particular the REFLEX project and its predecessor CHEERS). Since 2009 he has been involved in the PIAAC Project (Programme for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies).
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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His current research focuses on the knowledge economy and the demand for 21st century skills, the role of key skills for well-functioning on the labour market, international comparisons in the transition from higher education to work, the effects of (higher) education on skills development, the effect of characteristics of the education and labour market system on labour market outcomes, skills mismatches and the acquisition and decline of skills over the life course.
Keynote speech: Higher Education Graduates in the 21st Century: Trends and Challenges
The consequences of six major trends that Humburg and Van der Velden (2013) identified as being particularly important for the position occupied by higher education graduates in the economy and society of today will be in focus. These trends are the knowledge society, the ICT revolution, globalisation, the changing economic structure, high-performance workplaces, and increasing uncertainty. These trends strongly affect the type of competencies graduates are expected to possess. While recognising that these effects are complex and strongly intertwined, for exposition purposes Humburg and Van der Velden have identified for each trend a particular competence domain that they argue is most directly affected by that trend. This presentation is focused mainly on the impact of these trends for the labour market position of graduates of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences (HBO institutions). The data used is from the HBO-Monitor (the annual survey among recent HBO graduates), as well as data from the international REFLEX survey of higher education graduates in Europe and Japan (Allen and Van der Velden, 2011). This is supplemented by some results from Humburg and Van der Velden’s own study among European employers of higher education graduates.
DON F. WESTERHEIJDEN
Don F. Westerheijden is senior research associate at the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) of the University of Twente (Netherlands), where since over 20 years he co-ordinates research on quality management and is involved in co-ordination and supervision of PhD students. He publishes articles and books on quality assurance in higher education in the Netherlands and Europe, its impacts, and on transparency tools (currently, he is a member of the teams developing U-Map and U-Multirank). He was involved in a large number of (Tempus) projects to modernise and quality assure higher education in Central and Eastern Europe between 1991 and 2005, co-developed since 1993 the CRE/EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme, the first international institutional quality review, evaluated the quality assurance procedure in Hong Kong (1998/1999) and led the independent assessment of the Bologna Process in 2009/2010. Currently he is supporting the committee introducing and monitoring performance contract funding in Dutch higher education.
Track I Introduction: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies through U-Multirank - the multidimensional ranking of higher education institutions
The first instalment of the inclusive, multidimensional ranking of higher education institutions and fields, U-Multirank, is published a few days before the Yerevan Conference. In the presentation the main results will be highlighted, and it will be shown how the web tool can be used, and the methods and motivations that explain how U-Multirank operates and why it was designed this way will be presented.
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Differences with other worldwide university rankings will be discussed.
RAIMUND HUDAK
As senior lecturer and researcher with over 10 years of experience at leading academic institutions Raimund Hudak has been involved in various research programmes in Germany and abroad. He is the Project Manager at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg in the European-wide research project HAPHE. Raimund Hudak is also CEO of Synesis' European practice. With his involvement in managerial and leadership positions in among others TEMIC Semiconductor, Trumpf and Fairchild-Convac, he directed among others new market strategies, customer service and total quality communications processes, he designed and implemented strategic business plans and managed vital partnerships and new venture start-ups. With experience in Japan and other Asian countries, Raimund Hudak is an expert in Asian market analysis and supply-chain management. Raimund Hudak holds an MBA in Business and International Marketing from the Institute for Technology and Commerce in Reutlingen and MSc and undergraduate degrees in optics and photo engineering from FH Köln (Germany).
Workshop 1.1: Diversity of Professional Higher Education in Europe / HAPHE project outcomes
For the purpose of this conference on Qualifications for the Labour Market, the workshop will lead to a reflection on the diversity, nature and profile of PHE institutions and the discussion will concentrate on:
• Will the importance of PHE further increase and if so, why?
• How to improve HE offerings to be adequate to market needs?
