Hedda Blog

The European Commission announced the new2007 Erasmus Mundus Masters Programmes.
What is Erasmus Mundus? In an effort to enhance attractiveness and converge degree offerings within the EU countries, the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship programme was adopted in 2003. A select number of high-quality, joint-degree, European Masters Courses are selected under the Erasmus Mundus scheme. These courses offer a scholarship for non-EU graduate students and scholars from around the world.
In 2004, European Masters Degree Programme in Higher Education (HEEM) was chosen as a joint-degree programme funded under the auspicies of the Erasmus Mundus scheme.

From the Erasmus Mundus website:
"The Erasmus Mundus programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. It aims to enhance quality in European higher education and to promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with third countries.

The programme is intended to strengthen European co-operation and international links in higher education by supporting high-quality European Masters Courses, by enabling students and visiting scholars from around the world to engage in postgraduate study at European universities, as well as by encouraging the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars towards third countries."

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Guardian reported that the UK Universities are imperative to the success of the 2012 London Olympic games. Universities not only offer the infastructure for training facilities "of excellence", conference space and accomodations, but they also have the expertise to attract and train distinguished coaches. Lord Coe, who is chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, said: "We need universities, but it isn't just about the bricks and mortar, it's also about their local mass of sporting expertise and where the athletes can train."

Do you think this type of "public use" of universities adds to or takes away from the purpose of a university?

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this new publication by Vught, F.A. van, of University of Twente, the Netherlands, a partner institution of Hedda.

Youth, Education and the Labour Market

Brussels, Group of Societal Policy Advisors, European Commission, 2006, 15 p.

In this paper Frans van Vught, member of the Group of Societal Policy Advisors of the European Commission, addresses in particular "the second pillar of the knowledge society". He discusses the achievements of the European education systems and explores the development of the qualification structure of the European labour force. The argument presented is that a knowledge-intensive economy produces wage inequality, leading to increasing inequalities between less and better skilled new entrants to the labour market. In addition, it is argued that the ‘knowledge society’ has created a race between education and technology, a race that is increasingly being lost by education.

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANNOUNCEMENT

Finnish Graduate School in Higher Education Administration, Management
and Economics

From the Higher Education Group:
"Following a positive decision by the Ministry of Education the Finnish
Graduate School for Higher Education Administration, Management and
Economics has been established by a cooperative structure of Finnish
institutions, consisting of the University of Tampere, the University
of Lapland, the University of Vaasa and the Government Institute for
Economic Research (VATT). The Graduate School now announces five
research positions for the period 1.2.2007-31.12.2009."

"Candidates appointed are expected to engage in post-graduate
studies and doctoral dissertation research. The salary is based on the
new salary system profile chart for teaching and research personnel.

The selection criteria include the quality of the applicant's
research proposal and its relevance to the research programme
(http://www11.uta.fi/laitokset/jola/heg/index.php?Graduateschool)

Candidates need to have a Master's Degree (or equivalent) in the field of
management studies, higher education studies, economics or another
related field in social sciences. Accepted candidates who do not hold
a degree in management studies are expected to complete additional
studies.

It is possible to apply as a part-time or full-time post-graduate
student on other additional funding or to do research in addition to
other work for wages. We particularly encourage applicants with a
solid professional experience in the area of higher education to apply
within these terms. The recruitment is international and the main
language used in the graduate school is English.

In addition to the draft research plan in English (approx. 8 pages),
applicants are required to submit a Curriculum Vitae and a letter of
application (two pages) describing qualifications."

Deadline for sending applications is TUESDAY 12TH OF DECEMBER 2006.

Applications have to be sent to the following address:

Graduate School for Higher Education Administration, Management and
Economics
Department of Management Studies, HEG
Kanslerinrinne 1
FIN-33014 University of Tampere
FINLAND

For additional information contact:

Professor Seppo Hölttä, Head of the graduate school
Higher Education Group, Department of Management Studies, University
of Tampere
seppo.holtta@uta.fi tel. +358 3 3551 6386 or +358 50 3221 401

Research Director Timo Aarrevaara
Higher Education Group, Department of Management Studies, University
of Tampere timo.aarrevaara@uta.fi

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Associated Press reported that approximately 50-100 male academics were kidnapped on November 14 from the Higher Education Ministry in Karradah, the office that oversees research grants and academic exchanges. Dressed in police uniforms, the kidnappers handcuffed their captives and hauled them off in 20 trucks. The following day, November 15, some of the captives were released. Accounts on the number of captives released was unclear. Within the last month, a Baghdad university dean and prominent Sunni geologist were assassinated, the Associated Press reports that 155 academics have been killed since the invasion in 2003. Higher Education Minister Abed Theyab said, "Higher education in Iraq is targeted and the goal is hindering the wheel of progress and science." It is said that many academics are fleeing the country in an attempt to escape the violence.

What effect will these incidents have on academics and the Iraq higher education system?

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We have searched high and low for blogs on the world of higher education, and with little avail, we are excited to launch the new Hedda blog. Serving as a resource that is informative and inquisitive, this blog will feature current research developments and projects in higher education, events, Bologna process developments, policy debates, conference information, late-breaking literature reviews and opinions on the dynamic nature of higher education around the globe. In addition, this blog will spotlight the most diverse higher education masters programme in the world, Hedda, through the eyes of students, professors and alumni, who bring rich experience and a depth of knowledge to the field of higher education. We hope that you enjoy the blog; visit often, post comments and be sure to add this to your RSS links/favorites.

Posted by Hedda blog administrator at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)