Annex 2
President’s Report 2006
General Assembly, University of Latvia,
November 3rd, 2006
1. EU PROJECTS
a. Submission of SOCRATES project proposal SUMIT: SUpporting Mobility Through Information and communication Technologies, Approved by EC
b. Submission of SOCRATES project proposal PORT-A: Guidelines PhD PORTfolio- raising Awareness of skills in knowledge based Europe, rejected by EC.
c. The project UNICA SEMINAR/WORKSHOP – What can UNICA undertake to encourage entrepreneurship among PhD students in Europe? - Aiming at the creation of more and better jobs and greater social cohesion project was submitted in the frame of the SOCRATES call European associations acting at European level in the field of education and training.
d. BEPIQUA Project: submission of final reports closing of finances
e. Partner for dissemination in the Teaching and Diversity SOCRATES project approved by EC
f. Partner for Support &dissemination of the Eurocampus project (by Euradia) if accepted by EC
2. BOLOGNA LABORATORY
a. 4th BL coordinators meeting 2006, Stockholm University, April 21st & 22nd, 2006 (see report on (www.univie.ac.at/bologna-lab/artikel.php?Art_ID=180
b. update of the BL manual (www.univie.ac.at/bologna-lab/index.php?Alias_ID=92&Art_ID=170 )
c. Joint Degrees:
- Current programs.
- 2 new projects
d. 4 Cities Joint program received a Curriculum Development grant
e. Launching of the European Campus idea
3. SEMINARS & WORKING GROUPS
a. Admission & Credential evaluation seminar, University of Lausanne, March 31st & April 1st, 2006
b. 3rd Scholarly Communication seminar (May 18th-19th, 2006) hosted by the University of Helsinki Trends in Education & Research: Developing skills and Communication across Europe and UNICA recommendations for EU DG Research publication on “Study on the economic and technological evolution of the scientific publications market in Europe”
c. The constitution of a PhD contact person group
d. UNICA Network for EU Research Administrators workshop on EU Research FP7,at the permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU in Brussels
b. Equal opportunities strategic preparation meeting, July 4th at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
4. STUDENT CONFERENCE
4th Students Conference: The University in the City, Paris, Université de Pierre et Marie Curie, October 25th to 28th, 2006 (www.unicainparis.fr )
5. STAFF MOBILITY
- Katerina Nikolaidou Pietroni (University of Cyprus) was granted the staff mobility grant to visit the ULB public Relations Department (see http://www.ulb.ac.be/unica/staffmob.html )
- Jolanta Stelmaszczyk (University of Warsaw) was granted the UNICA staff mobility to visit the University of Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris) to prepare future UNICA Student Conference
6. POLICY & STRATEGY
Preparation of the organization & the participation chart of members
7. MEMBERS
All new members were requested to sign the Equal Opportunities Mission Statement of the network
8. PUBLICATIONS: WEBSITE, LEAFLET & POSTERS
a. Update: Poster coat of arms 2006 & Leaflet 2006
b. UNICA Newsletters: e-commUNICAtion 1page 4 times a year
c. Database UNICA: new concept to stream information update on member Universities
d. Website update
e. Information on activities of members by “notice board” on UNICA Website
9. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
a. Steering Committee meetings 2006:
- January 30th, UNICA Secretariat
- May 11th, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
- September 18th, University of Vienna
- November 2nd & 4th, University of Latvia
b. General Assembly: University of Latvia, November 3rd, 2006
10. IRO MEETING & ELECTION OF OBSERVERS
a. The annual IRO meeting was hosted by the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, May 12 & 13, 2006. Many issues were debated, of which:
- Possible changes in policies and practices
- How could we facilitate the vertical mobility within the UNICA network
- UNICA European campus
b. The elections of the new IRO observers were also organized:
- Catherine Convery from University College Dublin was elected IRO observer
- Ake Nagrelius from Stockholm University was elected substitute
11. PARTICIPATION OF UNICA
a. Science & Society, Brussels, January 23rd, 2006, UNICA was represented by G. Béréziat
b. The Secretary General gave a presentation at the Fundraising seminar EU-US corporate foundations, organized by the King Baudouin Foundation, September 24th to 28th.
a. Collaboration with Cities of Europe
- Meeting of Secretariat with representatives from the UCEU
- Prof. de Maret represented UNICA as guest at the UCEU General Assembly on Creativity (September 21st to 23rd, Ljubljana)
b. The Secretariat was invited to participate to the European Science Advice Network for Health (EuSANH) meeting entitled Towards more cooperation between national science advisory bodies in Europe. It took place at ECDG Research in Brussels, September 15th. For more information please see annex 7 to General Assembly, “Initiatives 2007”
For more information on UNICA activities, don’t hesitate to visit our website: www.ulb.ac.be/unica
1. EC PROJECTS
PROJECTS SUBMITTED BY UNICA TO
· SUMIT– SUPPORTING MOBILITY THROUGH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
(APPROVED)
This project proposal aims at supporting the objective of 3.000.000 Erasmus students by 2011 through the organisation of a seminar on virtual aspects related to mobility will be hosted by the university of Warsaw.