• How to improve the relationship between HEIs and employers?
The HAPHE consortium has carried out a wide mapping and surveying of different approaches to PHE provision throughout EU-member states. Major outcomes of the mapping exercise will be presented in the workshop. It will be accomplished by sharing best practices on how HE institutions adapt the criteria of PHE and how they collaborate with the world of work. Workshop participants will share expertise among stakeholders in education, enterprises and civil society on PHE understanding, definition and defining characteristics and quality criteria.
Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
BARBARA KELLY
Barbara Kelly holds a BA in Economics & History, a HDip and an MA in Education, a Post Graduate Diploma in Social & Vocational Rehabilitation and a Certified Diploma in Accounting & Finance. She was Director of Awards and Standards with FETAC (2001-2011) and is currently Head of Industry and External Partnerships with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
Workshop 1.2: Quality and Transparency of education-business partnerships
Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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The purpose of my presentation is to set out a rationale for greater cooperation at a national level between higher education (specifically the qualifications system) and industry (specifically employers). The key premise is that effective education-industry cooperation can have major impact and support a change agenda across higher education; challenge current education practices; and enhance the quality of teaching and learning. The content is designed:
to complement current debates regarding making lifelong learning a reality and building a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion;
to support the promotion of approaches to formation, learning, education and training that are based on learning through real tasks, in real time, for real purposes, in real environments.
We will examine the above issues by considering education-industry partnerships across higher education in Ireland including the role of QQI; the current restructuring of both the further and higher education and training sectors; the Review of Apprenticeship Training in Ireland; and a greater national focus and impetus on promoting employer engagement and entrepreneurship education.
STÉPHANE LAUWICK & ARMANDO PIRES
Stéphane Lauwick joined the University of Le Havre (France) in 1993 as a professeur agrégé. After heading the Electrical Engineering Department of the University Institute of Technology (IUT) of that university, he is now the director of the Institute, an institution that enrols some 2.500 students and delivers 26 awards. He is a member of the 2012-2014 Board of EURASHE and of ADIUT, the French Association of Directors of University Institutes of Technology. He is the former Director of the Continuing Education Centre and Apprentice Training Centre of the University of Le Havre. In that capacity he actively promoted Lifelong Learning and developed the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process both within the University and at international level. He has worked with EUCEN on these issues and has advised on the establishment of the RPL process for the University of Mauritius and the World Customs Organisation. He is a member of the working group on the Social Dimension of the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) where he represents EURASHE.
Workshop 1.3: The supporting role of innovation and applied research in creating a knowledge triangle
Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
Armando Pires is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon. He received his MSc degree in 1988 and PhD degree in 1994 in Electrical Engineering at the same university. He is currently the President of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (since 2006). He is also the Vice-President of CCISP (Polytechnic Institutes Coordinating Council). He was the President of ASIBEI (Ibero-American Association of Engineering Education Institutions) and is member of the Administrative Council of AULP (Portuguese Universities Association). He is currently full professor in the area of Electrical Engineering at the Setúbal Polytechnic Institute in Portugal and Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the Energy Group at CTS/UNINOVA (Universidade Nova de Lisboa). He is member of the Portuguese Engineers Association and of the IEEE Association.
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Workshop 1.3: The supporting role of innovation and applied research in creating a knowledge triangle
SLAVA PEVEC GRM
Slava Pevec Grm works as a senior expert in the Qualifications and Learning Outcomes team at Cedefop. Her main focus of research is monitoring the implementation of national qualifications frameworks in European countries and analysing their impact on education and training reforms and the EQF implementation. She has coordinated, supervised and co-drafted the study on Qualifications at EQF level 5 and is currently involved in the comparative study on the application of learning outcomes approaches across Europe. As a member of various European working groups, including the EQF Advisory group and the working group on recognition of learning outcomes, she contributes actively to the development of European policy in vocational education and training. Before joining Cedefop in May 2009, she had worked for ten years at the National Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Slovenia. She has published in the fields of national qualifications frameworks and curriculum developments, textbooks, validation of non-formal learning and quality assurance. She holds Master Degree in Science from the University of Ljubljana.
