Quality Assurance Tools for the Management of Internationalization

A project coordinated by Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany.

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TEMPUS QATMI Final Conference
“QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONALIZATION”
October 28st, 2011
Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Kyiv, Ukraine

The conference is aimed at sharing practical experience gained by a vast consortium of 11 HEI from 3 European and 5 Post-Soviet countries in the field of raising their international profile with the help of QA tools in the management of internationalization.

Topics to be discussed:

managing international activities within the frames of Bologna process;
concept of quality in the management of internationalization: indicators and strategies;
tools and means of quality assurance in the management of internationalization;
raising international profile of the HEI: best practices.

Target audience: HEI top-managers and staff responsible for internationalization, Ministries of Education representatives, NTO officers, representatives of student organizations.

No participation fee is required.

Contacts: Oleksiy Chugaiev, KNTSU

Welcome to the QATMI-Project!

QATMI (Quality Assurance Tools for the Management of Internationalization) is a project funded by the European Commission in the framework of the TEMPUS program.

The duration of this project is three years (January 15th 2009 - January 14th 2012) and its main aim is to disseminate good practices in benchmarking analysis applied to university international relations in order to identify areas for change, and assists in setting targets for improvement.

Іnternationalization as a part of educational politics in the partner countries

Overcoming the consequences of long-lasting isolation in the sphere of higher education is one of the most important elements in the whole set of problems faced by the post-Soviet countries since the collapse of USSR. Due to a closed, self-oriented character of the Soviet educational system, with the Ministry of Education acting as a sole provider and guarantor of QA, HEI institutions of the former USSR experienced a certain lack of competitiveness caused by non-transparent QA standards. Along with the system of planned recruitment and assignment that bore almost no connection to the exact demands of the labour market, this lack of competitiveness resulted in a heavy centralization of HE systems in the post-Soviet countries, deepening the gap between central and provincial HEI and creating a nutrient medium for corruption in the sphere of higher education.

The process of internationalization is one of the most efficient means for overcoming the above-listed drawbacks, since it helps to design an integrated, open, extravert educational system closely reflecting the needs and demands of globalized labour market and thus basing upon the principles of competitiveness and self-regulation. Internationalization promotes equal possibilities both for central and provincial institutions, bringing the necessary balance to HE systems and significantly decreases corruption in the sphere of education due to the transparency of QA standards.

Since the collapse of Soviet Union, the former Soviet countries have already made significant steps towards the internationalization of their educational systems. In many of them, numerous institutional agreements have been signed, including those regulating academic mobility along with mutual acknowledgement of academic documents, titles and degrees. Various measures have been taken in all the countries of CA region to promote Bologna principles, including the formation of pilot groups of HEI to implement three-cycled educational system and ECTS. Considerable efforts have been made by some institutions to establish internationally-accredited QA systems both in the frames of Tempus projects and individually.

It should be noted, though, that there is a certain tendency in the politics provided by relevant authorities of post-Soviet area to consider internationalization not as a means but as an aim in itself. Such approach leads to a mere mechanical borrowing of practices and tools applied in European educational systems without securing their functional load and measuring it with existing capacities of regional HEI. The inefficiency of such borrowing calls forth mostly theoretical and declarative character of educational reforms currently carried on in the Post-Soviet region.

At present, under regulatory and legislative uncertainty, relations between local Ministries of Education and HEIs of the post-Soviet countries are characterized by direct management: direct orders regulating all aspects of HEIs activities including management of all resources; direct control over academic progress; centralized issuance of diplomas; a highly bureaucratized license issuance procedure, a non-transparent mechanism for determining students’ enrolment etc.

Taking into consideration the above-listed circumstances, the QATMI project team has concentrated its efforts upon exploring the existing internationalization strategies in the HEI of 5 Post-Soviet countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine) and improving them with regard to their real capabilities. Such approach is supposed to result in a considerable raise of the international profile of the institutions involved, improving the image of post-Soviet area as a progressive educational region worldwide.

With that aim in view, a series of site-visits has been made to the PCI in order to define the existing level of their internationalization according to the benchmark questionnaire reflecting the most important markers of internationalization process in the HEI. The results of this survey, presented below, would help to define the main obstacles in the field under consideration and therefore to elaborate common effective approach towards successful internationalization of post-Soviet higher educational system.

Armenia

In 2005, Armenia officially joined the Bologna Process, where already from next year, the Government approved the plan of actions for the introduction of Bologna principles in higher education (2006-2010).

Currently, the reforms have touched the following spheres of tertiary education:

Two-cycle higher education was introduced in 2004 with bachelor's and master's degrees. The third cycle (PhD) is at the stage of development;
The ECTS has been introduced from 2007 and is successfully functioning;
The National information center for academic recognition and mobility (ENIC) was established in 2006;
The National Center for Quality Assurance in Tertiary education has been established in 2008. According to the standards and the guidelines of the ENQA the higher education institutions are working on the development of the standards for internal quality assurance;
The Diploma supplement is being provided by a number of higher education institutions, starting from 2008.

According to the 2011-2015 program of sustainable development, the institutions are to formulate their strategic policies on their own.

At the same time, the internationalization of higher education is hampered by obstacles that are to be found in the legal formulations. On the level of legal framework, there is a need to motivate the businesses and employers in participating and investing in higher education and innovation through even the provision of tax breaks, which would enhance the international demand of research and development, as well as the educational services. The National Qualifications Framework is yet to be developed, providing more flexible and internationally-oriented list of specialties and degrees to be conferred. At present, it is being approved by the Government decree, along with state educational standards (approved by the Ministry of Education), which in a quite detailed manner defines the structure and content of the course of study and is not geared toward the achievement of learning outcomes.