The partnership envisages setting up a seminar which will highlight and exchange best practices on virtual aspects related to mobility during three stages: before, during and after (mobility). In the first place, the UNICA member universities in the new member states and candidate countries are targeted. The objective is to show universities in the targeted countries how ICT can be used to enhance the quality of the student and the university experience of exchange, which, eventually, will help to increase numbers (influx and outflux) of Erasmus students.
The event will be of interest to university staff involved in International Relations, Erasmus Coordination, e-Learning, libraries and IT services as well as to student associations.
Even though this initiative will start with UNICA universities, the aim is to set a multiplier effect with publication of the report resulting from the seminar (flyer, website announcements, etc.).
Partner Institutions: UNICA, Brussels Education Services sprl (B.E.S.), Uniwwersytet Warszawski, University of Edinburgh
· PORT-A: GUIDELINES PHD PORTFOLIO- RAISING AWARENESS OF SKILLS IN KNOWLEDGE BASED EUROPE
(NOT APPROVED BY COMMISSION, BUT UNDER REQUEST OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE, WILL BE PURSUED BY UNICA)
The present project proposes a portfolio for PhD candidates, with the goal of raising their awareness of the skills that they acquire or need to acquire during their early-stage research, and to make those skills more visible to prospective employers. The aim of the project, in the context of European restructuring of higher education, doctoral training is regarded as a crucial link between the Bologna Process, which is working towards the European Higher Education Area, and the Lisbon Strategy, which aims at building a European Research and Innovation Area.
The PhD portfolio must be an integrated tool: it should serve as a content management system, as a personal development planning and as a training needs analysis. It should generate a “Professional record of early-stage research activities”, which can be viewed a certified list of acquired skills. We propose to organise a recommendation-driven workshop on portfolio-related issues. Based on the recommendations from this workshop, the project steering committee will draft guidelines on why and how to establish a PhD portfolio. These will be used to implement a portfolio that will serve as a proof of concept. The guidelines and the wider experienced gained during the project, will be published on a dedicated website. The project develops a framework for a “PhD portfolio”, as an online management and planning tool in which the PhD candidate keeps track of all activities undertaken in the framework of the PhD research. This PhD portfolio will generate a “Professional record of early-stage research activities”, which can be viewed as a certified curriculum vitae, or a certified inventory of acquired skills.
Partner Institutions: UNICA, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Universitaet Wien, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Università degli studi di Roma La Sapienza, University of Latvia
· UNICA SEMINAR/WORKSHOP – WHAT CAN UNICA UNDERTAKE TO ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG PHD STUDENTS IN EUROPE? - AIMING AT THE CREATION OF MORE AND BETTER JOBS AND GREATER SOCIAL COHESION
In order to create jobs, increase both economic growth and social cohesion and in order to ensure that Europe can more than hold its position against international competitors, the European Union needs to nurture generations of business people who are prepared to innovate, experiment, spot commercial opportunities, take risks and conceive strategies for job development and increased social cohesion. Incubators for research related enterprise are being set up in the periphery of many universities. PhDs are invited and get support to do business with their ideas. But these initiatives remain isolated and that results need to be shared. At the same time the question raises what can be done to integrate entrepreneurship studies at earlier stages of education (Master, Bachelor and before).The submitted project therefore strives for increased encouragement of entrepreneurship among PhD Students in Europe in order to contribute to sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.
To this end, a seminar on good practices followed by a workshop in order to come up with recommendations for the EHEA/ERA will be organized. In conclusion of this event, an on-line publication will be elaborated for the benefit of a larger Higher Education and Research communities. A continued debate and follow-up (Action Plan) will be pursued by the UNICA network.
Partners Institutions: all the members of the UNICA network
UNICA AS PARTNER FOR DISSEMINATION
· TEACHING AND DIVERSITY
The project Diversity in the classroom, accepted by the EU, is important in our society, because of the globalisation process and because more and more people leave their home country to live in another one. Teachers, at all level, are confronted with “mixed” classrooms: diversity in ethnic and social origin, diversity in religious background, diversity in language skills; but also diversity from a point of view of sexual orientation and physical abilities.