Workshop 1.4: Level 5 in the EQF, at the interface of vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, facilitating access to HE
EQF level 5 qualifications open gates to career advancement and higher education. Cedefop’s contribution will draw on the recent study, which examines key functions and purposes of qualifications linked to level 5 of the European qualifications framework (EQF) in 15 countries. The study shows that EQF 5 qualifications – at the crossroads between VET, HE and general education – play an important role in providing access to employment and career advancement, as well as enabling further learning and progression to and within higher education. The extent to which level 5 is used varies across countries, ranging from countries with currently no qualifications, countries with short cycle higher education (SCHE) or VET qualifications, countries with SCHE and VET qualifications and finally countries with a diversified qualification landscape including sectorial, private and/or general education qualifications at this level. Countries differ significantly in the number of programmes, students enrolled and/or qualifications awarded at EQF level 5. EQF level 5 qualifications offer various access and progression routes – depending on the type and purpose of a qualification – from and to employment and to higher education. Level 5 qualifications primarily provide access to and advancement in the labour market; at the same time, many EQF level 5 qualifications are designed to up-skill individuals already in employment and provide them with advanced technical and/or management skills, as is the case in the Netherlands (an example is the Dutch ‘associate degree management and health care’).
Panel discussion: Diversity of European systems and qualifications and their supporting policies
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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KARINE HARUTYUNYAN
Karine Harutyunyan is the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Armenia. She holds PhD Degree in Physics and Mathematics, as well as Master Degree in Social Sciences from the Yerevan State University (YSU). Before joining the Ministry in 1996 she worked in UNICEF-Armenia. From 1984 to 1995 she conducted research in the field of physics (Quantum Electrodynamics) first at YSU and later at the Laser Techniques Research and Development Company. Her main fields of expertise are Education Policy analysis and planning, strategy formulation, project design and research. Over 18 years of her work experience in the Ministry, she has become an experienced education sector manager. Throughout her career, she has also served as consultant for the World Bank, the ADB, UNESCO and various national governments. In parallel with managerial responsibilities she continued to teach and to do research at university. She has published about 30 articles and books.
Track I Plenary: Issues of Employability in the Armenia context
The presentation focuses on the issues of student employability in Armenia. It includes a short overview of the higher education system, the current employment situation of young people and labour market demands in Armenia. The presentation focuses on the career path of graduates revealed by the ‘Graduate Tracer’ survey and government policy actions aimed at improving student employability.
ANITA LĪCE
Anita Līce is an Adviser on Education and Employment Affairs at the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK). She is also a member of the Advisory Committees on Vocational Education and Training and on Free Movement of Workers of the European Commission and a member of the Register Committee of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). Before her work at LDDK, Anita had been a vice-chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU), being responsible for the organisation’s management. She had been working also for the Ministry of Education and Science. Anita Līce holds degrees in Mathematics and Education Science from the University of Latvia.
Track II Introduction: Employability and cooperation between education and business sectors - the Employers‘ view
Employability has become a central topic in education policy discussions. Many countries report persistently high-levels of long-term unemployment, particularly among young people, and at the same time employers often report that they are unable to find suitably skilled candidates to fill the job vacancies. It is important more than ever that education supports students to be prepared for their professional career, and it is also essential for economic growth and social cohesion. Closer linkages between the world of education and the world of work can contribute to more informed education and career choices of individuals, higher quality of education programmes and better learning outcomes. Employers can also provide practical training opportunities, which is essential for smooth transition from education to employment. During this presentation, Anita Līce will give insight into the employers’ perspective on the concept of employability, cooperation between employers and education institutions and the role of employer organisations, and will offer proposals to improve employability of graduates.
