Creating an European Master Programme in European Heritage and Digital Media

1
Creating an European Master Programme
inEuropean Heritage and Digital Media

• Joaquim Carvalho
• University of Coimbra, Portugal
• Joaquim_at_dei.uc.pt

2
Master in the Bologna context

• A Master programme is a second cycle programme in
  the Bologna framework.
• Students must have concluded a first cycle
  programme (3/4 years).
• The Master programme is two years (120 credits)
• Master programmes offered by networks of European
  Universities are important in the new European
  Higher Education Area (EHEA)
• They are one of the core strategies of the EU to
  make the EHEA attractive worldwide.

3
Why Heritage and Digital Media?

• Technology evolves in the direction of wider and
  cheaper dissemination of multi-media information
• New questions
• What types of content will use the new
  technological possibilities?
• How can Europe's rich cultural heritage be
  harvested efficiently as content source for the
  new information and communication technologies?
• Are new roles and job profiles emerging in the
  area of content production and project management
  for the multimedia industries, where balanced
  skills in cultural heritage and ITC are central?

4
Why an European Master?

• The problems of content production and bridging
  the gap between cultural heritage and new media
  are global, but they find in the European context
  a fertile ground where innovative solutions can
  emerge.
• Europe provides advanced technological
  industries, multi-secular heritage, rich
  diversity of cultures and historical experiences,
  millions of educated cultural consumers.
• Europe the world's first destination for culture
  aware tourism

5
Aims of this Master

• Global aim to offer an integrated program aiming
  at producing top level professionals able to make
  new bridges between Cultural Content, Historical
  Heritage and ITC.
• Profile professionals able to communicate both
  with content specialists and technological
  experts in order to create, design, plan and
  manage effectively complex projects for the
  content industries.
• Audience students with a 1st cycle degree in
  Humanities or related areas.

6
Institutions involved

• PT University of Coimbra, Grupo de História
• Web production, Multimedia CD-ROMS, Historical
  Computer Games
• DE Universiy at Köln, Historisch-Kulturwissenschaf
  tliche Informationsverarbeitung
• Digital libraries, Historical Databases,
  Historical Computer Science
• FI University of Turku (various dept.s)
• Online distance learning, Web based historical
  content (EHLEE) project
• IT Lecce, Dipartimento di Studi Storici dal
  Medioevo all' Età Contemporanea
• Historical /Geographical Information systems

7
How it will work

• Each institution takes its own students
• First Semester
• Students are at their home institutions
• Coordinated content ensures every student gets
  similar basic conceptual and technological
  competences
• Students are exposed to what will be offered in
  other institutions.
• Courses in native languages

8
How it will work

• Second semester
• Students choose another institution to further
  their training in specific areas
• Courses in English
• Third Semester
• Students either return home or move to another
  University
• Courses of 3rd semester might duplicate the 2nd
  semester with different students

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How it will work

• Fourth semester
• Students write their thesis/project with co-
  supervisors from the institution close to their
  interests
• Professors might circulate in the first semester
  to present their institutions offers.
• Professors might circulate later to give
  concentrated courses and follow supervised
  students

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The European advantage

• Students will be able to tap a pool of experts
  and resources in different but interrelated
  areas.
• Students will be able to choose (co-)supervisors
  from different institutions and develop work in
  different environments.
• Students will be exposed to different academic
  and industrial environments and contact different
  types of content and ways to use it.

11
Calendar

• Detailed work plan and formal agreement of
  institutions to cooperate starting activities at
  October 2005
• June-July 2005 approval of programme structure
  required by University Senates in PT and IT
  before the summer 2005.
• 2005-2006 detailed planning, production of
  materials and publicity strategy (flyers,
  information package).
• Spring-Summer 2006 publicity, taking
  inscriptions, selecting candidates
• September 2006 starting.

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Questions open

• What core content in the first semester?
• What specific content in the second semester at
  each institution?
• Status of the joint degree (awarded jointly by 4
  universities)
• Money for mobility of students and professors (EU
  in the first run, fees in some countries,
  sponsorships)