Higher education teaching staff has to adapt their teaching styles and develop particular attitudes and competences. On the other hand, students of Teacher Training Education have to be prepared for their future job and change of environment. The current curricula and competences are not really geared to this new and changing situation. Or, at least, they only face partly the situation.
The IP will last 14 days. It will be organised in Brussels. Each partner will send 5 students and 1 teacher. Content wise, the IP will be organised in such a way that students will attend lectures and seminars, and will work on a small assignment. An on-line platform will be available, and will be used for managing and monitoring the project. But it will also be used for less mobile students and teaching staff.
Partners: Erasmus University College Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Cyprus, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and other non-UNICA
· EUROCAMPUS POJECT PROPSAL
Euradia (a Spanish consulting firm specialized in managing EU projects), submitted the Eurocampus project in the frame of the Call for submission of innovative co-operation, training and information projects Action 5 – Support Measures (DG EAC 62/05). The project proposal aims to promote and develop a new way of bringing young people closer to European information, improving the awareness rising about Youth Programmes and its policies.
EuroCampus encourages the participation of Universities students and young people in their environment in the Youth Programme of the European commission by the creation of a European Network of information desks about the Youth programme and EU issues. These desks, managed by the students themselves, will be installed in the participating Universities and after the end of the project they will be located in other European Universities. The project has been designed in order to become an innovative link between young people and EU, and is based on a new approach to European Citizenship development starting from the point of view of young people, and on selected, useful and focused information.
UNICA will be receiving money for the dissemination of results, if the project is accepted.
Partners: Consorcio Urbanístico de las Universidades de Madrid (Spain-coordinator), University of Foggia (Italy), Torun School of Banking (Poland), Latvian Academy of Culture (Latvia), YMCA SEE- University (Macedonia), AEGEE Ankara (Turkey)
UNICA APPROVED JOINT DEGREES2004
SUBJECT / UNIVERSITIES / SUPPORT / EXPECTED LAUNCH / COORDINATOR
1. / 4 cities / Vrije Universiteit Brussels / Eric Corijn
Université Libre de Bruxelles / Curriculum development
Universität Wien / Grant 2006 / 2007-2008
University of Kopenhagen
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Universidad Autonoma Madrid
University of Stockholm / Johan FALK
Université de Lausanne / A.C.BERTHOUD
2. / Multilinguism / University of Helsinki
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Vrije Universiteit Brussels
Freie Universiteit Berlin
3. / Cognitive sciences / Universität Wien / Curriculum development Grant 2005 / Partially started / M. PELSCH
University of Ljubliana / Fully start 2007-2008
Comenius University, Zagreb
4. / University of Bratislava
Eötvos University, Budapest
European Sciences / Universiteit van Amsterdam / J.LEERSEN
University of Copenhagen
Vrije Universiteit Brussels
University of Vienna
2005
SUBJECT / UNIVERSITIES / SUPPORT / EXPECTED LAUNCH / COORDINATOR
5. / European Civil Societies, democracies and governance / Université Libre de Bruxelles / Paul MAGNETTE
Université de Lausanne / Ioannis PAPADOPOULOS
Universiteit van Amsterdam / Geoffrey UNDERHILL
Humbold Universität Berlin / Klaus EDER
Universität Wien / Herbret GOTTWEIS
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
6. / phd program in management / Humbold Universität Berlin / Prof. HILDEBRANDT
Universität Wien / Prof WAGNER
Université Paris-Dauphine / Prof. PRAS
2006
SUBJECT / UNIVERSITIES / SUPPORT / EXPECTED LAUNCH / COORDINATOR
7. / Quantum field theory, strings & gravity (PhD) / Universiteit van Amsterdam / Jan DE BOER
Université Libre de Bruxelles / Marc HENNEAUX
Vrije Universiteit Brussels / Research Grants / Alexander SEVRIN
Université Pierre et Marie Curie / September 2006
Université Paris Sud
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique
Ecole Normale Supérieure / Costas BACHAS (tout Paris)
École Polytechnique
8. / Central and East European Languages and Cultures in Contact / Universität Wien / Michael MOSER
University of Warsaw / CEEPUS network / October 2007 / Janusz RIEGER
Eötvös-Loránd University of Budapest / András ZOLTAN
UNICA General Assembly Riga 2006- President’s report