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ARMEN BUDAGHYAN & KRISTINA TSATURYAN
Armen Budaghyan graduated from the faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Yerevan Polytechnic Institute. He did his postgraduate study at the Moscow Automobile Road Institute. In 1990 he earned his PhD in technical sciences. In 1991-1993 he was the Deputy Dean of the Transportation Systems Department at the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA). From 1993 to 2005 he was Vice-Director of the Graduate School of SEUA, and then went on to be Associate Vice-Rector of SEUA for Graduate Studies until 2008. In 2008 he became Associate Vice-Rector at the Department of University Development and Reforms. In 2001 he participated in the professional development programme in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education in the University of Michigan. In 2001 he carried out a research work for the topic of ‘Higher Education Administration & University Management in the Market Economy’ in the Universities of Michigan and Pittsburgh. In 2004 he served as a country consultant/researcher in the World Bank-funded development project ‘Tertiary Education and Innovation Systems in Europe and Central Asia’.
Kristina Tsaturyan holds a BA in Oriental Studies from Yerevan State University (YSU) and a MA in Marketing Communications from the Armenian State University of Economics. She has started her career in Higher Education in 2006 working as an Evaluation Expert in the National Information Center for Recognition and Mobility of Armenia (ENIC-NARIC). From 2010 to 2012 she has been the Head of Higher Education Subproject in the Center for Education Programs PIU of the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia. In 2012 she moved to the Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan (ASPU) and works as the Head of International Cooperation Unit. During this period she has been actively involved in the development of Quality Assurance mechanisms and policy papers of the ASPU. In 2011 she has represented the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia in the Bologna Information and Promotion network. As of 2012 she has been involved in the Self-certification Committee of the Armenian Qualifications Framework (AQF), as well as member of the team for the review of Higher Education Descriptors of the AQF.
Track II Introduction: Armenian National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education and its implementation issues
MIKE GREY
Mike Grey is running the Employability and Placement Unit within the Faculty of Engineering and Computing of Coventry University (United Kingdom) since September 2012. A former placement officer and employability and placement adviser in several universities in the UK, Mike Grey is a higher education careers professional with extensive experience of business development and event management with a large and diverse network of industry contacts. He has specialist knowledge of recruitment processes, talent attraction and the university sector. He has advanced networking skills and a proven track record of successfully developing strategic partnerships, both within the UK and internationally. Mike Grey was appointed to the Board of Trustees for PlaceNet (UK Placement Professionals Network) in May 2013.
Workshop 2.1: Models for Embedding Employability and Placements into Programmes and Courses in Higher Education
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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Mike Grey manages the EC Futures team at Coventry University which was recently shortlisted for the Best Placement Service in the UK. EC Futures currently has students completing paid placements at 128 different technical employers across the UK, Europe and beyond. Mike Grey will present ways in which to deliver a successful sandwich placement scheme, service employer requirements and engage students. This will include a case study about the Global Internship Scheme, exclusive to Coventry University, run with Tata Technologies. He will also discuss some innovative employer-led modules the EC Futures team delivers in conjunction with Intel and IBM. He will also discuss international experiences gained by students through Erasmus placements and Study Abroad initiatives. EC Futures have recently launched an Employability Industrial Advisory Panel featuring key employers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Philips and Bosch; Mike Grey will explain the rationale for this forum and provide examples of how this can support the employability agenda. The session will be interactive with plenty of opportunities for attendees to discuss initiatives and trends in their regions and share best practice.
JARI RIIHELÄINEN
Jari Riiheläinen is Education Policy and Systems Analyst in the education and youth policy analysis unit (formerly Eurydice) in the European Commission's Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EAEAC). He joined the unit in 2012 after gaining a PhD from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), his thesis focusing on the qualitative analysis of the debates related to Euro-membership in Austria, Finland and Ireland. Since joining Eurydice, he has contributed to Eurydice publications 'Funding of Education in Europe 2000-2012: The Impact of the Economic Crisis' and 'Education and Training in Europe 2020: Responses from the EU Member States', and he was the main author for 'Government education expenditure in the European Union during the economic crisis (2008-2011)'. He has recently joined the higher education research team, and is at the moment conducting research on the Social Dimension of higher education and Bologna Process implementation.
