Higher Education in Flanders BE

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• Higher Education in Flanders (BE)
• by Tom Dekeyzer, advisor to the Flemish minister
  for Work, Education Training

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Content

• Key features of Belgium / Flanders
• Structure of the educational system
• Facts and figures, organisation BaMa, study
  choice, admission requirements for the HEIs
• Associations in the Flemish Community
• Bologna-process realisations and challenges
  beyond 2010
• Conclusion

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Key features of BE/FL

• Belgium gained independence in 1830
• Founding EU-member state
• Has become a federal state with
• three Communities
• ?Flemish-, French-, and German-speaking
• and three Regions
• ?Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels
• FL community and region of FL one authority gt
  Flanders

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Key features of BE/FL

• The federal level is responsible for foreign
  affairs, national security and welfare.
• The Communities are responsible for
  person-related issues such as education and
  welfare.
• The Regions deal with territorial matters such
  as economy, environment and transport.

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Key features of BE/FL

• population 10,6 million (FL 6,1)
• capital of both BE and FL Brussels (at the same
  time headquarters of the EU, NATO and many
  international organisations).
• www.belgium.be www.flanders.be

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Educational system structure
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Educational system principles

• Freedom of education (free universities
  colleges)
• Public funding for higher education
• Basic financing for all accredited institutions
  (based on of students and scientific output)
• Low tuition fee (500 euro/year) scholarships
• Basic mission of all HE institutions
• Education/Teaching
• Research (fundamental, applied)
• Service to society

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Structure of Higher Education
Academic
PHD programme
Advanced master programme min. 60 ects
Professional
Advanced bachelor programme min. 60 ects
Master programme min. 60 ects
Professional bachelor programme 180 ects
Academic bachelor programme 180 ects
Admission requirement diploma of secondary
school
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Structure of Higher Education starting a new
level

• Tertiary Short Cycle (HBO)
• EQF levels 4 and 5
• max 120 ECTS
• bridge between secondary and higher education
• level 5 leading to an Associates degree and
  intended to enter the workforce after graduation
• but may also be intended for transfer to a
  professional bachelor programme

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Facts and Figures 2006-2007
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Organisation after Ba/Ma

• 22 University colleges (hogescholen)
• near future short cycle (120 ECTS)
• Professional bachelor (180 ECTS)
• Advanced bachelor (60 ECTS)
• Academic bachelor (180 ECTS)
• Academic master (60 ECTS)
• Doctoral programmes at one of the universities
• Bridging programme to give access to masters for
  professional bachelors

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Professional Bachelor

• The degree of professional bachelor is only
  awarded after succesfully completing 180
  ECTS-studypoints at a university college.
• Prepares students for professions in industry,
  education, commerce, agriculture, health and
  rehabilitation, social work, informatics, applied
  arts or the media.
• Courses are practice-oriented and include periods
  of work placement and internships.
• As agreed in the Bologna declaration these
  bachelorstudies are relevant to the labour
  market.

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Students study choice

• University Colleges (2006-2007)
• Business/ Office management 24.367
• Teacher Training 18 002 (M 4 942 F13 060)
• Social Work 11 167 (M 2 525 F 8 642)
• Health Care 11 010 (M1 645 F 9 365)

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Organisation after BA/MA

• 6 universities offer
• Academic bachelor (180 ECTS)
• Academic master (60-120ECTS)
• PhD
• Advanced master (60 ECTS)
• Bridging programmes access master level for
  professional and academic bachelors

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Students study choice

• Universities 2006-2007
• Law, Notarial Law Criminology 8 806
• Economics Applied Economics 6 913
• Psychological Pedagogical Sciences 6 810

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Admission requirements

• in general
• the secondary school-leaving certificate

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Admission requirements

• Otherwise
• The HE-board can allow admission.
• A foreign qualification of which recognition is
  based on a Belgian law, EU-directive or
  international convention.
• After individual assessment based on a foreign
  diploma giving acces to HE in the home-country.
• In the case of a foreign certificate procedure
  of equivalence
• (www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/NARIC)

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HEIs embedded in associations

• The decree concerning the implementation of the
  Bologna structure also set up a new
  organisational structure, called association
• Five associations have been formed, consisting of
  one university and at least one university
  college.
• Their mission is to steer, to plan and to
  improve, through mutual cooperation, the quality
  and efficiency of higher education and research.

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Timeline Bologna Process(source Eurydice)
Promoting Mobility student/staff Reinforce Social
Dimension Availability of Data Improve Employa
bility Strategy adopted for the EHEA in a global
setting
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Bologna processRealisations Challenges beyond
2010

• Structural reform
• Implementation of the BaMa structure (third
  cycle)
• Flexible learning paths
• Recognition of prior learning and experiental
  learning
• Matching higher education and research

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Bologna processRealisations Challenges beyond
2010

• Tools for mobility and recognition
• Credit system (ECTS)
• Mobility (Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus)
• Recognition - development EQF
• Diploma supplement

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EQF Bama-reform

• EQF-level Flanders
• Level 5 short cycle
• Level 6 professional BA academic BA
• advanced BA
• Level 7 academic MA
• Level 8 doctoral programme

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Bologna processRealisations Challenges beyond
2010

• Quality Assurance in the Flemish community
• Accreditation is one of the most important
  elements of the Bologna declaration.
• Evaluation of the programs, teaching staff,
  research, student services by panel of experts.
• Internal quality assurance autonomy HEIs
• External quality assurance Council of Flemish
  Universities (VLIR) Council of University
  Colleges (VLHORA)
• Accreditation organisation integration for the
  Netherlands and the Flemish community (NVAO gt
  www.nvao.net )
• Governance accountability versus autonomy of the
  HEIs no accreditation means no public funding

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Bologna processRealisations Challenges beyond
2010

• Internationalisation as a Top Priority
• Joint degrees incl. third cycle
• Student support services (language training,
  information and study opportunities in other
  HEIs)
• Partnerships Mobility
• Widening access European Higher Education Area
• Internationalisation at home

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Bologna processRealisations Challenges beyond
2010

• Innovation
• Curriculum reform Learning outcomes
• Lifelong learning
• Social dimension
• Employability Engaging partners in the Bologna
  process the Lisbon process
• Diversity
• Quality

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Conclusionreasons to come to Flanders?

• For students
• Variation of programmes
• Quality assurance ? high level of education
• Student facilities
• For partners
• Joint degree programmes
• Quality assurance ? international profile
• Language education

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Websites of Interest

• www.flanders.be
• www.ond.vlaanderen.be
• www.studyinflanders.be
• www.vlhora.be
• www.vlir.be
• www.highereducation.be

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• Bologna ministerial conference 2009
• hosted by the Benelux countries
• 28-29 april 2009
• Leuven Louvain-La-Neuve
• (Belgium)

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• The Benelux countries would like to give clear
  visibility to the substantial role the academic
  community plays in the achievement of the Bologna
  goals.
• Bologna is more than mere convergence of
  policies set by public authorities. Higher
  education institutions, staff and students all
  together have made an impressive contribution to
  the implementation and will continue to define
  the shape of the European Higher Education Area.

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Bologna Secretariat 2009

• www.bologna2009benelux.org
• This website is operated by the Benelux Bologna
  Secretariat, which supports the Bologna Process
  in the run-up to the next Ministerial Conference

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• Thank you very much for your attention.
• Questions?