Welcome to EURASHE Insights bringing you information on what happened in the past month and our new projects and activities to come.
Last month @ EURASHE
EURASHE GATHERS TOGETHER THE PHE COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS THE COMMON RESPONSE AGAINST COVID-19
On 19-20 May 2020, EURASHE organised the online event PHE@Home Info Days as part of the #PHEresponse to COVID-19 campaign. The two-days online event consisted of a series of webinars on the following topics:

  • Masterclass “Future Skills and Future Universities”
  • Discussion “PHE in the time of Coronavirus: threats and opportunities”
  • Workshop “Smart E-quality @ Work-based learning”
  • Workshop “Microcredentials in Higher Education: Enabling Future Flexible Learning Pathways”

The event served as a platform for a community discussion on the relevant issues, also provided an opportunity to discuss how the existing health crisis might affect the sector and what coordinated actions could be implemented in order to prevent any possible future harm.

Recordings of the webinar can be found here.

The report of the event is here.

PHE SECTOR CALLS FOR MORE AND BETTER INTERNATIONALISATION OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
EURASHE, together with its member CEU Andalucia, organised the webinar "Internationalisation of Research and Innovation: where European and global experiences meet" on 23 June 2020 on Zoom.

The online event brought together representatives from the European Commission, PHE institutions and the world of work to share opportunities and experiences in the field of international cooperation in R&I.

All the speakers agreed that after the COVID-19 crisis, Europe needs to continue to be open to the world, as international cooperation in the field of R&I remains crucial to find a common response to global challenges. We need to enhance international cooperation opportunities and organise them in a more strategic and focused way, based on common interests and mutual benefits, but always being guided by European principles and values.

The recording of the webinar can be found here.

The report of the event is here.

Upcoming activities and opportunities
SAVE THE DATE: WEBINAR ON QUALITY ASSURANCE IN WORK-BASED LEARNING
In the framework of the ApprenticeshipQ project, EURASHE will organise the webinar " Quality in Work-Based Learning: the way to maximise the value of Professional Higher Education" on 27 August 2020 at 2:00 pm (CEST) on Zoom.

During the online event, partners of the ApprenticeshipQ consortium will present the outcomes of the project, in particular the two Quality Apprenticeship Manuals developed for HVET insititutions and SMEs.

Registration will open soon.

Our members
FOUR NEW MEMBERS JOIN EURASHE
EURASHE welcomes four new member organisations: Fulda University of Applied Sciences from Germany, the   University of Telecommunications and Posts (UTP)  from Bulgaria and  Neapolis University Pafos (NUP)  from Cyprus as full members and  Tashkent State University of Law (TSUL)  from Uzbekistan as an affiliate member.

Fulda University of Applied Sciences was established in 1974 as the fifth state university of applied sciences in the state of Hessen. The university covers a wide range of subjects with the fields of applied computer science, electrical engineering and information technology, food technology, nursing and health, social and cultural sciences, social affairs and economics.

The University of Telecommunications and Posts (UTP) is a successor of the State Telegraph School, founded in 1881. Its focus today is the training of specialists in the field of telecommunications, information technology and management.

Neapolis University Pafos (NUP) is a private University located in Pafos Cyprus and has been founded in 2010. At present the University comprises five Schools, serving undergraduate and postgraduate studies in more than twenty Bachelor and Master Degrees. 

Tashkent State University of Law (TSUL) is the main higher educational and scientific institution for educating, training and retraining of lawyers in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The university comprises 12 specialized and 3 general-studies departments and a center of professional legal training and career development.

Currently, EURASHE has 66 members which represent more than 600 higher education institutions around the world.
CEU ANDALUCIA PRESENTS A NEW ON-LINE PROGRAMME IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
EURASHE member, the Saint Paul CEU Andalusia Foundation has just opened the registration for a new on-line Programme in International Relations .

The programme offers an in-depth understanding of the contemporary global governance in all its complexity and its effects on our lives and businesses. The overall objective is to help students acquire ample knowledge of the analytical tools and essential data needed to analyse current international trends, relevant for both the private and public sectors. It is worth 17,5 ECTS credits (to be taken in four months). The first edition will take place from October 2020 to January 2021 and will be offered only in Spanish.