Workshop 2.2: Indicators of employment and employability from various data sources, Eurydice, European Commission’s evidence-based viewpoint
The presentation will provide data on employability-related issues collected by the Eurydice-network for the forthcoming Eurydice Higher Education report ‘Access, Retention and Employability’. It will first give a brief overview of different general approaches to employability in European countries. This is followed by the presentation of data on measures aimed at enhancing the employability of graduates. Indicators include, for example, whether countries conduct labour market forecasting and whether employers are consulted when designing curriculum or teaching, availability of career guidance, employability-related criteria in quality assurance procedures and graduate tracking. Lastly, some issues related to employability arising from site visits to eight higher education institutions will be described.
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JENS VRAA-JENSEN
Jens Vraa-Jensen holds a MSc in Geography from the University of Copenhagen, and has been employed by DM – the largest Danish Trade Union in Higher education and research – since January 1990. He has been responsible for the international work of the union for the last 15 years. In this period he has represented DM at several World Congresses and other international conferences and meetings in the global teacher organisation Education International (EI). He is a member of EI’s European Standing Committee for Higher Education and Research – the last 6 years he has served as chair of the committee. He has been part of EI delegations to conferences and seminars in UNESCO, OECD and Council of Europe etc. He has for short periods been guest teacher at Danish universities – latest on the development of the GATT negotiations and the problems related to trade, privatisation and the on-going commodification of Higher Education.
Workshop 2.3: Stakeholders involvement for increasing employability of young graduates
The presenter holds the opinion that there are many factors that have an impact on an individual’s employability: critical thinking, communication (both oral and written and in different languages), a developed intellectual capacity, social and democratic behaviour and intercultural understanding – and of course relevant, updated and useful skills in the subject you have graduated from. In terms of employment, we are not only looking at training a person in a narrow set of skills, which will risk to be out-dated a few years after graduation. All subjects and levels of education must build on a balance between what the Germans would call Ausbildung und Bildung – with the latter also providing the employee with the ability to meet new and unknown developments and problems at work, and develop solutions for them. The labour market (the employers) will – for obvious and fair reasons – focus most on the immediately useful skills and will not necessary see the long-term perspective. Thus, it can be a risky business for the long-term quality and relevance of any education to involve the immediate interests of the labour market too close in curriculum development and other decisions about the content of education. External stakeholders in education can give highly valuable input, but the decisions on what to train people in should be with the professionals in education at HEIs, based on a high degree of engagement and involvement of staff and students.
Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market
ROK PRIMOŽIČ
Rok Primožič is the Chairperson of the European Students’ Union (ESU), which is the umbrella organisation of 47 national unions of students from 39 European countries. He has a Bachelor in Law from the University in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and is currently studying Educational Sciences at a Master’s level in Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) (Belgium). He has been a student representative for more than 5 years already, starting in Slovenia, where he served among others also as the acting president of Slovenian Student Union (ŠOS). He was a member of ESU’s Executive Committee in 2011-2012 and a Vice-Chairperson in 2012-2013. Rok Primožič’s main areas of work are public responsibility and financing of higher education as well as mobility and internationalisation.