Nevertheless, the introduction of the two cycle education brought about some changes and gave a certain level of flexibility, in particular, the universities are quite autonomous in defining the master program.

In accordance with the Law on State Language, the instruction in the higher education institutions could be only organized in Armenian, which does not allow introducing courses that are taught using other languages (it is only allowed for the organization of learning for foreign students).

The financing of higher education institutions from the state budget constitutes only 30%, with the remaining 70% being generated by the tuition paying students pursuing both classical courses of study, as well as taking additional classes. The day-to-day management of the budget is being done by the rector of the higher education institution, where reallocations among line-items cannot exceed 10% of the allocated sum.

The higher education institutions are autonomous in deciding their structure, as well as allocating their extra budgetary resources by line-items of the budget.

The existing legal status of the higher education institutions, i. e. the state non commercial organization, sizably limits the opportunities for independent operations and currently, together with the Government a work is being undertaken to revisit the status. Besides, the Government is in the process of revising the existing financing mechanism, where the new one would allow providing student loans and revising the scholarships.

Azerbaijan

After adoption of the State Program on the Reforms of Higher Education System of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2009-2013) and Law on Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, managerial structure of higher education institutions and the entire relevant normative legal basis underwent re-elaboration.

In higher education system of Azerbaijan there are a number of problems that require a solution. Internationaliz These problems include the following:

staff qualification level does not fully satisfy the demands of the labour market;
the achievements made in scientific research are weakly integrated into the higher education system;
the funds allocated for higher education are not spend fully efficiently;
there is a lack of optimal higher education institutions network;
capacity building and in-service training of teachers do not meet modern requirements;
the level of students and alumni qualification create some obstacles for rapid integration into the global higher education area;
new pedagogical training techniques are used inefficiently, while the existing ones are weakly applied to teaching process;
logistical basis of higher education institutions do not meet modern standards.

In order to solve all the abovementioned problems, State Program on the Reforms of Higher Education System of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2009-2013) was elaborated and adopted. The goal of the Program was to ensure integration of the higher education system of Azerbaijan into the European Higher Education Area, to adapt it to the principles set forth in the Bologna Declaration, to ensure attractiveness and competitiveness of higher education, to satisfy the demands of the labour market, information society and knowledge-based economy for highly qualified specialists, as well as to develop economically and socially effective higher education system which will ensure access to high quality education.

The following measures are to be taken to implement the enumerated goals of the Program:

updating normative legal basis of higher education in compliance with the Bologna Declaration and international experience;
improving the content and teaching techniques of higher education. which primarily, aims at ensuring the compliance of higher education qualifications with the European higher education qualifications and requirements of the labour market, elaboration and application of innovative academic plans and programs, educational resources, modern disciplinary programs, as well as scientific and methodological guidelines;
modernization of the structure and management system of higher education institutions;
involving international experts and making use of good practice for accreditation of higher education institutions, development of university rating system, adapting the system for knowledge assessment to the ECTS requirements;
ensuring compliance of scientific research with modern standards;
elaboration of new mechanisms for higher education economy and transfer to per capita
funding.

Higher education institutions can independently elaborate their academic plans and disciplinary programs, as well as organize their teaching and training process. Control over the quality of specialist qualification is carried out by accreditation of universities and relevant qualifications.

Belarus

Internationalization of higher education in the Republic of Belarus is carried out in accordance with the strategy of socio-economic transformation in the country and is aimed at further improving the quality of education that would ensure the training of qualified specialists on the basis of the latest achievements of science and technology. Strategy of Higher Education development in the Republic of Belarus is defined in the State program of development of higher education until 2015. In the field of internationalization the program has the following tasks:

improving the quality of training specialists with higher education for the long-term development of economic sectors and social sphere of the country;
introducing innovative model of higher education according to Bologna Process;
forming new competences of the teaching staff, managers and university staff in relation to innovation;
introducing the second higher educational cycle (Master's level) with regard to scientific, educational and innovative activities;
creating conditions and increasing motivations for the development of innovative processes in higher education;
establishing effective mechanisms for interaction between the system of higher education and economical and social sphere.

The main tools for internal quality assurance in Belarus are: licensing, attestation, accreditation and inspection. On international level, the Ministry of Education acts as an only guarantor of the quality of educational services.

Since 2008, the educational system in Belarus has accepted new educational standards, curricula and syllabuses based on the competence approach and interdisciplinary approach, which allows implementing the system of credits of the ECTS type.

Order of the Ministry of Education No. 1000 dated from December 24, 2008 “On Development of Education Quality Management System in Higher Education Institutions and Making Them Compliant With the Requirement of the State Standards of the Republic of Belarus” recommends to higher educational institutions to create the quality management systems inside higher education institutions according to ISO 9001. In 2009 Belarusian State Technological University, the Belarusian-Russian University and Grodno State University named after Yanka Kupala have successfully passed the procedure of international certification in QA of university management.

Ukraine

The national reforms in the field of internationalization of higher education are to be dated back to 2006, when the Bologna Follow-Up Group and the National Team of Bologna Promoters were established in Ukraine. In 2007, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) approved an Action Plan "On quality assurance for higher education of Ukraine and its integration into the European and world educational community for the period until 2010". In 2006/2007 academic year, a pilot European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) was launched at the Ukrainian higher education institutions of III-IV accreditation levels.