For further information and enrollment, please go to CEU Andalucía website, here .
ACADEMIA HIGHER EDUCATION COLLEGES RECOGNIZED AS THE SECOND BEST VET SCHOOL IN THE WORLD
We are very proud to announce that EURASHE's member Academia Higher Education Colleges recently received a silver award from the British Business and Technology Education Council, recognizing the institution as second best VET school in the world in 2020.

"The British Council for Business and Technology Education recognized the efforts and work of our employees, lecturers and instructors from the economy, mentors in companies and the commitment of our students. At Academia, we have educated and trained more than 70,000 people for more than 25 years . Our success is reflected in the success of our students, which we help them with by encouraging and offering opportunities." said Žan Dapčevič, Business Director of the school.

Our partners
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESENTS THE EUROPEAN SKILLS AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVENESS, SOCIAL FAIRNESS AND RESILIENCE
On 1 July, the European Commission presented the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience , which sets ambitious, quantitative objectives for upskilling (improving existing skills) and reskilling (training in new skills) to be achieved within the next 5 years. 

The aim is to ensure that the right to training and lifelong learning, enshrined in the European Pillar of Social rights, becomes a reality all across Europe. The Commission is placing skills at the heart of the EU policy agenda, steering investment in people and their skills for a sustainable recovery after the Coronavirus pandemic. Businesses need workers with the skills required to master the green and digital transitions, and people need to be able to get the right education and training to thrive in life.

The Commission also launched t he  new Europass platform, which offers guidance in CV-writing, suggests tailored jobs and learning opportunities, provides information on trends in skills, and is available in 29 languages.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT PACKAGE
The coronavirus pandemic has emphasised the often difficult start many young people face in the labour market . With the Youth Employment Support package, launched on 1 July, the European Commission is taking action to give young people all possible opportunities to develop their full potential to shape the future of the EU, and thrive in the green and digital transitions.

The Youth Employment Support package is built around four strands that together provide a bridge to jobs for the next generation:

  • The Commission's proposal for a Council Recommendation on a Bridge to Jobs;
  • The Commission's proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training;
  • renewed impetus for apprenticeships;
  • Additional measures to support youth employment, including employment and start-up incentives, in the short term, and capacity building, young entrepreneur networks and inter-company training centres in the medium term.

THE NEW EDITION OF U-MULTIRANK IS ONLINE
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed millions of learners, teachers and researchers to new realities, new ways of learning and teaching, examination, communicating and doing research. According to U-Multirank’s latest data some 60% of universities reported online learning provisions in their strategic planning prior to COVID-19, while only one third appeared to provide full online courses in some form. The capacity of universities to replace the provision of traditional on-campus ‘face-to face’ educational programmes with online provision has proved to be a key strategic response to COVID-19.

U-Multirank’s latest results not only give insights on the effects of online learning provision, but make transparent the detailed performance of universities, so students can make better informed choices about what, or where to study based on what matters most to them. Universities can use U-Multirank data to assess their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to create or strengthen their strategic plans, including aspects on the digitalisation of degree programmes – a new norm post-COVID-19.

U-Multirank is available here .

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE 2020 EUROPEAN QUALITY ASSURANCE FORUM (EQAF) IS OPEN
The EQAF Programme Committee is inviting proposals for abstracts to be presented during the 2020 Online European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF).

EQAF is organised annually by EURASHE,   ENQA ESU , and   EUA  and regularly attracts more than 400 participants from the higher education quality assurance community from Europe and beyond. Considering the exceptional circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s EQAF event will take place online.

This year, the online event will focus on the theme  “Flexible higher education: implications for QA”  and will explore whether quality assurance is fit for the flexible and dynamic environment of higher education and how it could better support higher education institutions in becoming more flexible and encourage them make the most of it.

Submit your contribution by 27 July 2020.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR A NEW RESEARCH STUDIES FOR ADULT LEARNERS IN WBL
The Centre for Work Related Studies of the University of Chester is currently conducting a study aiming to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of working and studying of learners aged over 30.

Volunteers who are aged 30 or above and who are close to (currently enrolled on your last module) or recently completed (within the last 6 months) a work-based learning programme, are invited to share their success stories, taking part in the research, which will consist of a one/two hour recording interview through Microsoft Team.

The participant information document can be found here .