Workshop 2.3: Stakeholders involvement for increasing employability of young
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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graduates
Closing panel: Qualifications for the Labour Market
ALICIA-LEONOR SAULI-MIKLAVČIČ & MICHAL KARPÍŠEK
Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič is a good connoisseur of international professional higher education, Secretary General of the Slovene Association HVC as well as a member of the EURASHE working group on Employability & Lifelong Learning. She was one of the partners in the L5-Missing Link project, and is one of the experts for the Short Cycle Higher Education in Europe publication as well as one of the partners in the HAPHE project. In November 2012 she organised and chaired the first HAPHE conference for South-Eastern Europe and in April 2012 co-organised and chaired the Bologna Seminar on Learning Outcomes in Ljubljana (Slovenia). Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavčič established the first Slovene ERASMUS Placement Consortium, the Slovene ERASMUS PHE Alumni Club and ERASMUS PHE Teacher & Staff Club and as an ERASMUS co-ordinator at Wood Technology School, Higher Vocational College (School Centre Maribor) contributed to the its selection for Erasmus Success Stories 2012 by the European Commission. She possesses good command of English, German, Croatian and Spanish.
Michal Karpíšek has been Executive officer of the Czech Association of Schools of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) since 1994. He has been engaged in the introduction and development of the Czech professional higher education since its very beginning. Focusing on internationalisation, CASPHE became a member of EURASHE in 1994. Michal Karpíšek has been a member of the EURASHE Council for the last 12 years and since 2007 he has been serving as Vice-President, specifically involved in the strategy and organisational development of EURASHE and the employability and lifelong learning agenda. In the recent years Michal Karpíšek has been involved in the reform of Czech tertiary education. He served twice as an advisor to Czech ministers of education (2001-2003, 2010-2011) or their deputies for higher education with a particular attention to issues of diversification and quality of tertiary education. He graduated from the Czech Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering and has a degree in Quality Management from the Cranfield University (United Kingdom). Michal Karpíšek has been recently engaged as a senior expert in the reform of VET in Turkmenistan.
Workshop 2.4: Promoting apprenticeship schemes and initiatives across Europe: The European Alliance for Apprenticeships
GAYANE HARUTYUNYAN
Gayane Harutyunyan has assumed the responsibility for the Armenian National Information Centre for Academic Recognition and Mobility in 2006 and since then she has been representing Armenia in the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG). Simultaneously, since 2007 she has been serving as the Vice-Chair of the LRC Bureau and has participated in the development of Subsidiary Text to LRC Recommendation on the use of qualifications frameworks in facilitating the academic recognition of foreign qualifications. Presently, she is the Head of the BFUG Secretariat in charge of coordination and support provided to the BFUG and its substructures in the implementation of the process.
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Track II Plenary: Employability from the Bologna perspective
In 2007 in London ministers identified employability as one of the priorities for the period leading to the next ministerial conference in April 2009. Employability has been one of the main aims to be achieved with the creation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) from the very beginning. Nevertheless, many of the concerns still exist - among employers, students, academics, higher education institutions and governments. In the 2012 Bucharest Communiqué, ministers committed “to enhance the employability and personal and professional development of graduates throughout their careers” to serve Europe’s needs. The ministers stressed the role of cooperation between employers, students and higher education institutions in achieving this goal. Furthermore, lifelong learning was acknowledged as one of the important factors in meeting the needs of a changing labour market; and it was also highlighted that higher education institutions play a central role in transferring knowledge and strengthening regional development. Finally, the ministers pointed at learning mobility as essential to ensure the quality of higher education, enhance students’ employability and expand cross-border collaboration within the EHEA and beyond.
ARTHUR AGHABABYAN
Arthur Aghababyan is the acting rector of the Yerevan University after Movses Khorenatsy. In 1978 he entered Yerevan State University (YSU), the faculty of mechanics and mathematics and graduated in 1983. In 1983 he entered the YSU postgraduate school at the chair of Differential Equations and Functional Analysis and defended his thesis on ‘The assessments of own values of a certain class of hipoeliptic operators’ gaining his PhD on physics and mathematics. In 1996 he founded the University after Movses Khorenatsy and since then he has been working as a founder-rector. He is a Vice-President in the rector’s council of Armenian accredited universities.