In December 2007, the Ukrainian Student Self-Government Association became a member of the European Students’ Union. Since February 2008, a draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Higher Education” is being developed. The draft Law incorporates, to a certain extent, the standards and guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), reflected in the main documents of the Bologna process, and encompasses the following changes:

elimination of higher education levels (incomplete, basic, complete);
elimination of the educational qualification level of “specialist”;
elimination of higher education institutions accreditation levels (І-IV);
introduction of an educational-academic PhD level (Doctor of Philosophy);
introduction a clear distinction between HEIs (classical/specialized university, academy, college, vocational school);
expansion of the university autonomy and academic freedoms, as well as self-government in HEIs; in particular, a number of rules related to finance (the right to open accounts, to take bank loans, avoid tender procedures, the right to determine tuition fees etc.) are to be introduced.

In 2008, MESU working group for the development of the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education System was established. The same year Ukraine became a full governmental member of the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).

Since 2009/2010 academic year, the European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (ECTS) has begun to be implemented at Ukrainian HEIs, with its key documents (Student Application Form, Learning Agreement, Training Agreement and Quality Commitment, Transcript of Records, European Diploma Supplement) in compliance with the requirements of the ECTS User’s Guide approved by the European Commission on February 6, 2009.

The most recent MESU initiatives in the fields of internationalization include: introduction of HEIs rating system in compliance with the Berlin Principles; independent testing for secondary school graduates; development of a Master’s programme conceptual framework; establishment of research universities, as well as the debate on National Qualifications Framework, National Qualifications Framework Level Descriptors, National Qualifications Agency, National Education Accreditation Centre.

At the same time, there are certain factors hampering the process of HEI internationalization in Ukraine. First of all, the legislative framework for HEIs operation in this field is not supported by the necessary statutory instruments and bylaws (regulations, procedures, criteria, standards, guidelines).

HEIs network (totally 861 HEIs, 27.7% being private institutions) is not optimal and suffers from a chronic lack of funding for the development. The absence of a Quality Assurance Agency meeting the standards and recommendations of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) prevents Ukrainian diplomas from being recognized abroad. HEIs in Ukraine do not benefit from full academic freedom characteristic of the European HEIs; Ukrainian HEIs activities are regulated (and to a certain extend limited) by national authorities. Though in 2009, the MESU issued a serious of bylaws and orders aimed at extending HEIs rights to determine the content and scope of the optional component of curricula, national standards in this field are rooted in outdated approaches, rather than in a contemporary competence-based approach.

In the context of the Bologna process, national reforms proceed at a slow pace, due to the following reasons:

Inconsistency of many provisions of national HE legislative and regulatory framework with the major principles of the Bologna process.
Lack of specialists aware of contemporary trends in European education and utilizing this knowledge for the benefit of higher education.
Orientation towards formal tools (regulations, procedures etc.) rather than HE policy development and implementation, which contributes to Ukrainian HE openness, transparency and recognition, its integration into European Higher Education Area.

Russia

In line with the acting legislation, broader and specific goals, objectives and priorities for the system of education are set down in the National Doctrine of Education (analogue of a “White Paper” in Europe). Along with that, some definite steps towards internationalization are described in the Federal Program for the Development of Education for years 2005—2010, and in the Concept of Modernization of Russian Education until year 2010.

The structural reform envisages enhancement of investments in research universities and establishment of 8–10 new research and education clusters that will implement world class education, research and technological programs.

The institutional reform aims at enhanced autonomy of universities and their responsibility for results of their activities. To this end the pattern of financing has to be changed and transition to per capita normative financing completed. This financial model requires a fine-tuned system of assessment of learning outcomes.

Major recent changes in the legislation that have logically impacted higher education governance are:

introduction in early 90’s and then shift to mandatory two-cycle higher education from 2010, which is a central reform effort nation-wide ,
change of educational paradigm – shift from disciplinary to competency-based teaching from 2010
changes in the concept and structure of the federal state education standard, signifying transition to competency-driven and learning outcomes based curricula, introduction of credit system, and enhancing the academic freedom of universities,
granting in 2007 employers and their associations extended rights to participate in the development and implementation of the vocational and professional education policy, including participation in the development of the state education standards and programmes, composition and classification of instructional programs and in the state accreditation procedures,
making results of the Unified State Examination (similar to SAT in the USA) the only admission test to state universities,
measures for closer integration of education and science.

On the whole, since mid-90s the administrative, financial and academic autonomy of higher education institutions has considerably grown. Namely, currently universities have the right to: independently form their organizational structure, identify goals and objectives of academic and research activities; set down admission rules; set the level of tuition fees; perform fund-raising; develop curricula, identify areas of training, as well as award qualifications of all levels of higher education; hire teachers (on a competition basis) and conclude labour agreements with them; implement upskilling programmes; engage in international cooperation.

Currently, all activities of universities are aligned to the Bologna Process and to the National Strategy of the Social and Economic Development that places special emphasis on the role of universities in building both the knowledge-based economy and innovative society. To address the above, recently new types of universities have emerged, namely national research universities and federal universities, the latter integrating universities in a particular region to optimize costs, research and labour market links. As of date, there are 7 federal universities and 14 national research universities.

After the 2007 and 2009 amendments to the acting legislation introduced the two-cycle system, the RF Ministry of Education and Science has developed a new classification of instructional programs.

The legislative amendments of December 2007 introduced changes in the concept and structure of the State Education Standard for HE that is meant to become outcome-oriented and to offer a broader degree of academic freedom to higher education establishments that they can use to adapt the curricula to the regional labour market needs (50% of the academic freedoms for bachelor programmes, and 75% - for master programmes).

