Bolognese Australiano Australia and the Bologna Process Lois Sparkes NZ Bologna Day Workshop 23 Febr

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Bolognese AustralianoAustralia and the Bologna
ProcessLois SparkesNZ Bologna Day Workshop23
February 2007
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Australia and the Bologna Process
Bologna
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Why Bologna is important to
Australia

• The potential benefits of Bologna compatibility
• Facilitation of mobility and recognition
• Benefits to Australian students and employers
• The Diploma Supplement
• Credit Transfer

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Why Bologna is important to Australia
(cont)

• The risks of Bologna incompatibility
• Other countries or regions follow the Bologna
  route
• Europe becomes a more attractive destination for
  overseas students at the expense of Australia
• Europe focuses on Europe

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DESTs Consultation Process

• To identify if/where Government leadership
• could help the sector navigate these issues
• April 2006 Discussion Paper
• The Bologna Process and Australia
• Next Steps
• July August 2006
• National Round Table consultations
• September 2006
• The Bologna Process National Seminar

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Questions for Consultations

• Threshold question how important is it that we
  align with the outcomes of the Bologna Process
  and what risks do we run by ignoring them?
• If some alignment, what is the balance between a
  cohesive approach and appropriate flexibility,
  especially re degree structures?
• 
  continued

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Questions for Consultations

• What does alignment mean for funding and
  regulation?
• What about our neighbours - what actions could be
  taken to address the implications of the Bologna
  Process for our Asia-Pacific regional
  interactions with governments and higher
  education providers?

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Main Issues Emerging

• Issues raised in the submissions include
• the need for a unified and a national approach
• an early consideration of funding and related
  costs
• involvement of Asia-Pacific education partners
• the importance of maintaining the diversity
  offered by Australias current system.

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From the Professions

• Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA)
• we are committed to engaging with DEST in
  relation to the implications of the Bologna
  Process, and in particular, to moves that would
  change the primary degree leading to registration
  as an architect from a bachelor to a
  pre-professional masters degree.
• Association of Consulting Engineers Australia
  (ACEA)
• The Bologna process is encouraged by ACEA as it
  seeks to reduce complications with student
  mobility, credit transfer, financial limitations
  and course requirements.

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Degree structures

• General view is that serious consideration must
  be given to implications of Bologna on degree
  structures - there are implications of any shift
  to a 323 model including
• May not suit all professional requirements
• May be valid reasons for one-year masters
  programmes in some areas
• Would impact on the honours year
• Broad agreement is that the key issue to address
  is funding of students - both places and student
  income support

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Credit transfer

• Wide divergence of views of the current state of
  play of credit transfer in Australia.
• Some submissions welcome discussion because it
  has proved difficult.
• ECTS is still a long way from Europe-wide
  implementation - is it the best model for credit
  transfer?
• ECTS take up varies significantly across Bologna
  signatories.
• Even where used widely, credit not recognised
  automatically degree awarding institution
  determines what credits to accept for specific
  programmes.

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Diploma Supplement

• Submissions indicated considerable support
  could enhance mobility and maintain flexibility
  and diversity.
• Could be expected to deliver benefits for both
  domestic and international students.
• Suggestions included
• Undertaking analysis of costs of introduction and
  in particular the software requirements
• Investigating issues relating to data integrity
• Developing a consistent national template
• Incorporating a statement about quality and
  accreditation.

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Quality assurance

• Key objective is to promote European cooperation
  in quality assurance and to develop comparable
  criteria and methodologies.
• Australia has an extensive quality assurance
  framework Australia should take leading role in
  advancing development of qualifications
  frameworks.

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National Seminar

• Approx. 150 participants including eight
  vice-chancellors
• Opened by the Hon Julie Bishop, Minister for
  Education, Science and Training
• Keynote address by Professor Stephen Adam,
  University of Westminster - a comprehensive and
  balanced update on the state of play in Europe

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Major Outcomes of the National Seminar

• 400000 funding for the development of an
  Australian Diploma Supplement and scoping of
  system requirements for implementation of the
  supplement to be undertaken by a selected
  consortium
• Establishment of a High Level Steering Group to
  provide ongoing leadership to the issues and
  challenges posed by the Bologna Process
• http//aei.dest.gov.au/AEI/GovernmentActivities/Bo
  lognaProcess/SeminarProgramme.htm

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High Level Steering Group

• Establishment of a high level steering group to
  provide ongoing leadership to the issues and
  challenges posed by the Bologna Process

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Other Initiatives

• External Dimensions Seminar, Oslo 2006
• The Brisbane Process

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External Dimension Seminar Oslo Sept 2006

• Australian consultation process praised
• Recommendation for Bologna to make links with
  kindred processes world wide
• e.g. Brisbane Process
• Ministerial Conference London 2007

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The Brisbane Process

• Minister Bishop hosted the inaugural Asia-Pacific
  Education Ministers meeting in Brisbane, 4 April
  2006.
• The overarching objective of what is becoming
  known as the Brisbane Process is to better
  position the education systems and approaches of
  the broader Asia-Pacific with international
  developments.

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Brisbane Process outcomes

• The four agreed areas for collaboration are
• Quality assurance frameworks for the region,
  linked to international standards
• Recognition of educational and professional
  qualifications
• Measures to improve the quality of maths and
  science teaching in the region and
• The development of common recognition of
  technical skills across the region.

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Brisbane Process

• Senior Officials Working Group
• This Working Group will report to Ministers in
  2007 and, more extensively, at the 2008
  Asia-Pacific Education Ministers Meeting.
• Brisbane Communiqué Taskforce
• A taskforce has been set up in DEST to provide
  secretariat support to the Senior Officials
  Working Group and to manage Australias
  participation in the initiative.

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