ASHOT MARKOSYAN
Ashot Markosyan is a Doctor of Science (Economics) since 1998, professor, full member of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Russian Federation since 1998. From 2003 he has been a lecturer and professor at Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. From 2000 to 2003 he worked in the Ministry of State Property Management in Yerevan. His function as Deputy Minister included the formation of private and public sectors of economy, distribution of their proportion, optimisation of the Structure of Economy, problems concerning perfection of controllability and elaboration of legal and methodological fundamentals for the solution of the mentioned problems. Since 2002 he has been the Head of Economics and Right research department at the Institute of Water Problems and Hydraulic Engineering in Yerevan. From 1996 to 2000 he was as well the Deputy Ministry at the Ministry of Privatisation of the Republic of Armenia.
Track II Plenary: Employment and remuneration problems for the higher education specialists in the Republic of Armenia
The article analyses the problems of employment and remuneration for higher education’s specialists, stemming from the supply and demand correlation for
EURASHE 24th Annual Conference
Qualifications for the Labour Market
15-16 May 2014, Yerevan (Armenia)
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specialists of such particular skills in the job market of Armenia. The supply and the demand generate also the level of remuneration of such specialists. In any country, along with other factors of production (natural resources and conditions, capital, entrepreneurial skills and knowledge), it plays an important role for the economic growth and the living standards of the population. In the past 10 to 15 years, due to a series of implemented measures a competitive educational system has been established. It attested by the fact that the number of students entering higher education institutions has considerably increased, as well as the fact that citizens from over 40 countries are benefiting from the services of Armenia’s higher education. As a result of several social and economic, as well as historical conditions, Armenia sustains one of the lowest salary scales in the world. For example, as of March 2014 the average salary in Armenia amounts to the equivalent of 300 USD. Measures to expand the employment of higher education specialists and to estimate in due manner the effectiveness of their activity will be proposed.
HOVIK MUSAYELYAN
Dr Hovik Musayelyan is the Director of Synopsys Armenia CJSC. He also serves as the Director of Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation. Dr Musayelyan is a member of the Executive Board of the State Engineering University of Armenia, the Board of Trustees of the European Regional Educational Academy as well as the Board of the Yerevan State University. Dr Musayelyan is a member of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia Presidium, as well as a Board member of the Union of IT Enterprises of Armenia. In 2011, Hovik Musayelyan became a member of the Engineering Academy of Armenia as well as was elected a foreign member of the Engineering Academy of Russia. Prior to joining Synopsys in 2004, Hovik Musayelyan served as the Director of the Armenian branch of Leda Systems. From 1997 he has been engaged in the IT sector. He graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering of State Engineering University of Armenia after Karl Marx. Dr Musayelyan entered the Moscow Scientific-Research Institute of Industrial Materials in 1984 as a PhD student. In 1987 he was granted PhD in Technical Sciences.
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ORGANISERS AND PATRONS
European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)4
EURASHE is the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education that offer professionally oriented programmes and are engaged in applied and profession-related research within the Bologna cycles. Currently more than 1 100 higher
education institutions in 40 countries within and outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) are affiliated to EURASHE. Members of EURASHE are national associations of higher education institutions and individual institutions, such as universities, (university) colleges and universities of applied sciences, as well as other professional associations and stakeholder organisations active in the field of higher education.
Yerevan State University (YSU)5
Yerevan State University (YSU) is a university in Yerevan (Armenia). Founded on 16 May 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3.150 employees, 1.190 comprise the teaching staff, which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents (associate professors), and 360 assistant lecturers. The university has 400 researchers, 1.350 post-graduate students, and 8.500
undergraduates, including 300 students from abroad. Instruction is in Armenian, but instruction in Russian and English for foreign students is arranged according to need.