The federal authorities – the RF Ministry of Education and Science - are responsible for setting state education standards, and for the overall policy in education. The implementation of the policy is vested in the regional education administrations and education institutions that have a broad autonomy. Regional education administrations (Departments, Ministries, or Committees) can adopt their own regulations, and regional parliaments can adopt education legislation appropriate for the regional conditions.

The role of the Ministry in the system of higher education is still very high, as it has in its hands all financial mechanisms (on the average, every state higher education institution gets up to 40—80% of funding from the state budget).

One of the regulatory functions that the state exercises in the sphere of curricula, is higher education standards that have a framework character. The state HE standards are approved by the Ministry of Education, while the format of the standards is approved by the federal law. Thus, via the HE standards the state sets minimal requirements to curricula and to qualifications awarded upon completion of these curricula, namely to outcomes of HE and to the structure of the HE standards. Accreditation/recognition of curricula is performed by a respective agency established by the state.

The Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) are mandatory for all HEIs. Specific requirements to the workload, procedures and criteria for on-going and final assessment of students are laid down in the normative and legislative documents of the Ministry of Education and Science. They are mandatory for all accredited HEIs in Russia.

In the new HE standards of the third generation, 50% of the content in bachelor curricula and 75% in master curricula universities are free to develop themselves to address the local and regional labour market situation.

Apart from the state quality assurance bodies there are two major independent quality assurance bodies in Russia - The Accreditation Center for Engineering Programs, and the Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and Career Development (AQA) that are a prototype of awarding bodies in European countries.

There are no procedures in place yet for recognition and accreditation of prior experiential learning (e.g. work, community or volunteer experience).

State HEIs must comply with legal constraints relating to obtaining loams and credits, and to making profit from the use of the state property.

Besides the basic financing, which state-owned higher education institutions receive based on the number of students, HEIs are entitled to raise funds from a number of sources. One of them is grants from various federal and regional programmes and projects. Both state and private education institutions are entitled to compete for participation in these programmes and projects.

Other sources of fund-raising are: tuition fees, provision of supplementary services, provision of consultative services, state contracts for training and retraining certain target groups, like civil servants, teachers of regional universities, etc.; state contracts for research: provision of services to the public sector; state grants for fundamental and applied research; income from using rights to intellectual property; income generated by renting out state property managed by HEIs.

The non-budgetary funds are managed by HEIs Academic Councils within the limits of the estimate of expenses and income that must be approved by the Federal Treasury.

Non-budgetary funds comprise, on the average, one half the budgets of state higher education institutions, sometimes they may even make up 70%.

The management of funds is hampered by the acting procedures that require that all purchases by performed via tenders that take a lot of time and paperwork to prepare and deprive universities of flexibility.

Other problems are aging of the teaching and academic staff, a lack of awareness and skills among a bigger share of the university community as to the active student-centred teaching and learning, etc.

Please select a topic in the upper navigation bar.

Frequently asked questions

What is internationalization?

"Today one of the most powerful forces is the globalization of almost everything…" (Groennings, l990).

In general, Internationalization has been viewed as a process of increasing involvement of enterprises in international markets, although there is no agreed definition of internationalization or international entrepreneurship. Speaking about educational sphere, internationalization has sometimes been defined as the process of integrating an international dimension into the teaching/training, research, and service functions of a university or college or technical institute. Others discuss it as the process of integrating international education into the curriculum, and this is central to organizational change as pervasive for the entire institution, not marginal in nature. Seeing it as an ongoing, dynamic process dominates the literature more than equating it to an event in time. Association of International Education Administrators conference planners defined internationalization as "the incorporation of international contents, materials, activities, and understanding in the teaching, research, and public service functions of universities to enhance the relevance in an interdependent world" (Washington State University, l990, 2).

Creating an international ethos in the university is commonly equated as integral both for the curriculum and for the personnel involved (including faculty, students, and staff).

It could be stated that the idea of internationalization results in a concept of university with an international commitment striving to internationalize its own course offerings, where an obvious institution-wide positive attitude toward understanding better other cultures and societies is present.

European scholars describe internationalization as "the complex of processes whose combined effect, whether planned or not, enhances the international dimension of the experience of higher education in universities" (de Wit, l995, p. 28). Three key questions about the internationalization have been distinguished by Dutch international educators Bremer & van der Wende (l995): how internationalized curricula can be characterized; which factors contribute to the successful development, implementation, and institutionalization of internationalized curricula; and what the outcomes and effects are for internationalized curricula.

Some European writers stated that the concept of internationalization has clearly widened to include not only curriculum and student mobility but also faculty and staff mobility and specific institutional strategies. Others advocate systemic international infusion by weaving international perspectives into every discipline, every major and minor requirement, faculty hiring decision, and mission statement for colleges. Some authors’ views on internationalization include increasing the numbers of programs and opportunities for studying international affairs and infusing the entire curriculum with international perspectives.

To sum it up, internationalization is the process of integrating an international perspective into a college or university system. It is an ongoing, future-oriented, interdisciplinary, leadership-driven vision that involves top administrators creating an institutional vision and motivating people in both academic affairs and student affairs units to change an entire system to think globally, comparatively, and collaboratively while reacting to multi-dimensional environmental changes in global political, economic, social, and cultural arenas. It is the way an institution adapts to an ever-changing, diverse external environment that is becoming more globally-focused.

Why is internationalization important to discuss at all?

Internationalization improves, enhances, and benefits higher education institutions.

