Butlletí

A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

46

January 2010

EDITORIAL

Bologna 2010. And then what?

Since the Act on the Universities of Catalunya (2003) was approved, the Catalan university system has been fully immersed in the process of adapting itself to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Now that the transition is coming to an end, we can say that the adaptation of our degree standards to the EHEA has been basically marked by three anomalies. The first one is that it has been sought to take advantage of this impetus to tackle other educational reforms which, aside from whether or not they are more or less appropriate or expedient, do not really form part of what we have called the Bologna Process.

AQU NEWS

• AQU Catalunya reviews the UAB's International Relations Service 29.12.2009
• AQU Catalunya sets the criteria and dates for the 2009 evaluation of research by tenured and contracted teaching and research staff at public universities28.12.2009
• AQU Catalunya sets the procedure for the certification of teaching and administration by tenured and contracted teaching and research staff at public universities up until 200928.12.2009
• Results of the second 2009 call for the assessment of collaborating lecturers and tenure-track lecturers16.12.2009
• The AQU ElButlletí now open to receiving readers' opinions 30.11.2009
• Good reception at the international level for the AQU Quality Assurance Training Programme for Students24.11.2009
• AQU Catalunya participates in the Fourth European Quality Assurance Forum 23.11.2009
• Josep Anton Ferré, the new Director of AQU Catalunya 18.11.2009

ARTICLES

• A Pilot Experience in the External Assessment of International Relations in Higher Education
  With higher education undergoing a process of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the internationalization of activities in European universities is gaining importance. The last communiqué from the conference of European Ministers Responsible for Higher Education in Lovaina, that took place on 28 and 29 April 2009, prioritises, amongst others factors, the increase of internationalization of higher education institutions in general and the mobility of students, researchers and support personnel. In fact, this communiqué states that by 2020 at least 20% of graduates in the EHEA will spend a study period abroad.
  Carme Edo Ros - Project manager of AQU Catalunya
• A step forward: from the physical to the digital library
  The new models for working with and producing information, influenced by a spectacular increase in electronic documentation and in digital publication and dissemination media, are causing organisations to undertake initiatives addressed to the management of documentary resources beyond the traditional library. In recent months, AQU Catalunya has been preparing a repository of specialised electronic documents dealing with university quality which we have called the Digital Library. AQU Catalunya's Digital Library is integrated into the Agency's website and offers open access to the full text of all its documents.
  Albert Basart Capmany and Lorena Pérez Méndez - Project manager of AQU Catalunya and collaborator of AQU catalunya

OPINION

• Guide for the assessment/accreditation of external university centres
  

  Jaume Sarramona López
  Full professor of Pedagogy of Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)

  One of the numerous tasks entrusted to the Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya is to assess attached university centres offering degrees that are recognised by Catalan universities. It has been responsible for this function since 2008 and it has set up a specific protocol of an eminently qualitative nature to do so. However, in 2008 AQU Catalunya was entrusted with assessing/accrediting two universities from Latin America, specifically the Faculty of Law of San Martín de Porres University in Lima (Peru) and the Regional University Centre of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico).

• Send us your opinion!
  

  Would you like to share your opinions with the readers of elButlletí regarding issues associated with quality in the sphere of the universities and institutions of higher education?

AQU RECOMMENDS

• Research assessment in Humanities and Social Sciences: DOCUMENTATION of the Workshop 2010 [ca]
• Research assessment in Humanities and Social Sciences: CONCLUSIONS of the Workshop 2010 [ca]