National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA)6
A technical school opened within the newly established Yerevan State University in 1921, graduating its first students in 1928. In July 1930, the Armenian Construction Institute, which by this stage had departments of Architecture and Construction, Hydrology and Chemical Engineering, was established with prominent architect Mikayel Mazmanyan as its first director. It grew and developed until on 11 January
1989, the Institute was renamed the Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction by the Armenian SSR Council of Ministers. Its first rector (1989–2006) was Arest Baglaryan, followed by Professor Hovhannes Tokmajyan, and since early 2014 Gagik Galstyan has been rector. Its 7 faculties contain 23 departments.
Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia7
The Republic of Armenia Ministry of Education and Science is a republican body of executive authority, which elaborates and implements the policies of the Republic of
Armenia Government in the education and science sectors.
Rectors’ Council of Armenia State Higher Educational Institutions8
One of the two main representative bodies in the tertiary education system: the Council of Rectors of State Higher Educational Institutions and the Council of Rectors of Private Higher Educational Institutions, which are both advisory bodies to the Ministry.
The central task of the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) Secretariat is to support the work of the Bologna Follow-up Group, within all BFUG sub-structures. The Secretariat provides first draft agendas for BFUG meetings for decision by the BFUG Chairs on which items are to be included for discussion. The Secretariat also plays a significant role in drafting official documents within the European Higher Education Area and provides background discussion documents, liaising with relevant authors as
appropriate.
Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU)10
Armenian National Agrarian University trains and prepares specialists for the agrarian sphere. ANAU has passed a glorious scientific and educational road, and the University is proud of its graduates who serve for the welfare and prosperity of our state.
CONFERENCE EVALUATION FORM
As an integral part of EURASHE’s Secretariat own quality assurance, we are hereby providing you with a Conference Evaluation Form.
We would be grateful if you could fill this form and hand it to one of the EURASHE team members during the Conference.
We will make sure to inform you of the results in the spirit of the ESG information guidelines.
9 www.ehea.info 10 www.anau.am
Organisers contact persons:
Marko Grdošić, EURASHE Project Manager, 0032 483 67 64 70
From and to Yerevan ‘Zvartnots’ International Airport
Travel from and to Yerevan ‘Zvartnots’ International Airport is possible through taxi or shuttle bus services. More information at www.aia-zvartnots.aero.
Taxi: AeroTaxi is the official passenger transporter of ‘Zvartnots’ International Airport. Pick-up can be booked with AeroTaxi. A journey Yerevan-Airport costs approximately 4.000 AMD or 7 EUR. More information at www.aerotaxi.am or per telephone at 00374 10 77 11 00.
Shuttle bus: Two shuttle bus lines (N107 and N108) operate to/from different districts of Yerevan. The fare is about 500 AMD or just under 1 EUR.
Conference map
The Yerevan State University (YSU) hosts the conference. It is located at 1 Alek Manukyan St, Yerevan (in yellow on the map).
Suggested hotels for participants (in red on the map) include Best Western Congress Hotel (1), Ani Plaza Hotel (2), Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel (3), Armenia Marriott Hotel (4). Transportation to and from the conference venue will be provided from Congress Hotel (1) and Marriott Hotel (4).
15 May 2014: the Performance State Youth Orchestra and Opening Reception will take place in Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall (in blue on the map) at 7.30 pm on Thursday 15 May. It is located at 2 Abovyan St, Yerevan, in the city centre, about 5 minutes from the suggested hotels. (semi-formal dress)
16 May 2014: the Gala Dinner will take place at Ojakh restaurant at 7.00 pm on Friday 16 May. It is located at 2213, Kotayk Marz, Balahovit village (Abovyan region). Transportation to and from Ojakh restaurant will be provided from the main hotels in Yerevan.
17 May 2014: In the morning of Saturday 16 May, EURASHE proposes an Optional Social Programme to participants of the conference (additional fee). In the morning a visit of Matenadaran and the Genocide Memorial, followed by lunch outside of Yerevan. Then onto the Temple of Garni, and Geghard Monastery – with an approximate return in Yerevan around 5.00 pm.