It has become the challenge for higher education leaders today because of the political, social, economic, and cultural mega-changes that are occurring outside the walls of academia and affecting (and possibly changing) internal priorities. One needs to unpack all the internal variables for curricular and system-wide internationalization to understand how each fits in with the current interests and priorities of the external environment.

First, separating the different strands of internationalization is essential for clearly perceiving the evidence of internationalization. (The strands include internationalizing curriculum, study abroad participation, faculty overseas research/teaching projects, contributions of international students/scholars on the campus, leadership-driven visions, missions, and goals, as well as other components).

Second, discovering how these strands are currently operating, struggling, or thriving within colleges is the next important step. This could be accomplished by separating the internal issues (e.g., university mission, leadership commitment, programs, personnel, finance, others) and then studying how these relate to and align with the external dimensions (e.g., corporate community’s perceptions and trends and opportunities in the global marketplace).

Third, once these first two steps are completed, leaders can then position the internal and external issues along with the strands of internationalization on a scale, or a model, to plot their commitment to internationalizing higher education and determine each college’s future intervention strategies.

Internationalization is what separates a UNIVERS-ity from other institutional types; it is why the former are sometimes called "world-class" learning institutions which are globally-focused, not regionally or nationally or monoculturally-framed.

What is the rationale for internationalization?

There are ten main reasons for internationalization discovered by modern Canadian scientist Jane Knight in her book "Rationale for Internationalization" (Knight l997, 30):

Prepare graduates who are internationally-knowledgeable and interculturally-competent;
Maintain competitiveness;
Achieve international standards;
Encourage scholarship on topics regarding interdependence of nations;
Research national and international issues;
Export educational services and projects;
Work for social change;
Appreciate the ethnic and cultural diversity of one’s nation;
Generate income for educational institutions;
Maintain international security and peaceful relations.

What are the key components to an internationalized university?

There are a variety of components or strands that comprise an internationalized campus. These vary in scope, depth of commitment, range and breadth but include:

the presence of international majors and minors within colleges and professional schools,
world languages and area studies courses,
international/comparative courses required for all students regardless of discipline,
co-curricular international conferences/events/involvement activities on-campus,
a solid international commitment in campus leadership including the president, vice presidents, provosts, directors, deans, and board of trustees,
commitment from institutional relations offices including fundraising expertise from university foundation, communication plans by the public relations office, and outreach to international alumni by alumni association,
international diversity among students, faculty, and scholars and intentional involvement of these stakeholders in internationalizing aspects of campus life,
international study, work, research programs and internship service opportunities for students (including scholarships),
international teaching, research, and consulting opportunities for faculty (including travel grants and fellowships),
partnerships and networks with universities across the globe.

Why is an internationalized curriculum important to students?

Many scholars state the number one reason why faculty should consider internationalizing their courses is that they owe it to their students. Students have much to gain from an internationalized curriculum and an intentionally-diverse campus environment. Students’ interactions with other international students, faculty and scholars contribute to broadening students’ world views during their formative college careers.

Offering a wide variety of international courses, majors, minors, and off-campus study and research abroad programs will be beneficial to students’ knowledge and skills portfolios upon graduation. Educating students with a focus on the "international perspectives" will not only broaden their world views and prepare them for globally-connected career fields, but will prepare them to be citizens of the world, more cognizant of the cultural dimensions affecting their world view and their perception of their own disciplines.

How can we promote and support university-wide internationalization?

Harari (l989) advocates a six-point plan for internationalizing higher education:

Secure commitment and consensus-building on the part of administrators;
Analyze the curriculum and the range of international programming including international educational exchanges for both faculty and students;
Generate responsibility and leadership for international education in a Center for International Education or other structural department with the same functions;
Provide internal support and external coalitions, partnerships, and funding for international education;
Create a genuine international ethos on campus which is sustained by the personal human concern of faculty and staff for students of all nationalities and backgrounds;
Encourage integrated programming/strategic planning for international education (by making it one of the top five priorities for an institution).

Are there any conceptual models for the University’s internationalization?

Of course, there are no universal solutions for the task, but at least five key factors defined by Henson, Noel, Gillard-Byers, and Ingle could be used as a basis for your own conceptual model:

resources (faculty, administrators, funds, incentives and rewards);
program activities (international students and scholars; study, work, and internship service opportunities abroad; foreign language study;
leadership and management (commitment; policy; strategic planning and review; allocation of resources);
organization (structure, linkages, internal culture);
external environment (global awareness, stakeholder demand, benefits).

Glossary

Academic mobility refers to students and teachers in higher education moving to another institution inside or outside their own country to study or teach for a limited time.

Mobile students are usually divided into two groups: free-movers are students that travel entirely on their own initiative, while program students use exchange programs at department, faculty, institution or national level.

Academic mobility suffers from cultural, socio-economical and academic barriers. In order to lower these obstacles within the European higher education area the Bologna process has started.

Bologna process is a procedure aimed at creation of European higher education area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention. It is named after the place it was proposed, the University of Bologna in the Italian city of Bologna, with the signing in 1999 of the Bologna declaration by Ministers of Education from 29 European countries. Before the signing of the Bologna declaration, the Magna Charta Universitatum and Sorbonne declaration had been signed, both aimed at harmonising the architecture of the European Higher Education system.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. For successfully completed studies, ECTS credits are awarded. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits that are equivalent to 1500-1800 hours of study in all countries irrespective of standard or qualification type and is used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the Union.

The ECTS will be complemented by the European credit transfer system for vocational education and training (ECVET) which the ministers responsible for vocational training in 32 European countries agreed to develop in the Maastricht Communiqué of 14 December 2004.

ECTS also includes a standard grading scale, intended to be shown in addition to local (i.e. national) standard grades:

Country	Credits in one year	Abbreviation (Unit)
European	60	ECTS-credits
Austria	60	ECTS (also ECTS credits)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	60	ECTS bodova
Bulgaria	60	кредити
Croatia	60	ECTS bodova
Czech Republic	60	kredit
Denmark	60	ECTS-point
England, Wales and Northern Ireland	120 (60 ECTS)	credits
Estonia	40 (60 ECTS)	ainepunkt (AP)
Finland	60	opintopiste (op)
France	60	crédits
Hungary	60	kredit(pont)
Iceland	30(60 ECTS)	einingar
Italy	60	crediti formativi universitari (CFU)
Latvia	40 (60 ECTS)	kredītpunkts (KP)
Republic of Macedonia	60	kredit (ECTS)
Malta	60	ECTS-credits
The Netherlands	60	studiepunten (ECTS)
Norway	60	studiepoeng
Poland	60	punkt ECTS
Portugal	60	créditos
Romania	60	credite
Scotland	120 (60 ECTS)	credits
Serbia	60	ECTS bodova
Slovakia	60	kredit
Slovenia	60	kreditne točke
Spain	72 (60 ECTS)	créditos
Sweden	60	högskolepoäng (Used from July 2007)

European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is the objective of the Bologna process - to create more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education in Europe. Under the Lisbon Recognition Convention of the Council of Europe, degrees and study periods are recognised mutually. Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education.

International students are students studying in foreign educational institutions for numerous reasons: either to improve their language skills, or to advance their specialized studies, or because suitable tertiary education is either in short supply or unavailable altogether in their home countries. In addition, in many parts of the world, a foreign degree, especially if earned from certain countries, is honored more than a local one. They are known to move past their cultural differences and learn a new language as well as new cultures. These students provide colleges with an opportunity to learn how to deal with those of diversity.

Internationalization of higher education is the process of integrating an international perspective into a college or university system. It is an ongoing, future-oriented, interdisciplinary, leadership-driven vision that involves top administrators creating an institutional vision and motivating people in both academic affairs and student affairs units to change an entire system to think globally, comparatively, and collaboratively while reacting to multi-dimensional environmental changes in global political, economic, social, and cultural arenas. It is the way an institution adapts to an ever-changing, diverse external environment that is becoming more globally-focused.

Lisbon recognition convention is a document prepared by the Council of Europe together with the members of the Europe Region of UNESCO on recognition of academic qualifications as part of the Bologna process.

Quality assurance, or QA for short, refers to planned and systematic production processes that provide confidence in a product's suitability for its intended purpose. It is a set of activities intended to ensure that products (goods and/or services) satisfy customer requirements in a systematic, reliable fashion. QA cannot absolutely guarantee the production of quality products, unfortunately, but makes this more likely.

Two key principles characterise QA: "fit for purpose" (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose) and "right first time" (mistakes should be eliminated). QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components; services related to production; and management, production and inspection processes.

It is important to realize also that quality is determined by the intended users, clients or customers, not by society in general: it is not the same as 'expensive' or 'high quality'. Even goods with low prices can be considered quality items if they meet a market need.

QATMI is a TEMPUS project which aims to enhance the capacity of universities to internationalize by installing a professionalised and institutionalized process of internationalization amongst universities.

QATMI brings together 12 universities in the European Union and TEMPUS IV partner countries, reaching out to over 40 university staff members.

QATMI provides opportunities for partner universities to

provide information and training on different types of internationalization and its demands, taking into consideration, the needs of the global post-soviet changed market necessities;
provide comparative analysis of international processes in the different participating universities;
provide guidelines and staff training to establish the appropriate legal background for internationalization;
establish the necessary infrastructure for effective internationalization, leading to transnational network establishment;
promote university capacity building in internationalization

Institution (Web link)	Name	Representatives	Country
http://www.yafa.am/en/index.htm	Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts	Mrs. Susanna Karakhanyan	Armenia
http://www.ysu.am/	Yerevan State University	Mr. Alexander Markarov	Armenia
http://www.bsu-az.org/index_en.html	Baku Slavic University	Mrs. Sahiba Gafarova	Azerbaijan
http://www.bsu.by/	Belarusian State University	Mr. Vladimir Tikhonov	Belarus
http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/	Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg	Mrs. Birgit Bruns	Germany
http://www.umk.pl/en/	Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun	Mrs. Ewa Derkowska-Rybicka	Poland
http://www.bsu.edu.ru/	Belgorod State University	Mrs. Inna Kaskova	Russian Federation
http://www.volsu.ru/English/NEWS/index.html	Volgograd State University	Mr. Pavel Timachev	Russian Federation
http://www.ua.es/	University of Alicante	Mr. Nizar Ayadi	Spain
http://www.ru.nl/	Radboud University Nijmegen	Mr. Leendert Verhofstad	The Netherlands
http://www.univ.kiev.ua/	Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv	Mr. Olexandr Shnyrkov	Ukraine
http://www.znu.edu.ua/eng/university	Zaporizhzhya National University	Mrs. Olena Tupakhina	Ukraine

QATMI universities actively participate and mutually support capacity building actions in:

Format and guidelines for self-assessment
Production of self-assessment survey
Defining of Good-Practice
Format and guidelines for benchmark
Good-Practice Study
Performance analysis
Training workshops
Training materials on enhanced methodologies in internationalization
Implementation of enhanced methodologies
Quality control and monitoring
Management activities
QATMI booklet: Quality Assurance Tools for the Management of Internationalization

BelSU_SITE-VISIT Presentation.pps

BSlU_Azerbaijan Presentation for final conference.ppt

BSU_QATMI_Rytov.ppt

KNTSU_FinConference.ppt

NCU_QATMI 2011.pptx

NTO_Rashkevych-Kyiv-21.10.ppt

PKA_Kij_w_Karolina.pps.ppt

UA_International Strategic Planning_Marhuenda_QATMI.pptx

VSU_Kyiv Presantation (Timachev).ppt

YSU_Internationalization policy and process at YSU.ppt

YSU_Presentation on SP.pps

ZNU_IMPROVING ACADEMIC MOBILITY MANAGEMENT.ppt

ZNU_QATMI presentation Tupakhina.pptx

ZNU_Tempus ZNU.ppt

News about international activities of Institute of International Relations (IIR) of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (KNTSU)

Round table “Internationalization as a tool for development and quality improvement of education, research, innovations and international relations of the University”

On December 21, 2010 the round table “Internationalization as a tool for development and quality improvement of education, research, innovations and international relations of the University” took place in the main building of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University as an action within implementation of the TEMPUS-QATMI project (Qality Assuarance Tools for Management of Internationalization) 144882-TEMPUS-2008-DE-JPGR.

The participants of the round table included the University staff involved in management of international activities. In particular, the following staff members presented reports: V.Zaslavsky (Head of the Department of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation and. Innovation Technology), Z.Voitenko (Vice-Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Chemistry), I.Baisarovych (Vice-Dean for International Cooperation of the Faculty of Geology), O.Chugaiev (Assistant Professor of Institute of International Relations). About 20 staff members attended the round table.

The following issues were discussed: internationalization experience of other higher educational institutions; obstacles for development of international relations of the University; planned international activities; development of new types of international activities; cooperation with research programs of the EU and other donors; experience of searching, preparing and implementation of international projects; innovation activity and international research development strategy.

21 грудня 2010 р. у головному навчальному корпусі Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка в рамках реалізації проекту TEMPUS-QATMI (Засоби забезпечення якості управління інтернаціоналізацією) 144882-TEMPUS-2008-DE-JPGR відбулося засідання круглого столу «Інтернаціоналізація – шлях розвитку та забезпечення якості освіти, науки, інновацій та міжнародних зв’язків університету».

У круглому столі брали участь співробітники університету в сфері управління міжнародними зв’язками. Зокрема, з доповідями виступили В.А. Заславський (начальник управління міжнародного науково-технічного співробітництва та інноваційних технологій), З.В. Войтенко (заступник декана з міжнародного співробітництва Хімічного факультету), І.М. Байсарович (заступник декана з міжнародного співробітництва Геологічного факультету), О.А. Чугаєв (асистент Інституту міжнародних відносин). На засіданні були присутні близько 20 осіб.

Під час засідання обговорювалися такі питання: досвід вищих навчальних закладів у сфері інтернаціоналізації; проблеми на шляху розвитку міжнародного співробітництва університету; заплановані заходи у сфері розвитку міжнародних зв’язків; розвиток нових напрямів інтернаціоналізації університету; співробітництво з науковими програмами ЄС та інших донорів; досвід пошуку, підготовки та виконання міжнародних проектів; інноваційна діяльність та стратегії розвитку міждисциплінарних наукових досліджень.

21 декабря 2010 г. в главном учебном корпусе Киевского национального университета имени Тараса Шевченко в рамках реализации проекта TEMPUS-QATMI (Способы обеспечения качества управления интернационализацией) 144882-TEMPUS-2008-DE-JPGR состоялось заседание круглого стола «Интернационализация – путь развития и обеспечения качества образования, науки, инноваций и международных связей университета».

В круглом столе принимали участие сотрудники университета в сфере управления международными связями. В частности, с докладами выступили В.А. Заславский (начальник управления международного научно-технического сотрудничества и инновационных технологий), З.В. Войтенко (заместитель декана по международному сотрудничеству Химического факультета), І.М. Байсарович (заместитель декана по международному сотрудничеству Геологического факультета), О.А. Чугаев (ассистент Института международных отношений). На заседании присутствовало около 20 сотрудников.

Во время заседания обсуждались такие вопросы: опыт других высших учебных заведений в сфере интернационализации; проблемы на пути развития международного сотрудничества университета; запланированные мероприятия в сфере развития международных связей; развитие новых направлений интернационализации университета; сотрудничество с научными программами ЕС и другими донорами; опыт поиска, подготовки и выполнения международных проектов; инновационная деятельность и стратегия развития междисциплинарных научных исследований.

Other events

On January 10th, 2010 the Chair of Foreign Languages of the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University organizes the VIII Scientific and Research Seminar on “Utilization of Multimedia Devices in Learning of Languages and Translation”. For details, please, visit the web page on the IIR website
http://www.iir.kiev.ua/en/press/news/2010/11/news179.html.

The Ukrainian Association of International Economics is holding its 2nd International scientific conference “Post-Crisis Global Economy: Restoration of Equilibrium” July 5-6, 2011 Kyiv (Ukraine). Conference language is English. For details, please, visit the web page on the IIR website
http://www.iir.kiev.ua/en/press/news/2010/11/news175.html.

or write e-mail to: hmaram@mail.ru.

December, 9th, 2010 the Institute of International Relations of the Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University held a meeting with Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Great Britain in Ukraine Mr. Leigh Turner.

December 7th, 2010 the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University held a meeting with Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine Mr. Hans-Jürgen Heimsoeth.

December 2d and 3d, 2010 the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University accepted a rector and pro-rector of Moldova State Institute of International Relations (IRIM).

December 1, 2010. The IIR Theatre Studio gave one of Agatha Christie’s most famous plays ‘the The Mousetrap’ in English.

November 29, 2010 the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University held the meeting of Head of Outreach Countries Section, Public Diplomacy Division of NATO Mr. Michel Duray with the students of the Institute.

November 25, 2010 the Institute of International Relations of the Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and the Fund "FORUM of EAST POLICY" held a Round Table on "Between Partnership and Association. Poland and Ukraine in the Face of New Terms of European Integration".

November 24, 2010 the Institute of International Relations received an honorable guest – former President of Lithuania Mr. Valdas Adamkus.

November 23, 2010. Director of the Institute presented the Report on the staff activities in IIR of KNTSU in the 2009-2010 academic year. In particular, the report included the following information on international activities:

New master program on International Economic Relations envisages elective English-taught courses (specialization Economy of European Integration): Monetary integration in the EU, Common Agricultural Policy in the EU, Research and Innovation Integration in the EU, Common Commercial Policy in the EU, European Material Law, Economic Integration of Ukraine and the EU.
Improvements in foreign language studies took place based on better use of modern multimedia technologies in education, incoming and outgoing staff mobility, patenting new foreign language technique, methodological seminars for the staff, elective course on synchronous interpreting, activities of the Center for foreign languages.
4% of graduates of Master programs were foreigners.
Student exchange with Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and Univeristy of Tampere according to bilateral agreements. In total 23 students and PhD students studied abroad.
17 foreign professors, researchers and officials lectured or made a speech in IIR
IIR organized 19 international conferences. Its staff participated in 20 conferences, round tables, and seminars abroad. 52 students took part in foreign conferences, competitions and similar activities.
IIR top management participated in the ХIV session of the Council of Study and Methodological Association of Russian Universities for International Relations. - Placements are arranged in foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine.
IIR signed new agreement with MOROCCO HASSAN II University.
Joint Diploma Program with George Mason University is under elaboration
IIR continues cooperation with European Documentation Center, IMF Information Center, NATO Information and Documentation Center, and supports Center of European Studies and INCOS Center.
IIR prepared bilingual information booklets about IIR, renews content of its website in three languages (Ukrainian, English, Russian), publishes information about international cooperation in the newspaper “Kyiv University”.
International Relations Office and Center INCOS provide the staff with information about international study and research programs.
Department of foreign languages renews the IIR Theatre Studio in English language.

November 5, 2010 the Institute of International Relations held scientific-methodological workshop on problems of teaching of international relations in universities of Ukraine. During the workshop the participants discussed the problems of correction of educational-vocational programs and curriculums due to the implementation of new directions of educational-vocational training directions (“international relations”, “international law”, “international economic relations”, “international information”, “country study”, “international business”); development of master programs according to the new list of specializations and their correspondence to the bachelors programs; the participation of the educational-methodological commission in the development of new standards of higher education in “international relations” discipline; organization and development of foreign languages study in master and bachelor programs.

October 30, 2010 at the Institute of International Relations, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University tripartite videobridge Kyiv-Washington-Brussels on the theme “Whither Ukraine? A View from Washington, Kyiv and Brussels” was held.

October 20, 2010 the Institute of International Relations held an international conference “UN is 65: experience and perspectives” which was organized with the support of the UN Representative Office in Ukraine.

October 19, 2010 the Institute of International Relations held the Meeting with Associate Director of NATO Information and Documentation Center, Ms. Natalia Nemylovska.

On the 6th of September, 2010 a meeting between students, graduates, teachers and Mrs. Hanne Severinsen the vice-chairwoman of the Monitor Committee of the Council of Europe (1995-2007) took place in the Hall of Academic Council of the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University.

On the 3rd of September, 2010 a meeting between students, graduates, teachers and the President of the Republic of Latvia (1999-2007) Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga took place in the Hall of Academic Council of the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University.

Please click here to download the QATMI Flyer.

Please click here to download the QATMI Site Visits Report.

Please click here to download the publication "Quality Assurance Tools for the Management of Internationalization"

QATMI-Participants only!

QATMI-Participants can follow this link to access the training materials in the internal QATMI-environment.

Partner Country Institutions (PCI) were supposed to write an invidual workplan taking into account the outcomes of the analysis of 2009 and the workshops which were held at the involved European institutions (Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Alicante) in June 2010. The individual work plan should reflect a masterplan for the further development of the internationalization process at the PCI and should contain measurable activities to further the internationalization process. A clear description of who/which unit is going to carry out the planned activities and a clear time-table of the envisaged activities should be given.

For further inquiries you can contact the project group.

QATMI-Participants only!

QATMI-Participants can follow this link to access the workplan in the internal QATMI-environment.

QATMI-Participants only!

Please click here to access the internal QATMI-environment.

Quality Assurance Tools for the Management of Internationalization

QATMI BOOKLET AVAILABLE ONLINE!

TEMPUS QATMI Final Conference “QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONALIZATION” October 28st, 2011 Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University Kyiv, Ukraine

What is internationalization?

Why is internationalization important to discuss at all?

What is the rationale for internationalization?

What are the key components to an internationalized university?

Why is an internationalized curriculum important to students?

How can we promote and support university-wide internationalization?

Are there any conceptual models for the University’s internationalization?

News about international activities of Institute of International Relations (IIR) of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (KNTSU)

TEMPUS QATMI Final Conference
“QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONALIZATION”
October 28st, 2011
Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Kyiv, Ukraine